When is a quilt not an "official" quilt?

[spyderquilt]

Hi Everyone...

I am busy sewing up a storm as a noob, and so far, doing fairly well. I made sure to purchase quality notions and fabrics (Woot Jenny!).

The one thing I am concerned about is... if I make beautiful quilt tops, do I have to have them quilted? One small quilt I have all pinned and am ready to take a stab at stippling. But other ones, will be very big, and well, I can't afford to send them off and have them quilted. I want to fill the bare walls of my apartment with them.

Is it acceptable to complete them with border and binding and not be "officially quilted" with batting? I already have just a simple charm pack quilt hanging up and it looks beautiful on the wall.

Have you done this before? Thoughts??

Thanks in advance for your replies,
Spyder

(hurls Hershey Kisses in to the forum)

[HdWench]

Hi hon! This is YOUR quilt, and if you want to do them with only front and back and flip then as Wall Art - Do it!! I have 2 that are more wall art types. I love to quilt but only lines do not know how to FMQ and really? No desire. I love making the tops, and can see how pretty putting those on your walls would be - Go for it and enjoy what makes YOU happy in here *grabs 1 kiss*

:-Debbie

[GuitarGramma]

Hello spyderquilt,

Prime Directive: Love what you do and do what you love! If you are happy with your quilt tops hung on your walls, then that is fabulous. Go for it.

Having said that, a creation is not a quilt until three layers have been sandwiched and sewn together. That means a quilt top, a back, and some kind of filling, even if that's only a thin sheet or flannel.

Now, having said *that*, you certainly don't have to send your quilts out to be quilted. I have never done so, not once. My early quilts were quilted using the "Stitch in the Ditch" method (STID). STID means that you quilt your three layers together by following the seam lines in your quilt top. You don't even have to follow all of them, just enough to meet the minimum quilting distance that you'll see on batting packages.

But you don't need to have quilts on your wall, you can have fabric art. I do think that a quilt will tend to sag less than a quilt top would. But you may have a great way to get the quilt top to stay on the wall without sagging.

Again -- The Prime Directive: Love what you do and do what you love!

[Dalronix]

.... My early quilts were quilted using the "Stitch in the Ditch" method (STID). STID means that you quilt your three layers together by following the seam lines in your quilt top. You don't even have to follow all of them, just enough to meet the minimum quilting distance that you'll see on batting packages.

I have finished two quilts and a placemat set since beginning in July and I stitched lines 1/4 inch from the piecing joins on both sides of them. Is this what you mean by SITD or did you actually stitch on the patchwork joins?

As for 'minimum quilting distance' what do you mean as all the batting I've bought has come off huge bulk rolls so there's been no information like that.

Thank you.

[HdWench]

I have finished two quilts and a placemat set since beginning in July and I stitched lines 1/4 inch from the piecing joins on both sides of them. Is this what you mean by SITD or did you actually stitch on the patchwork joins?

As for 'minimum quilting distance' what do you mean as all the batting I've bought has come off huge bulk rolls so there's been no information like that.

Thank you.

Hi Ron and welcome from Arizona

Actually Stitch in the Ditch is where you stitch in the "ditch" of the seams where they meet up - But you did great on either side.

Also most batting will say minimum stitch is 4" or 8" apart. What kind did you get on a roll? I bet someone in here will know the minimum on that too !

Debbie

[kensington]

The only thing I wonder is, how will you finish the back? Do you intend for them to have a back? If you don't want to quilt them, you could do the pillow method and tie them. I just did a pillow method and then quilted it some recently. Cause I am not ready to do binding by hand and I don't want to do it on a machine.

[bhaggerty]

Hey, this is American Folk art at its finest! You can do anything you want!
I have a cute block that became an orphan and I just stuck it in a picture frame and it is hanging , unquilted, in my sewing room!

[buckeyequilter]

Hey, this is American Folk art at its finest! You can do anything you want!
I have a cute block that became an orphan and I just stuck it in a picture frame and it is hanging , unquilted, in my sewing room!

Good idea...I have a few orphans. I put them in a drawer to make quilt sandwiches with so I can practice, my seam lines are there for SITD practice or whatever I want to do. Now I'm going to have to frame one of them

[easyquilts]

Good idea...I have a few orphans. I put them in a drawer to make quilt sandwiches with so I can practice, my seam lines are there for SITD practice or whatever I want to do. Now I'm going to have to frame one of them

I have several 12 inch Civil War blocks that I am in the process of making into mini-quilts to hang in the will.... They were all hand pieced a couple of years should, and will be hand quilted. Most feature Barbara Brackman's beautiful paisleys, and are backed with them, too.

[kelliedi]

You are smart at least you are displaying them whereas I have my tops that are done all folded up and I wait until I feel someone needs that particular quilt to be theirs. Then i put it together as a quilt.

p.s. since nobody else is taking the Hershey kisses i will make the sacrifice and take them all....your welcome.