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Quilting the Quilt Top
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A quilt's design rests inside each top and it is up to the artist to find and bring forth this spirit to unite the quilt. Often quilting motifs come to mind while the top is being put together. My quilts are rarely sewn with less than two different patterns and most quilts incorporate many quilting designs. |
| I prefer a variety of quilt patterns to decorate the surface and connect the three parts firmly. My quilts contain designs running the entire range from traditional feathers to an abstract free motion look.
The three layers are basted together (top, batting, and backing fabric) with safety pins and removed as the piece is quilted. Attached to the side of my sewing machine stand is a bag for the discarded pins. Hands guide the layered fabric and combined with the up and down motion of the needle, create the quilting design.
Feather Quilt on the right is machine quilted using metallic threads.
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| The challenge in quilting besides the artistic enhancement of the piece is no puckers or wrinkles and the finished piece being reasonably flat. Before basting the layers, the top may be marked completely or partly for quilting. Sometimes it is marked as it is quilted. This is the most open part of the process incorporating many methods of marking and depends on whether the quilt is machine or hand quilted. |
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I hand quilted from 1974 until 1989 with some machine stitching starting in the early 1980’s. Beginning in 1989-1990 I began machine quilting all pieces. I use a Bernina sewing machine now and gave the portable Singer Featherweight I started on to my daughter.
Sailboat on right is hand quilted.
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