Sampler Quilt

Hi Everyone!

Today's blog is all about Betty R's, my customer, Sampler Quilt. Her applique never disappoints! This was a fun one to quilt because there were variations in quilting. I love how repetitive quilting creates a cohesive quilt and helps to move your eye around the quilt like the Mariner Compass and Pineapple Twist quilt in the previous blog posts; quilting them out can be monotonous. The variations in this Sampler Quilt kept my attention.

When I am quilting out a quilt with this many variations, I always have a game plan in place, in writing, and in front of me. Actually, usually one is in place for all my projects but when there is this much detail, for sure. I do not always stick to it when the quilting actually begins, nonetheless, that guide is always in place. As quilting progresses, the guide is edited as changes are made. Sometimes, I will also take pictures for future reference.

I have talked about how much I enjoy before and after quilts. The reason is because you really have a chance to have the quilt speak to the viewer. You have a chance to create a scene, tell a story, create movement, draw attention to or away from an area, create a backdrop, create a frame, etc. It is amazing how quilting can add to the final overall appearance and feel of a quilt. This is part of why I love before and after quilt photos and quilting.

I decided to show the before and after of this quilt so that you can see the changes. The photos for the most speak for themselves.

Here is the before....

and, the after....

Remember I said that I take photos during the quilting process as reference? Another reason I take photos is to catch unquilted areas. Usually, with dense quilting like I like to do, those areas stand out. Do you spot the unquilted area? My eye went to it right away, and, I was able to quilt that area prior to unloading the quilt.

This is a different background fill to try. I wanted it to resemble crackle paint. Something fun and different. I really like how it turned out.

And, the back....

Thank you for joining me here at Quilting Plus More. I hope that you have a wonderful day filled with all things that bring you joy and make you smile.

Julie