PiedPiper

Hello everyone,

I completed this flimsy using a panel that my son loves (he loves birds), and I'm not sure how best to quilt it. I really don't want to obscure the picture on the panel in any way, if I can avoid it. (I was burnt once with a panel quilt which was quilted by someone else, and the choice of pattern and thread just completely wrecked the look of the panel...once bitten, twice shy!) I can't afford to send it out and I'm not good enough with FMQ to brave that with this piece - so I'm kind of stuck with walking foot quilting at this point. I know there are lots of ideas for that but I'm really struggling to picture what sort of quilting pattern would work well, and not wreck the panel picture. I don't want it high density, for sure, and I can picture it looking good with a large meander...but again, I'm stuck with walking foot quilting at the moment.

Any advice on what to do? I know my options are a bit limited, but "it is what it is" and I'm trying to work within them. I'm planning on it being a wall hanging, if that helps any.

Thanks so much for any words of wisdom!

PiedPiper

Oops...hoping the picture attaches this time.

Tartan

Just straight line (about 1/2 inch) quilting like in a modern quilt would look good. For some reason a large meander or straight line quilting to me does not impact how I see a quilt design. Pretty top!

Iceblossom

Figuring out the quilting design is a big hurdle for me. I understand your concerns, a lot of time my review of my finished pieces is "another perfectly fine top ruined by inadequate quilting", my friends tell me a bit harsh but I'm really the only one that counts!

I'd probably be working with the vertical lines of the trunks in the panel, whether following them or echoing them. Do you have any fancy stitch options, like a serpentine or something vine-y? Just to hold that panel down and then do something related but a bit more complex/stabilizing in the rest of the top.

And the top is lovely! It is going to be good no matter what you do, it is made with love and will be received with love.

As another option, with my vision issues I have problems seeing/following markings so I will buy pantographs which I then copy onto parchment paper and sew through everything. It's still Free Motion quilting, but it gives me better results than either marking the top or by free handing. So if you wanted to try that, something like this would be a good all over option and pretty easy design.
https://www.urbanelementz.com/bird-on-the-wind.html

juliasb

I would most likely do some straight line ruler work on it designing it like I would design a crazy quilt pattern. Small sections no more than 1" apart and changing direction from time to time to follow some of the direction in the panel. This is a beautiful and it is always the quilters choice. This one screams ruler work to me.

wesing

I agree with straight lines. If you use a silver or light beige thread it should not distract from the panel, but only add texture.

suern3

Straight vertical lines was also the first thing I thought of when I saw your picture. I like wesing's idea for thread color or you might consider a clear monofilament thread.

ckcowl

When I Quilt panels I try to just ( highlight) the features of the panel. Almost thread painting, add vines to leaves, feathers to birds, trace tree branches, add cloud lines in the sky etc.

GEMRM

Could you do straight line quilting that would make it look like a window pane - kind of like those attic window quilts divide the quilt into "sections"

LAF2019

you can do some gentle curves with your walking foot. I would make them int he general vertical direction. it would coordinate with the flow of the trees in the background.