The quilt top is done. It's mostly pinwheels and 4-patches. Red, white and blue (with, naturally, quite a few variations on that theme). A couple of the red patches have ants and one has a Tootsie Roll. Some blues have stars and a few have polka dots. I wanted happy and I've done that. This quilt will be sent to Iraq to wrap one of our wounded military in love. It needs to be softer. Just stitching in the ditch would bore me out of my mind and be cold. A feather sort of trill would be a bit silly. Wonder if circles or random FM is called for to make it not so rigid? Any thoughts? Polly
One thing I have done Polly, is a 'diagonal grid' BUT with wavy lines instead of straight, and no need for anything other than the merest parallel. I start in one of the corners and reel across to the diagonally opposite. Then go two or three inches along one edge and wave across in the same direction. As I say, you don't try to parallel the curves, and it looks not good at the beginning. It improves. Continue like that till you fill that half in the one direction. Go fill the other half. Then start again at the corner along an edge from where you started, and meander across to the diagonally opposite corner to that one, and then go from that line to the edges. When it is finished, it looks really nice. There is no thread burying, because you have started and finished at the edges which will be under the binding! Great bonus >g< It can be done with the feed dogs UP (and is quick).
Or, because of the context, you could do a free motion meandering (not stippling) with the occasionally freely-drawn five-pointed star. It is super-easy to do. You can practice doing the star on paper - you must draw it so that your pen/pencil doesn't leave the paper - then you know you can quilt in a continuous line. (Just e-mail me if you want to do this one and I'll send you a verbal diagram of how to do the star - I can do it after one or two practice drawings, so it must be easy! They don't come out all looking the same of course!) . In message , Polly Esther writes
What delightful suggestions; thank you so much. Those are wonderful ideas to ponder. Last night after getting all those squares matched up, I just couldn't get my quilting pattern brain section to going. You have inspired me. Polly
"Estelle Gallagher" How about random spirals and swirls or just some lower case large "E" s FM
Patti wrote >One thing I have done Polly, is a 'diagonal grid' BUT with wavy lines instead of straight, and no need for anything other than the merest parallel. I start in one of the corners and reel across to the diagonally opposite. Then go two or three inches along one edge and wave across in the same direction. As I say, you don't try to parallel the curves, and it looks not good at the beginning. It improves. Continue like that till you fill that half in the one direction. Go fill the other half. Then start again at the corner along an edge from where you started, and meander across to the diagonally opposite corner to that one, and then go from that line to the edges. When it is finished, it looks really nice. There is no thread burying, because you have started and finished at the edges which will be under the binding! Great bonus >g< It can be done with the feed dogs UP (and is quick).
Or, because of the context, you could do a free motion meandering (not stippling) with the occasionally freely-drawn five-pointed star. It is super-easy to do. You can practice doing the star on paper - you must draw it so that your pen/pencil doesn't leave the paper - then you know you can quilt in a continuous line. (Just e-mail me if you want to do this one and I'll send you a verbal diagram of how to do the star - I can do it after one or two practice drawings, so it must be easy! They don't come out all looking the same of course!) .
Here's something I've enjoyed ... a quick and easy 'pattern' for blocks. Do vertical parallel lines on the first block, connecting each with the next, maybe 3/4" apart .... being SURE to be free and easy with the lines! Just go up and down until you get to the top right corner of the block, then cross to the next block. Go back and forth on that in the same way, but this time going horizontally. Continue across the row, then move on to the row below. With a little foresight, you can do this with out stopping. Capice? PAT PS: Do you send this to Iraq or to the Quilt of Valor people? My guild has a liaison in the Landstuhl Medical Center (US Army) in Germany, where we've sent many quilts.
This is what I'm doing on the current quilt, diagonal lines w/ curves. In the large areas made of Loralie Designs Divas :
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lines were not going to do for these curvy gals.Other blocks in the quilt have straight lines (quick & easy), but theDivas had to have soft curves. ;-) Lots of straight line geometry calls for curves and circles, in my quilts.
I don't know if Quilts of Valor or Soldier's Angels or a direct link to Landstuhl is the very best. I'm just so grateful to be part of one. Whatever your views on this or any war, it is good to be able to express our gratitude to those who keep us safe. We are told that when a wounded warrior is reunited with his family that he first shows them his medals - and then he lets them share his hug from us.. . and will not be parted from it. I didn't expect, as a Korean war wife, to have the chance to show our appreciation for this generation. Can not hug them all, but we can hug one. Polly
Polly, I don't know if you've decided on a quilting pattern or not but here's an idea. I made DH and Army quilt about 5 years ago. The lady who quilted it for me used meandering with eagles every so often. It just fit so perfectly with the theme and looks great. The eagle has his head turned to the side and his wings spread so he looks magnificant.
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