FMQ question

[seabreeze]

I LOVE the look of hand quilting, and that along with tying, is all I have ever done. I have noticed in the scary world of free motion, that simple stitches like stippling are done quite close together and make the quilt flat. I am having to get used to this because I have always made puffier quilts. Is it possible to stipple less close together, somewhat like hand quilting, to get a little puffier effect on the finished quilt?

[K. McEuen]

Re: FMQ question

Stippling is very close together and is normally used as a filler. What you want is meandering, which can be as far apart as you like as long as it falls within the guidelines of your batting.

[auntiemern]

Re: FMQ question

What Karen said.

[Vonnie]

Re: FMQ question

In case you are interested, Babylock makes a quilting machine that makes stitches look like hand stitching.

http://babylock.com/sewing/sashiko/

[grammaterry]

Re: FMQ question

I like doing big flowers because they are fluffly. I am working on the swoops and swirls that was recently posted. It is flat. It is tediuous and it is taking forever. I have ripped out more than I've done this week. But, it will be pretty when its finished. I still like the flowers better.

[Sylvia H]

Re: FMQ question

I don't understand the difference between stippling and meandering. But I think you can make your quilting as far apart as you want.

[Vonnie]

Re: FMQ question

Sylvia - think about it like changing the font size. Small font - stippling. Large font - Meander.

I use meander for an all over quilting design.

I use stippling when I want something to pop. I recently stippled the background area around flower applique. It made the flowers poof out and drew attention to them.

[Snip Snip]

Re: FMQ question

On Pinterest and other sites, the FMQ quilts are exquisite, works of art, with quilting very close together. But wouldn't this make the quilt stiff and not cuddly? I have assumed these types of quilts are mainly for show, just to hang on a wall. Not something your grandkids would want to wrap up in, nor would you want them to drag something like that across the floor with their sister rolled up in it. All the labor you put in that work of art!
I will try that close tedious work on a small piece, but for quilts I want to be used, meandering or loop-de-loop all over works for me.

[Caroline T.]

Re: FMQ question

The wonderful thing about quilting, whether you are hand quilting or fmq, you get to be the designer. You decide what you want on the quilt and the effect that you are wanting to create. You are only limited by your imagination