Date: 10/29/09 10:55 AM

This is probably a silly question but I am just learning to applique. My question is: When I'm finished appliqueing the top of the quilt, do I quilt over the whole top? Even on top of the applique? I think that I need to or the quilt will have blank spaces visible from the back. Do I use invisible thread?

Reply to paradisebound
Date: 10/29/09 11:07 AM

It depends on a number of things - how far apart the appliques are, the type of batting you use, and the style of quilting you want. But one of the easiest ways to quilt an applique quilt is to stitch around each of the appliques. This way, your thread just has to match the background. That's what I did on this quilt (one of the only applique quilts I've done!). You can see the quilting here. If this isn't dense enough for your tastes (or for your batting), you can add more quilting in the background, or in the appliques.

Personally, I wouldn't use all-over quilting for this type of quilt, but if you want that, invisible thread is probably the way to go.

Reply to Irene Q
Date: 10/29/09 11:47 AM

The pattern is called My Family Tree. Its a large tree with flowers and leaves at the top. Each flower has a 2 1/4 photo circle of the family member. I am going to use the satin stitch applique technique to apply the appliques to the top of the quilt. Once that is finished, if I only quilt around the appliques the back will have large bare spaces unless I'm not thinking about this right. Thanks for your help.

Date: 10/29/09 1:31 PM

I never worry about the back of my quilts. I'm all about the front. Google images of appliqued quilts to get some ideas. I personally wouldn't quilt over the appliques.

Date: 10/29/09 1:46 PM

I would fill the blank spaces with a simple background design. With a walking foot, simple cross hatching. For free motion quilting, a simple meander.

One Baltimore quilt block pic with cross hatching. There is no quilting on the appliqué itself, and it really "pops" off the surface of the quilt with the simple cross hatching background quilting.

Example of small appliqué quilt with meander background quilting. (project instructions and multiple photos) Note that the small quilt does have some quilting inside the appliqué, but very minimal.

CMC
ETA: Edited for spelling.
-- Edited on 10/29/09 2:36 PM --
-- Edited on 10/29/09 2:38 PM --

Reply to paradisebound
Date: 10/29/09 2:22 PM

I agree with CM_Sews about how I would handle quilting an applique quilt. I would not quilt on top of applique pieces unless I wanted to add details such as veins on leaves.

Reply to paradisebound
Date: 10/29/09 6:32 PM

I have only made one appliquéd quilt, and added a little bit of appliqué to one other one, but on both I used quilting to outline the appliqué, or parts of the appliqué, to emphasise it. I wouldn't like to just quilt across the whole thing as if the appliqué wasn't there.

If your photos are in the centre of the appliquéd flowers, you could quilt around the centre, and then around each petal, rather than leaving the whole appliquéd flower unquilted.

Date: 10/29/09 6:51 PM

I agree with Irene - and all - to applique around each applique.

And, Irene, that is a lovely, happy quilt, thank you for showing it to us!
-- Edited on 10/29/09 6:51 PM --
-- Edited on 10/29/09 6:52 PM --

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