How do you quilt this now? (Part 1)

How do I quilt this?

This is a question I get asked 

ALL

the time!

Now that you've made this 

BEAUTIFUL top...

what do you do next?

AND HOW?

Let's walk through 

one option

to help you figure out 

what quilting designs you want to use.

(Warning:  This will be broken up into more than one post.)

Now, there are many ways to do the same thing.  

Please know,

what I show you is only 1 option!

Ok!

Let's get ready to play!

UGGHHH...

there's always prep work!

I just want to dive in and 

PLAY!!!

PLAY!!!

PLAY!!!

Here's Mardi Gras!

I've pinned the batting and backing on 

AND, stitched around each pin wheel...

PLUS, I've stitched EVERY seam inside EACH one!!!

YES!

It's a LOT of work!

But worth EVERY stitch!!!

Now, 

there are decisions to make...

Should there be quilting inside each pin wheel?

If so, how much?

Should the background be dense and really 

smashed down?

If yes, how would this effect the pin wheels?

What color thread to use on the background?

So far...

the decisions made have been to

quilt the background densely. 

Not much, if any, quilting in the pin wheels.

Thinking of a cotton grey thread for the background, 

just a shade or two darker than the fabric.

(Why cotton?  Cotton in not shiny, so it will recede.  

This will make the pin wheels REALLY pop out!

I think...)

Also,

when quilting densely, or considering it,

you need to think about the thread weight.

A thick thread, 30 wt., 

will show heavy and be dominant and 

create a lot of thread build up.

All of this creates a stiff quilt.

A fine thread, 50-60 wt.,

will not show heavy and will sort of 

blend into the background 

and thread build up will not be an issue.

Using fine threads doesn't tend to make your quilt stiff.

There is also a 100 wt. silk thread!

This has NO thread build up

and your quilt is NOT stiff at all!

I LOVE this stuff!

Quilter's Preview Paper

This is a thin film you can put over your quilt top,

draw on it to get design ideas,

then you have your road map!

(NOTE: You can also use clear vinyl!

Vinyl will last you for LOTS of projects!  

This preview paper we cut to size, 

will only last for this one project.

There is lots on the roll, though!)

Here's what I mean...

  

I cut a piece of the Quilter's Preview Paper

just wider than my project.

It's not wide enough,

so I cut another piece and taped them together.

See!

Taped them together!

Then, turn it so the tape is on the under side!

Why?

Because you're going to draw on this paper

and the marker will not erase from the tape.

(Ask me how I know...LOL!)

Here is the project with

Quilter's Preview Paper secured on top of it.

Now,

normally you do this on 

JUST

the quilt top.

Sometimes,

I get too excited and go too far...

like I did here!

YES!

I'm telling on myself!

HAHAHA!

How did I secure it?

With pins!

There is a pin in each corner.

For a larger project,

there would be more pins on the sides.

Just make sure your preview paper

is secure!

Use as many pins as you like. 

You will also need dry erase markers.

I usually use the thin ones, 

but they couldn't be found,

so these will just have to do for now...

OH, 

look at the black line just under the markers.

This is on the outer edges of the preview paper to help you 

NOT draw onto you project.

BUT, 

it's NOT on the edge you cut...

so you'll still have one edge without this warning line.

This is why it's crucial you cover your

entire project!

AND...

don't forget your eraser!

I just used a small scrap of fabric.

If you have a real dry eraser, you can use it!

FINALLY!

We're ready to play!!!!

This got LONG...

sorry!

So we'll continue in our next post!

Stitch the pieces of LIFE together!

They make a BEAUTIFUL quilt!

Nina Clotfelter