Saturday, December 8, 2012

Quilting....Free Motion, continued

In my last post, I talked about some of the basic steps I take when doing free motion quilting. In this post I thought I would share how I decide "what" to quilt.
It really depends on the quilt itself, if I am working on a utilitarian quilt, I will generally use simple shapes, stencils, feathers or basic meander. I let the size and purpose of the quilt dictate what I choose to do.

But art quilts are a different matter, art quilts tell a story and I want the stitching to continue the story. Below are some examples of ways that I use stitching to compliment the images on my quilts.

Sometimes I just add a little something in the background....can you see the spirals that break up the stippling?



pebbles stitched using pastel variegated thread kind of looks like snow
Simple "echo" stitching is often a great choice when you just want the stitching to stay in the background

Carrying an  image in your stitches out into the border  adds interest and continues the story. Here the roots spread out into the border.
In between the roots, I wanted the feel of earth, jagged, uneven stitching, pebbles and stippling worked well.
wavy lines and bubbles surround these turtles for a watery feel
This is another example trying to get the feel of the movement of water
sky.... gentle breezes

Sometimes, it can be as simple as following the pattern of the fabric, for excellent effect.

I just noticed....this is my 300th post.....Wow...have I really have that much to say?


15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Stunning...ALLOF IT! Love, love, love!!!

B J Elder said...

Love the different examples you showed. Really effective and beautifully done.

Robbie said...

Well, your 300th post and as usual you have great info to share with us!! I'm just working on deciding how to finish the quilting about my 'max' piece! You've put a whole new perspective on it!! THANKS!!!

Anonymous said...

I'm not that accomplished yet, envious.

chris said...

When I grow up - I wanna be just like you...........Congrats on No: 300 - look forward to reading the next 300!

Renate said...

I have often wondered how various quilters decide what to quilt where. These are stupendous examples. Thank you for sharing.

Raewyn said...

Interesting and inspirational to see the thought processes that go behind choosing your designs - thank you. This is my first visit to your blog and I'm glad I found it!

Brenda said...

WOW! WOW! WOW! I bow to the Queen of free motion quilting...your talent certainly surpasses the name you have given your blog. LOL...hardy the work of a rat?
Incredibly beautiful work.

Joan said...

Lovely post - very informative - Thanks Jill - Also ...Happy 300th :)

Clare Wassermann said...

What a lovely lovely post! lots of ideas!

landscapelady said...

Spectacular ! Once again you've inspired me - thank you.

Anna said...

What truly fabulous quilting, lovely to see and admire!

Karin said...

love the tree roots so very much. beautiful work.

Createology said...

Your quilting is exquisite. I really like how you tell a story with the quilting and continue onto the border such as the tree roots. If I ever quilt I hope to follow your expertise you so generously share. Congratulations on 300 posts.

Diane J. Evans said...

I, for one, am THRILLED that you have so much to say -- and that you share it with all of us. What great quilting ideas here -- they really do evoke the mood of each quilt.

Diane

Copyright Jill Buckley