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Need some ideas, please! (Moderated by Sharon1952)
Posted on: 7/25/15 7:43 PM ET
I've just finished piecing this baby quilt for a friend and now I've got the batting and backing all stuck together with that wonderful quilt basting spray (and this time I DIDN'T get it all over my cutting table!) and now I've hit decision paralysis. To this point my quilting has always been super-basic stitch-in-the-ditch. Which could work here but it just feels this needs something ... more.
The kid is getting a vaguely nautical-themed nursery and comes from an old naval family so I wanted to evoke a bit of that with the quilt while still making it something the kid could use when he's older. My first idea was to stitch-in-the-ditch the triangles and squares and then do a wave free-motion with the white but now that it's together I'm not so sure that would look good or be something I could finish before the kid is in junior high.
Second thought was to stitch-in-the-ditch the colors and then tie off with blue thread where the four white squares meet. Would that work? For what it's worth, the individual squares are 4". The back is a great yellow and blue scaly print that reminded me of a sea serpent, keeping with the nautical theme.
So please help - what do more experienced quilters think? This is only my third quilt so I'm still very much a novice and with as long as the piecing took I want it to look good!
ETA: MAJOR thanks to LynnRowe for getting my photo to post. Look below for the quilt.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 7:58 PM --
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The kid is getting a vaguely nautical-themed nursery and comes from an old naval family so I wanted to evoke a bit of that with the quilt while still making it something the kid could use when he's older. My first idea was to stitch-in-the-ditch the triangles and squares and then do a wave free-motion with the white but now that it's together I'm not so sure that would look good or be something I could finish before the kid is in junior high.
Second thought was to stitch-in-the-ditch the colors and then tie off with blue thread where the four white squares meet. Would that work? For what it's worth, the individual squares are 4". The back is a great yellow and blue scaly print that reminded me of a sea serpent, keeping with the nautical theme.

So please help - what do more experienced quilters think? This is only my third quilt so I'm still very much a novice and with as long as the piecing took I want it to look good!
ETA: MAJOR thanks to LynnRowe for getting my photo to post. Look below for the quilt.

-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 7:58 PM --
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Kit
"Never underestimate the power of the right dress!" - drsue
"Hyu gots to know how to sveet tok de costumers, dollink" - Girl Genius, 11-24-08
"Never underestimate the power of the right dress!" - drsue
"Hyu gots to know how to sveet tok de costumers, dollink" - Girl Genius, 11-24-08
Posted on: 7/25/15 7:49 PM ET
In reply to KitnRose
Nice quilt!
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I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
Posted on: 7/25/15 7:55 PM ET
I can't see the quilt yet, so I am not sure, but for me, I am a "function over looks" quilter. I don't do fancy quilting (or piecing), instead preferring simple designs that make soft cuddly quilts.
My favourite style of quilting is wavy lines. Yep, I know, very simple, but for me it provides just enough movement to look interesting, but not so much that the weight of the stitching stiffens the finished item.
To draw the lines, I use one of these:

I just draw along the edge with chalk, and then roughly follow the lines with my walking foot, being sure to alternate to avoid creating bias stretch. I know its not terribly creative, but it works for me.
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My favourite style of quilting is wavy lines. Yep, I know, very simple, but for me it provides just enough movement to look interesting, but not so much that the weight of the stitching stiffens the finished item.
To draw the lines, I use one of these:

I just draw along the edge with chalk, and then roughly follow the lines with my walking foot, being sure to alternate to avoid creating bias stretch. I know its not terribly creative, but it works for me.
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the barefoot seamstress ..... smelling vaguely of lavender and mothballs, and desperately craving chocolate.
www.castley.net/datcat
www.castley.net/datcat
Posted on: 7/25/15 8:06 PM ET
In reply to KitnRose
Do you have an embroidery machine? Embroidering anchors and ship's wheels on the large 4-square white blocks would be really cool and give a nautical feel that would go from child to adult.
The rest could be SID and lines of "waves", such as white thread "waves" on the colored HSTs.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 8:08 PM --
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The rest could be SID and lines of "waves", such as white thread "waves" on the colored HSTs.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 8:08 PM --
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I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
Posted on: 7/25/15 8:07 PM ET
Thank you, LynnRowe, for getting that picture to post! And for the compliment.
I love the bold colors with the white, though I can't take credit for choosing them - it was a fat quarters bundle. Love those!
Sadly the closest I have to an embroidery machine is an old computerized Viking that does 6mm (or so) embroidery stitches. And none of them nautical. I love your idea of embroidered anchors but don't think I could justify a new machine for this project. Next time ...
So you don't think my first idea was too out there - good! Like I said, I'm just wading into this whole quilting world and it doesn't play to my strengths, not like apparel sewing does, so I feel very outclassed.
Ooooh, I need one of those wavy rulers.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 8:11 PM --
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 8:17 PM --
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I love the bold colors with the white, though I can't take credit for choosing them - it was a fat quarters bundle. Love those! Sadly the closest I have to an embroidery machine is an old computerized Viking that does 6mm (or so) embroidery stitches. And none of them nautical. I love your idea of embroidered anchors but don't think I could justify a new machine for this project. Next time ...

So you don't think my first idea was too out there - good! Like I said, I'm just wading into this whole quilting world and it doesn't play to my strengths, not like apparel sewing does, so I feel very outclassed.
Ooooh, I need one of those wavy rulers.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 8:11 PM --
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 8:17 PM --
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Kit
"Never underestimate the power of the right dress!" - drsue
"Hyu gots to know how to sveet tok de costumers, dollink" - Girl Genius, 11-24-08
"Never underestimate the power of the right dress!" - drsue
"Hyu gots to know how to sveet tok de costumers, dollink" - Girl Genius, 11-24-08
Posted on: 7/25/15 8:13 PM ET
In reply to KitnRose
Go to your photo and click on it until you get the larger size photo (not the thumbnail).
Right-click on the photo and select "copy image address".
Come ere to PR and in a message box click on the "Image" button, located to the far right above the message box.
A small bar will open asking for the URL; right-click "paste" in the window, and your photo's address will show. Click the "ok".
When done with your message, you can click on the "Preview" button below the message box to check that your photo(s) shows up properly.
Tips:
Your photos need to be set to "public" in order for others to see it. If the photo is too large when you preview it, add "width=700" (or 600, 650, anything within a 500 - 750 range) right before the final ">" in the photo's URL.
HTH!
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Right-click on the photo and select "copy image address".
Come ere to PR and in a message box click on the "Image" button, located to the far right above the message box.
A small bar will open asking for the URL; right-click "paste" in the window, and your photo's address will show. Click the "ok".
When done with your message, you can click on the "Preview" button below the message box to check that your photo(s) shows up properly.
Tips:
Your photos need to be set to "public" in order for others to see it. If the photo is too large when you preview it, add "width=700" (or 600, 650, anything within a 500 - 750 range) right before the final ">" in the photo's URL.
HTH!

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I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
Posted on: 7/25/15 8:16 PM ET
In reply to KitnRose
Ok...how about printing off an anchor, ship's wheel etc online, and using them as a pattern. You could trace the pattern (with blue dressmaker's tracing paper) and then just straight stitch or FMQ the outlines on your machine for the large white blocks. 
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I heart Woo (HimmyCat). Until we meet again, my beautiful little boy. I love you.
Posted on: 7/25/15 8:27 PM ET
That could work, adding it to the ideas! I think I'm still worried about the time that would take - the kid's due in a few weeks and I'd like to get this to his mom before he arrives, if possible. Yes, I'm cutting this close ... there were technical issues with the fabrics. TWICE I went to the fabric store for matching fabric, TWICE I took in the fabric I was matching, and TWICE when I got it home the new and old fabrics were a few shades off. So frustrating. And then I only caught one of the errors (got ecru instead of white) after sewing up a bunch of blocks. I'll be very happy to send this particular quilt off.
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Kit
"Never underestimate the power of the right dress!" - drsue
"Hyu gots to know how to sveet tok de costumers, dollink" - Girl Genius, 11-24-08
"Never underestimate the power of the right dress!" - drsue
"Hyu gots to know how to sveet tok de costumers, dollink" - Girl Genius, 11-24-08
Posted on: 7/25/15 9:54 PM ET
I've printed off basic designs from Urban Threads, I use the "hand embroidery" version as they are only a $1 or so each. Printed then traced them onto tissue paper/baking paper/wash away stabiliser and sewn over the lines then removed the paper/stabiliser. Works well, just need to make sure you secure the ends.
A couple of designs that might work well
anchor 1
anchor 2
You can use as many or as few of the lines as you need.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 9:56 PM --
A couple of designs that might work well
anchor 1
anchor 2
You can use as many or as few of the lines as you need.
-- Edited on 7/25/15 at 9:56 PM --
Member since 10/25/05
Posts: 103
Posts: 103
Massachusetts USA
Skill: Intermediate
Skill: Intermediate
Posted on: 7/27/15 7:47 PM ET
I've had good luck cutting quilt designs out of freezer paper, ironing them onto the quilt top, sewing around them and then peeling them off. If you made a couple of simple boat shapes and some triangular sails, you could stitch around them with a walking foot or regular foot and not need to free-motion around them. My other suggestion would be to make up a sample 12" square (maybe using those ecru blocks you didn't put in the quilt) and test out any quilt design on that until you feel comfortable, then do it on the real quilt.
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