Wednesday, September 5, 2012

WIP Wednesday: Cry For Help Edition

"Help me, quilty peeps. You're my only hope!"

I am stuck and need suggestions/help/inspiration of the quilting variety.

Issue #1: Another Easy Going Modern top.


Me and my Easy Going Modern sample.

It's not so much the quilting design that's stumping me (I do have a tried and true EGM quilting approach), it's the thread colour that's puzzling me. Whatever I use to blend with one colour is really going to show up on the others. I used a light yellow variegated thread for the original EGM and that looked fine, but what colour do you suggest for this one?

I'm also open to alternative quilting designs.

Issue #2 ("...Mr. Sununu" [I'm really dating myself with these pop culture references, aren't I?])

Wonderland Quilt Top for Siblings Together

Yes, this one again. I really want this quilt's next appearance on the blog to be in its finished state. I need help with the quilting here, too. Those larger spaces are really begging for something, but I just don't know what. The viny leaf motif I did on the Memory Quilt? Or just some "organic" straightish lines (horizontal? vertical? both?) all over?

Thread colour? I've got a neat orange-to-yellow variegated thread I could use but that would be very light against the brown. I also have dark brown? Not averse to buying a new colour.

Whilst you ponder my problem, I will give my WIP roundup.

Finished!
Heather's Memory Quilt

New Projects
Nothing, but I've put my Stash Trad Bee quilt on the list - I want to plug away at more of those Scrappy Churn Dash blocks.

This Week's Stats
Finished Projects - 1
New Projects - 1
In Progress - 7 (I think I have been miscounting all this time. Dangnabbit.)

  • The two quilts featured here (for Siblings Together)
  • Stacked Strips
  • New Wave
  • Kaleidoscope
  • Bee Quilt (Jeweled Squares)
  • Bee Quilt (Circle of Geese)
  • Stash Trad Bee Quilt (Scrappy Churn Dashes)

And my Just Three report for August: 2.5/3!
1. Memory Quilt (done!)
2. Siblings Together quilts layered and basted (one layered and basted, and backing is made for other one)
3. Stash Trad August block (done!)

For September, I want to:
1. Finish quilting at least one of the ST quilts;
2. Make a bag/fulfill my pattern testing commitment to Nikki;
3. Make at least 3 more Scrappy Churn Dash blocks.

Linking up with Freshly Pieced and The Needle and Thread Network (canucks!), plus Traceyjay Quilts for Just Three.

WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced

traceyjay quilts



24 comments:

  1. Gosh, I struggle with quilting ideas too so I don't have many suggestions. Have you bought Angela Walter's book yet? I highly recommend it. I love it for ideas.

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  2. I've got some ideas for you:

    Easy Going Modern (LOVE BTW!):
    If you want to go horizontal wavy like your last, I think a lime green would be great. Yes, it'll pop a bit against the blue, but it'll be more subtle on the white, whereas the blue would pop on both the white and the green.

    I think vertical wavy would look great and you could then match thread colours, if you wanted a more subtle look.

    For your Mr. Sununu (great name):

    Echoing the lines vertically and horizontally and add in some diagonals would look great, even if you ran it into the borders.

    Or for the brown border (or all of the border), a thought is to do some lattice (one wider row of this: http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.ca/2010/02/day-127-lacy-lattice.html).

    Hope these give you some ideas or prompt new ones. Can't wait to see what you do with these!

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  3. I actually kind of like when the quilting stands out, so I would go with a bold color for both. :)

    As for the second one...straight line quilting is always nice. Also, have you seen the double loop fmq? It's pretty easy to do (and your fmq looks awesome already!), and it would be fun for that quilt:
    http://pinterest.com/pin/192810427767375028/
    http://pinterest.com/pin/192810427767527364/

    I have been pinning some quilts just for the fmq ideas, so there are more on my board if you want to take a gander!

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  4. Well..... A friend just finished a quilt like the first one here. She quilted it with loops going across in rows. It looked great!

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  5. Re. Issue #1, I had a similar reaction to M-R's--why not go with a lime green variegated thread and let it show against the blue? I love the visual texture that quilting adds, including when threads move between blending in and popping out with high color contrast.
    But if you really prefer the color to blend in, maybe you could do a wavy line pattern running from top to bottom, or some kind of vine-like pattern? You could use a variegated lime green in the green zones, and blue in the blue.

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  6. If you really want the thread to blend and be subtle, I've had good luck with using a light gray thread on a lot of projects that really ends up not showing much, even against varied colours. As for quilt #2, I'm no help there, not being a machine quilting expert by any means and sticking with straight lines most of the time!

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  7. My first thought on the blue and green one is to use something that shows up on BOTH. Maybe even white, since that's the accent color. You could also go with a blue green color, that's somewhere between the 2.

    As for the second one, if it's not a commission quilt, of gift or something, it'd be a great opportunity to try something new! Use the same brown as the fabric so mistakes won't show as bad, but maybe words, maybe a design you want to learn, maybe some hand stitching? Buttons sewn on? Ribbons? I just bought a couching foot, so that pops into my mind too! It's a really fun quilt, so make it fun!!

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  8. a lime green in straight or wavey line top to bottom, or bottom to top

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  9. every time i open your blog i get to see that fabulous quilt on the header...everytime it makes me smile...i love that quilt

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  10. I'd suggest lime also - vertical....it would blend some but show some too - depending where. OR a variegated with both the lime & blue would be awesome.
    For #2 I like the brown idea...wouldn't show much in the 'framing' area but would in the center.
    It'll be fun to see what you decide!

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  11. Why go with only one thread colour? Isn't modern supposed to be somewhat original and improve? I would use either complementary or contrasting colours done vertically with the colours as they flow down your quilt, maybe lime green on the white, blue on the green and white on the blue?? or how you will...

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  12. I am always stuck on what colour to use too.

    Lovely work though!!!

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  13. I agree that lime would be cool! And I'm a big fan of your leafy quilting, so I'd work that in for sure.

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  14. Wel, I always think lime green is the perfect addition. I think it's my neutral! It's not going to jump out too much on the blue or green and if it's not too intense, it should look good on the white too.

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  15. I like the lime idea too....but you could also use a natural or sort of hemp color; it would blend a bit more. I really love this quilt...the pattern and especially the colors.

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  16. I can't help you with quilting thread colors or motif ideas: as you know, my quilting system breaks down after the top is finished. Sad...

    However, are you still looking for more churn dash blocks? I think I mentioned once that I would love to make at least one. Do you still need extras?

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  17. My first instinct was grey or variegated grey, but it looks like so many others like green so it will stand out! I tend to be more cowardly!

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  18. I haven't read all the comments, but my initial reaction would be to quilt the EMG quilt with vertical wavy lines...mustard thread on the mustard fabric, blue thread on the blue, and a varigated mustard/blue on the white space. Vertical feathers using those same suggested threads might also work.

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  19. for EGM if you want to stick with a single colour, the lime would be good. I'd be inclined to mix it up. I'd go vertical within each colour and use a variety of fills - in matching colours so you just see the texture not the quilting. The fills could be different straight or wavy lines - different each colour, or you could do pebbles or other more curvy fills to play against the straight lines of the piecing.
    With the second one I'd go with a mid brown overall and the cross hatching with straight horizontal and vertical lines.

    What ever you decide, have fun!

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  20. very pretty both. You seem to not want to contrast the thread on the quilts. I think this is pretty and i wouldn't be as afraid of it! I like seeing the quilting lines. In fact on the yellow and blue i would probably quilt the yellow with blue and the blue with yellow!!!

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  21. I think a blue/green varigated thread would be great with the first quilt. And I've no idea for the second, sorry! They are both fabulous!

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  22. I vote quilt it with orange or hot pink on the first. As for the rest, I have no idea either. Isn't it awesome that we can ask and quilty peeps will answer? Better than kenobi if you ask me, he did nothing for like 18 years!

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  23. You got a bunch of great ideas in the comments already so I'll keep it brief: I'd use invisible thread in the modern quilt, and double diagonal lines in Mr. Sununu. Good luck!

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  24. Which I could help you with some quilting ideas but I don't have any. Your tops look great though!

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