I am currently at hand quilting a wall hanging applqued with desert "things". I have quilted around all the applique motifs and the sashing. I am working on the borders now. I'm not sure how to quilt the background of the blocks. I am considering either echo-quilting around each of the applique motifs or doing a diagonal grid. What do you think? There are pictures and a description of my dilemma at
Julia in MN
Julia, that's really a pretty quilt! It has lots of curves in it, though, so I'd be tempted to do a diagonal grid in the background to set off the curves of the appliqués. JMHO. :)
Could you do one row of echo quilting, say a quarter of an inch away from the appliqué? and then do the diagonal grid? I just think that a grid right up to the appliqué might be a stark/sudden? Also, I did one wallhanging with echo quilting right from the appliqué to the edge and I didn't like it at all - so I am only speaking from my own experience. I had fewer appliqué pieces, and I used the colour of the background, but even so.
(You did just give us two options! but, the first thought that came to my mind was sand dunes, and the various curves that they make.) . In message , Sandy writes
Before you decide, Julia, could you test suggestions by drawing them on something like plastic wrap such as Glad's Press and Seal? Then you could try them on without actually stitching. The reason I'm asking is that I would really like to see what would happen if you quilted lines that looked like heat rising; something like Karen McTavish's flames. I must be in a 'artsy' mood this morning; maybe it's the moon. Polly
Howdy!
Eat dessert first.
(well, she did want "suggestions", right?)
Yeah, what Pat says.
R/Sandy
That sounds good to me :)
Julia in MN
Well, I was going to say you should use a cherry motif in the backgrounds, but the pictures show des-ert (cactus/sand) rather than dee-zert (pie/cake).
What about wavy lines across each block (somewhat like ~~~~), reminiscent of heat waves? or straight lines "radiating" from the sun block? Each block would be marked slightly differently than it's neighbor. No quilting "sunbeam" lines on the sashing or appliques, just the block backgrounds. Debra in VA See my quilts at
Julia, your wall hanging is great! You've definitely captured "the desert"......
Patti in Seatte
I love it--anything southwest is great. I see you have no kokopelli's on it. How about quilting some of them into the blocks? Gen "...
J, who is bad at terminology, but knows what she likes!
I do have another wall hanging with a large kokopelli in the center block, surrounded by blocks with other of the native American petroglyphs. I have to get pictures of that one up some day.
Julia > I love it--anything southwest is great. I see you have no kokopelli's on
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