 Quilting Designs, the Perfect Fit
By Cheryl Uribe, Gizmo Girl on The Quilt Show & owner of Relic Quilts
I don’t know if there really is the perfect quilting design for a certain quilt. I have viewed some stunning quilts that sure seem to have the perfect designs! Others; however, seem to lack the creativity to really make the quilt come alive. For some quilters deciding on the quilting design can cause a creative dunce cap to suddenly appear on their head! No two quilts are the same; therefore, the journey of choosing the quilting design may not be either. The process you used on your last award winning quilt may not be as useful on your current project. How do you choose the right quilting design for a quilt? Let me count the ways!
Study!
Quilt Shows
If you want the process of choosing a quilting design for your quilts to become second nature you must study! If you invest this time you will be handsomely rewarded. Just like any skill you’ve ever acquired, to hone it you must put in your time. Quilt shows are a great place to start. They have a wide variety of skill levels included and a means to compare. You can examine up close what designs work on a quilt and which ones don’t. Notice what decisions a more advanced quilter has made compared to a novice. Think about what choices you would have made and understand why. Check out Machine Quilter’s Showcase (www.imqa.org) in Overland Park, KS, for the latest and greatest in quilts with wonderful designs. You won’t believe your eyes!
Publications
Quilting publications are another place to get ideas. There are many quilting design specific books available. My favorite is Quilting Solutions by Christine Maraccini published by C&T Publishing available at: www.christinescustomquilts.com. This book is a great one to study. It describes the process of choosing designs for different types of quilts and different skill levels. Magazines are also wonderful. You can see what other quilters have designed and learn from their design choices. Quilting NOW published by STDA (www.quiltingnow.com) and Unlimited Possibilities by Meander Publishing (www.upquiltmag.com) are my top two favorites. You’ll see pictures of award winning quilts along with interviews with their makers. In these interviews the quilters describe what process they used to select their designs as well as what has inspired them. Very informational!
Internet
The Internet is another great tool. (You already knew that!) You can check out different quilting sites for pictures of quilts. Quilting blogs often have many photos of quilts with lengthy descriptions of the quilters’ method for choosing the right design. I love Liz Berg’s blog: lizcreates.blogspot.com. She is a master Art Quilter and is so wise with her design choices. Another great one is: ferfab.blogspot.com by Ferret. Both of these quilters are award winning and so talented! Google images are a go-to source for me. Not only can you look up pictures of quilts and their designs, you can search for idea concepts. For instance, if you have a theme quilt -- let’s say it is a cowboy quilt -- you can search for cowboy themed pictures. I would look up images of lassos, cowboy hats, horses, and saddles to get ideas. You can also search for coloring book designs online. These are a great inspiration for children’s quilts. Dover Publications: store.doverpublications.com is a great resource for clipart and coloring books. You can also sign up for their free samples! OK, now for the spot on the Web that is near and dear to my heart: the quilting chat forum. You can share with your fellow quilters what you are working on and ask for ideas. Many quilting design dilemmas have been solved on these forums. My favorite is www.apqs.com/quiltboard. The forum is also a wonderful place to study designs; there are usually a lot of pictures of quilts posted!
Type of Quilt
It is very helpful to consider what type of quilt you are choosing a design for. A quilt show entry will probably warrant a different design than a baby quilt. An appliquéd quilt will have different considerations than a scrap quilt. It is probably the most important step to decide what type of quilt it is. Once you decide, the quilting design options begin to narrow.
Scrap Quilt
If the quilt top you are quilting is a scrappy type of quilt you will probably want to keep it simple. A fancy design would get lost with the variety of fabrics. Consider what style the fabrics are. More contemporary fabrics may do well with a simple swirl design. 30’s style fabrics would do well with a more old fashioned type of design. Cables, grid, or a baptist fan. The key with a scrappy quilt is to keep it simple!
Pieced Quilt
The variety of pieced quilts is endless which can make your decisions more difficult. You can try designs out by using a dry erase marker on clear plastic sheets. Draw out different designs and audition them by laying the sheets on top of your quilt top. (Be careful not to smudge the ink and soil your quilt!) It is very stunning to fill open spaces with fancy quilting. Feathers, wreaths, maybe a paisley design -- very striking! Filling blocks with motifs are great too. Check out some stencils for motif ideas. This is also where your studying will come in handy! There is not a specific formula, just be sure that you make decisions that matter. If you are a novice quilter you may want to keep it simple and do some all over loops or my favorite the trusty baptist fan; to me it never fails! A more advanced quilter may want to stitch in the ditch the entire quilt as well as add designs.
Appliqué
Appliquéd quilts can be a lot of fun creatively but can also be very challenging. I like to take the challenge and make it fun! Take into consideration if the quilt has a theme such as flowers or fruit. Also decide if you want to quilt the appliquéd pieces, around or both. It is very helpful to always quilt around for stability. On certain quilts I like to actually quilt the appliqué. If you have a lot of fruits for example it is very pretty to enhance by adding details -- such as seeds on a strawberry or the lines of a banana. Around the appliqué, you can add leaves, worms or bugs.
If you don’t want to quilt on top, consider your density. These areas will not have quilting so make sure the density is not real tight or close together. This will cause your quilt to not lay flat. If your creativity is stuck, consider classic designs. An allover grid would be a great consideration. For a contemporary feel you can try a curved grid. Judy Allen has a great book on how to do this, it’s called, The Art of Feather Quilting. You can find it online at www.americanquilter.com.
Use
Another important factor to take into consideration is what your quilt will be used for. Use will determine other factors too such as what batting and thread you choose. Quilting designs should reflect the use. A wall hanging should have very thoughtful and beautiful quilting. You would choose fancier designs for a wall hanging because it is made to be viewed. A quilt for a child will get used, so it should be quilted for utility. (The design will not be as appreciated as it would for a wall hanging.) A show quilt is to be considered like a wall hanging. You may want to make it even more fabulous by also stitching in the ditch as well as adding fabulous designs. Anything unique, contemporary or classic, will work well. Just be sure the designs match the quilt type as discussed previously.
The Process
The process of deciding on quilting designs for your quilt is not necessarily easy but the skills are achievable with some work. Along with the ideas given here you may want to take a class at your local quilt shop. Many quilt shops have design specific classes that show many examples of design choices. Quilt shows and guild meetings are another source for trunk shows which will provide many examples of quilting designs. Make time for studying. Think about what type of quilt you have and consider what it will be used for. Before you know it you will be making great decisions about the perfect quilting designs for all of your quilts!
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Cheryl Uribe is a longarm educator from Northern California, where she happily lives with her husband and two sons. She started quilting in 1996 and soon was in demand as a longarm quilter and educator. She is an award winner on the local and state level, and her work has recently been published in Keep Quilting by Alex Anderson. Four of her quilts will soon be published in two upcoming books by C&T Publishing. Cheryl has also served on the board of her guild. She is an active participant in the Alden Lane Nursery’s Quilting in the Garden event and a member of Northern California’s Quilt Council. Now an educator and representative for APQS, she is pleased to share her passion for quilting throughout the country.
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