I've started quilting the large blue piece with gold "spots" that I pieced back in January. To try out a basic quilting pattern and audition various threads I pieced together some left over blocks to make this 18 by 12 inch piece. It's probably better than the big one will be. I included lots of shiny threads, some angelina fibers, and even some foil dots. (I wouldn't do the foil again; it looks cheap. Easy, though. ) But how do you get it off if you change your mind? The foil glue is somewhat like rubber cement.
The big piece is going slowly. Last night I ran into problems with Sulky holoshimmer thread pulling into knots on the back. It had been working fine, and suddenly, a mess. Will try some trouble shooting today. Suggestions, anyone?
And finally, does anyone know what the judging standards are for the back side of an embellished piece? For example, if you couch a heavy fiber, is it kosher for the zig zag stitches to show? Or must the couching be done before quilting? Also, for bobbin work, if there is a slightly visible double line of stitching on the back where the marking stitches went, is that a no-no? And can you use different color bobbin threads with different color threads on top to minimize any show through if the tension isn't perfect? Just curious. It's probably too late for me to avoid any of these errors.
That's always my dilemma with embellishing--but I think the "right" way is for the embellishing stitches to be hidden and the final quilting the only stitching to show. You could consider a false back to cover the embellishment stitches but then it wouldn't be quilted. It's a catch22.
ReplyDeleteI have the same issue with my Mother & Child piece. I quilted it first and now have to very carefully add the embellishments so they don't show on the back.
I think different colors of quilting threads are acceptable. I've seen that on quilt show quilts recently. I don't particularly like the look but it's more prevalent than it used to be for shows.
I enjoyed reading this. The aspect of working through refinement questions with you(...and its all relative) is like reading off a cheat sheet, ya know?
ReplyDeleteImproving on Life Love, *karendianne.
I appreciate your info and experiences with the various threads in your next post.
ReplyDeleteI do quite a bit of couching on my show quilts. There's never been a comment about the zig-zag stitching on the back from any judge. I've never heard a detrimental comment from a judge about multiple thread colors where they were appropriately used on a quilt front.