pahega

I am making a wall hanging "Bertie's Spring" by Bonnie Sullivan which I have used flannel for the appliqué pieces and a light weight wool for the background. I used flannel for the batting. I have hand quilted somewhat of an echo line about 1/8 inch around the objects and then a SITD for the half square triangle sashing and borders. I'm wondering if I should quilt more and if so what should it be? On the second picture, I repeated the echo in a small area to the front of the little bird on the cart to see what it might look like. This part is NOT something I am very good at--trying to determine what and where to quilt. You guys are so helpful and I read this board every day if I can. Any suggestions?

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lynnie

your quilting stitches are very neat! If you feel you must add more quilting than do it. i think your quilting is close enough for as to not allow much batting shifting. I'd just hand quilt the saw tooth border.

Bree123

Super cute!!! I personally would do a filler in the background just to bring even more attention to the appliqué, but that's up to you. Since it's not something that will be washed or handled a lot, minimal quilting is sufficient for the function. I think a crosshatch in the same scale as the basket would look nice.

Tartan

Very cute! I agree with cross hatching the background but it will be a pain with all the stops and starts as not to go through the appliqués. It might be easier to quilt in some extra features. A line across the center of some blocks to look like the horizon, some extra leaves and clouds in the tree, a bee with a quilted flying path around the flowers, just have some fun.

Geri B

I agree in that it needs more in the background...too saggy. If it were mine, I would think about even adding some quilting in the larger appliqué pieces, in same color thread as piece, just to give some dimension..jmho

Boston1954

I have been thinking that you could lay a sheet of plastic on top of it and draw in different things to see what looks best. I love the top. You have done a fantastic job on the applique!!

joe'smom

I think crosshatching would look great. That is a charming quilt!

Peckish

You don't have to make all the stops and starts, you could always take a giant stitch on the back to move to the next row over, or go under the applique to the other side.

Alex Anderson teaches a neat trick for how to move the needle from one spot to another. With the needle, you take a giant stitch (under the quilt top, but above or in the batting, don't go all the way to the backing) in the direction you want to go, and bring the needle up almost all the way out of the fabric. Pivot the needle so the point is up in the air pointing towards your face but the eye is still under the fabric. Then push it back down so the eye of the needle is leading the thread under the fabric. Push the needle, eye first, through the quilt top in the spot you want it to be, and pull it through.

Bree123

I originally misunderstood her directions & found that I can go under the top, come up, flip my needle & go back through the exact same hole. Works even better for me. Cotton fibers have this wonderful property of contracting when exposed to cold dry air so I've found that putting my quilt in a clean paper bag in my car for an hour first really makes that technique super easy since the spaces in the fabric are ever so slightly bigger than they are when the fabric is warm.

pahega

Peckish and Bree123, I'm not sure I understand. Is there a YouTube video for what you're describing?