Quilting for a Holiday Runner

[Renata L.]

I just finished piecing this holiday runner that will be a gift. I thought I was going to quilt it with swirls throughout but I'm not sure my swirls are that regular and pretty... in fact, I'm pretty sure they are ugly and uneven... ops: Any suggestions for a simple, foolproof quilting design that will still look attractive? Should I quilt the blue border differently from the center design? I was thinking of using a King Tut thread that blends with the lighter colored blocks bu am open to any suggestions there too. HELP!!! :lol:

[Nancy R.]

Hi Renata -

I actually think your swirls would be perfect for this. With swirls, I've found that I generally hate mine and think they are all lopsided and ugly while I am quilting them, but once I step back I really love the texture. And if you are using matching thread, you will just get the texture. And I think the swirl texture will really accentuate the snow flakes in the fabric. If you don't do swirls, I would still do something curvy with a lot of motion like that cold wind blowing.

Because the quilting will really show in the border, I would just do the swirls in the interior. Maybe piano key or bead board quilting in the border would be a nice contrast to a swirly design in the center. And using a matching blue thread would make it a nice texture.

Just my thoughts....

Nancy

[Terry K.]

What a pretty table runner, Renata! I agree with Nancy. Besides, swirls can all be different and that will make the texture more interesting! Go for it!

[wendy w.]

And by the time you're done you'll be an Ace Swirler Nice present

[Norma H.]

The swirls would be just fine. They are pretty even when they are not the same size, but if you really don't like that make yourself a template with zig-zag lines and place it in equal distance and at an angle first in one direction and then on an angle to that and same distance across the runner. Confused? It's a technique called something like One line at a time

http://www.amazon.com/One-Line-Time-.../dp/1571205314

Look at the back of the book (the purple quilt) to understand what I try to describe.

[Renata L.]

Well, it looks like the swirls have it! Thank you for your encouragement and advice--I'm off to purchasing thread for this when the stores open and I hope to get it done by tomorrow so I can make a few more holiday runners. Norma, thank you for pointing me to Charlotte Warr Andersen's book--never heard of it before, what a great little book for beginners like me. The zig-zag in the purple quilt looks really doable!

[Renata L.]

renata, i do the following = make a copy of the swirl or any other pattern that i want, on papers pin those paper on the quilt and follow the niddle on the line. (i hope it is clear), happy holidays

[Renata L.]

Thanks, Becky, very clear!

[Rita C.]

Renata, I love your table runner. Swirls would be lovely and if you do a little practice beforehand you should be able to do it well. Will you SID ESS first? I find that takes the pressure off because everything is already quilted before you begin to do the swirls. Another idea would be to do stars - you know those 5-pointed ones that are relatively easy to quilt? Anyway, whatever you do it will be lovely. Very nice piecing too.

[Renata L.]

Hi, Rita! I just finished watching (mind you, just watching... ) Cindy Needham's class on Craftsy from beginning to end before I actually go through the class step-by-step. So, yes, I am SIDding ESS for this little quilt as we speak to get the practice in so I haven't gotten to the swirls part yet. Actually, I misspoke about swirls, they are actually Angela Walters' concentric circles that I have gotten comfortable with (with and without the pearls). I really don't know how to move around with swirls yet. I keep trying on a dry erase board and I always get stuck somewhere! I am less and less sure about how good concentric circles would look so I am thinking about it all while doing the SID ESS. Why didn't I think of stars to match the stars fabric :?: :idea: --of course, great idea. I think I'll be doodling some more today. I have the thread now--King Tut Angel Teal and Edwardian Blue. I really get stuck on the quilting part... :? but I am so glad you all are out there to help get me unstuck while learning!

[Renata L.]

Random 5 pointed stars are good (well they worked for me on the AAQI quilt). Remember to throw in the odd larger one & smaller one and it works a treat :wink:

[Norma H.]

This month's free motion quilt challenge is about spirals.
I learned a lot from it and I think you can benefit too.
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.dk/

[Renata L.]

Thanks, Norma. I actually (believe it or not) got through the spirals as shown by Sarah Vedeler and Teri Lucas. I used Angela Walters method to get basically to the same place. Where I'm still having difficulty is transitioning from one spiral to the next in a more random pattern over a larger area, rather than in rows. What I'm really trying to get a grip on is swirls with hooks and can't seem to get the right...

Rosemary, the idea of different size stars is outstanding. I'm also going to play and see if I can combine spirals and stars... wouldn't that be something? What do you all think: will I ever get this runner done? :roll:

[Renata L.]

I finally found some instruction for the kind of swirl (with a hook) that I was trying to practice without much success. It was right here on TQS in the Classroom section with Patsy Thompson learn/classrooms/ minute 4:45. Thanks again for the help your sent my way on this.

[Rita C.]

Thanks for the reminder Renata. I just had a look at that tutorial again - I had forgotten all about them. I will have to look at the rest of them tomorrow. I hope you get to practice your swirls and have some luck with it.