My latest project, The Attic Window is halfway done .The quilt top is done and so are the cushion panels, ready to be quilted. But I have been putting them on hold, for worrying not to do a good job in quilting. At this point I feel OK with the any phase of making a quilt, but still not really happy with the quilting using the free motion technique. I really don't want to spoil my work.
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| The Attic Window cushion panel |
So to get my self ready for this, I am watching Angela Walters' lecture as much as I could. I really love and admire her work. Her quilting style is so inspiring, artful, unique and it feels so fluid that gives character to the quilt that distinguished it from any other quilt. Her quilting design doesn't compete with the patchwork. It blends wholly and beautifully, yet it doesn't make the quilt over the top. And I really recommend her book, Free Motion Quilting with Angela Walters.
For me deciding the design is the most difficult part. But Angela has great answer. When speaking at the Quilt Con 2013 in Austin Texas, Angela explained that she used quilting to add interest to a quilt, to create a secondary patterns, and to add movement. Whhoaa , that's a lot to dig in...Well, let's talk about each of those points.
Angela likes adding interest to a quilt is by using quilting design in different ways and a combining several designs that give the quilt a different look. With this way, her creative mind won't stuck at one point, and she won't get bored easily. This actually the answer of my question. If we have one, two, or more design that we like, why not use them all? Surely not to forget considering the most important element of the quilt, the pattern, fabric, and the inspirations of the quilt. And most of all, by considering what is the most important thing about the quilt and the inspirations of the quilt pattern.
All the above mentioned will lead to creating a secondary pattern. We can do this by extending the piecing of the quilt, and working with the negative space. She has brilliant class in Craftsy, Negative Space with Angela Walters, which teaches how to work with the negative space of a quilt. I love this class so much that I have watching it over and over.
To add movement, she uses quilting design that have long flowing lines and design that moves our eye across the quilt. She would add contrast through pattern, shape, colour, or density of quilting. Though she doesn't use colourful thread, she would add the movement by putting contrast design and different direction. She likes adding movement at the back of the quilt.
That is a lot to learn, and feels a long way to get there. It'll take time, but surely by practise, we'll get there. Now, off to prepare some sandwich samples to practice. And Angela, thank you for the inspirations!
