Sephie

As I continue working on my gold, silver, and bronze Swoon (it needs a better name), I'm thinking ahead to how I want to quilt this. It's a housewarming gift for some friends who just built their retirement home, so I'm planning to do something more complicated than an all over meander, loops, or swirls on it. However, never having done the complicated and beautiful things that many of you can do for individual blocks, I'm a little concerned about making sure the seams are going to be ok over time.

I'm planning something kind of like this for the petals and star shapes:
http://dreamquiltcreate.blogspot.com...oon-along.html

Around the shapes, I was going to do a musical motif in the negative space in a smaller size than this blog shows but it's the right idea. Friends and I are all musicians, and the quilt will include many music themed fabrics. http://benandcharlyscorner.blogspot....m-quilted.html

My concern is the seam going around the star/petal shapes because I won't actually be quilting over it at all. I wasn't planning to stitch in the ditch because I don't like to press seams open, so it's definitely causing some thick bumps where certain seams meet and I worry about breaking needles on those places. Will the quilt hold up if I don't quilt over those seams? I'm planning on using a cotton batting that has 8-10" quilting distance.

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dunster

Stitch in the ditch is done when you Don't press your seams open. (There is no ditch when the seams are open.) Your blocks are lovely and it will make a wonderful quilt. I would spend the extra time to ditch stitch it, probably not every ditch but at least around each design element. I don't think you should have trouble stitching through the seams, but that really depends on the machine you're using. Maybe try it out on a test piece?

yolajean

Your blocks are beautiful. Sephie, I just changed needles (after FMQing for quite some time) and the new needle doesn't like my seams. Done for today but tomorrow I am going to change my needle to a 90/14 sharp. The ones I have been using are 80/12 microtex. The first needle did fine but nothing but trouble now. Missed stitches over my thick seams. Try a comparable sample and I agree with Dunster regarding SITD. I use a wavy pattern on my seams but your pattern would be best with straight stitching in the ditch. One secret I have learned from these wonderful Board members is to look ahead of your needle (don't watch the needle!). I am telling you that it works really well. I also mark my foot with a line to run down the seam. Good luck.

cat-on-a-mac

I agree with Dunster also ... SITD will give the design a much more finished look. If you've not done it before, I'd recommend you use a walking foot attachment with a ditching foot for your machine. (What you need really depends on the type of machine you have.) Usually, a SITD foot has a little "blade" in the middle that helps you keep the stitches right in the ditch (the low side of the seam). There have been some threads here about using one, if you want to search around.

stitch678

No need to SID if you are giving the blocks a lot of overall quilting. I preview my ideas using clear plastic laid over top, and draw on that with erasable marker ( be sure to use blue painers' tape to outline the plastic). Then , after you've completed quilting, you can always go back in and SID if you really think it's needed.

Sephie

Thanks for the replies, everyone!

I do know what stitch in the ditch is, and I have done it on several quilts. I'm quilting on a Janome Magnolia with a 6" harp, so I don't want to be turning a 90" quilt inside that space using a walking foot to SITD that one seam if I don't absolutely have to. That's why I'm wondering if it's necessary if I'm planning to do some significant quilting.

It's purely that one seam going around the outer edge of the colored portion of the block that I am worried about. It's a 24" block, so it's pretty big! If I don't quilt over that seam, will it wear worse over time? If anyone has any particular experience with doing this, I'd appreciate it I've outlined the seam I'm asking about in this picture.

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Thanks!