Yeah! I have a “FINISH”!
Last night, I completed the binding on this little quilt with raw edge appliqué and free motion quilting!
A bit of bright color before the purples and darker oranges of autumn.
As you know, I love small quilts – my “vase quilts”–as a backdrop for pretty vases and bowls…
To make this little quilt, I arranged fused flowers on a blue background.
Then I used Robison-Anton’s Twister Tweed Rayon to fill in the flowers, add leaves, dragonflies, and other embellishments.
I started this project several weeks ago…
You can see how I started the process of this colorful Improvisation Applique HERE
and how the appliqué looked prior to free motion quilting HERE
If you are thinking about free motion quilting…START TODAY!
HMMM…Now that I look at the photos (especially the first one), I wonder if I should fill in the background blue with more quilting in a matching blue thread–to add texture? Does the background look unfinished?
What do YOU think? I will let the group decide…
Thanks for YOUR eye and YOUR help…
Lori
PS…All tutorials, information and images are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to Share, Pin, Re-blog with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Thanks!
62 comments
Kathy
It’s lovely but I think more fill in the blue would look great!
Sue
You do such beautiful free motion, I think you should fill it in 🙂
Gloria McNamara
With your talent…fill it in!!!
Pat Meinecke
I vote for more background fill also. It would show off the lovely appliqué more.
Kathy in FL
I agree with everybody else’s opinions: fill in the background. (And totally not quilt related: where did you get the gorgeous fountain pen?)
Judy
Yes, more quilting! Your work is lovely, as always.
Rachel
I think I would free motion the background Lori, the colours are nice and bright.
Lynn Ehrmantraut
What a beautiful little piece! Yes please on a bit more quilting – but light and loose!
Barb
I like the simplicity of the quilting but I think that something to accentuate the quilting already there would be nice.
quiltngrin
I think it kinda, sorta needs a little more quilting. Love the quilting already there.
Linda Swanekamp
Yes, fill it in! It needs more sculpting in the blue. Of course you are asking FMQ maniacs you realize.
Laetitia
No ! Please leave it that way ! It’s gorgeous.
Rhonda Rannow
YES 🙂
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Thanks Rhonda. I think a bit of blue silk might do the trick!
Peggy Carstens
I think the background could use some quilting.
frstborn
I wouldn’t say “unfinished” – I would rather mention that it might benefit from more quilting in the background…..:)
June
Before I even read your question about the background filler, I thought, oh, my, this does not look good. As you know, quilting needs to be equal throughout the quilt. As it is now it looks unfinished.
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Great point! Thank you.
SueP
Love the color! And where did you ever get that beautiful pen? I think a bit more quilting that sort of drifts off the edges would complete it beautifully.
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The pen is a Visconti pen from Paradise Pens. Love to write and doodle with it!
Toeti
I agree with more quilting in the background. What is the size of your small quilts?
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I often make small quilts that are approximately 20 inches square. Nice size to maneuver and easy to cut from less than a yard of fabric. Or use fat quarters– that’s a nice size too.
treadlemusic
Lately, our eyes are quite used to seeing heavily quilted “negative spaces”. Finishing the blue in some type(s) of fill to push it down/back would make your bouquet “pop” forward and add drama (IMHO). It is such a lovely “finish”!!!!!!!
lhoffman275
Add a little more, I love your quilting!
Brenda
You asked, “Does the background look unfinished?” That was my first quick reaction to the picture — that you had more quilting to do. The parts that aren’t quilted just kind of puff up and beg to be flattened down a little bit more. Would have been interesting (and a challenge) to finish the quilt and bind the edges where the quilting currently ends. Wiggles, ins and outs, and all.
Sandy
Yes, I think it would be more balanced with more background quilting.
Vicki
I get the sense of looking down on to the top of a bouquet which I love. IMHO, if you can maintain that “bouquet look” while adding more outside quilting then I would go for it.
Liz Samlow
I do think it would be better with a little more quilting!
Amy Roth
I agree, more quilting in the background. I like your idea of using thread the same color as the fabric. Fills the space but won’t compete with the main quilting design or appliques.
rosemarazzle
Rosemary B here:
REALLLLLY cute. I love colorful flowers and yours are superb and happy!
Ness
Would a tight to loose echo of the design fill in but not over power the center design and let it pop and shine? And then maybe as you get closer to the binding a row of footballs!…LOL! JK! Seriously you are the gal with the vision…I would have to doodle it and then decide. 🙂 I almost said sew it and then remembered to doodle…even in my head….see! I”m learning! It’s lovely Lori.!
Kace
It does look unfinished because it is just the edges that are unquilted…but charming!
Ana Perna
Well Yes! definitely. Having seen the beautiful stitching that you do, it’d be done in a jiffy. I’d balance it off with something simple and repetitive like parallel lines (I mean, no meaningful design) to fill in the blue background up to the borders, yet leaving the leding role to the flowers.
Shar
If it were mine, I would quilt the edges more. Perhaps some echo, but nothing to compete with your main action. Turned out lovely!
Carly
lovely but needs more
Terry Sheldon
About the unquilted background…that was the first thing I thought when I saw the quilt, that you hadn’t finished…then I saw the binding! Your work is beautiful and I hope I will be that good one of these days…but I do think the background should be quilted.
sullivancj
OH DARN IT! I sure could have used that on a quilt I just finished! Well next time!!!!! I used your Dragon Fly on that quilt, and started too big, and by the time I got done it was closer to your size. there’s enough activity in the patchwork it is not noticeable.
annabelledaffodil
Beautiful little quilt, so cheerful and pretty! A bit more quilting around the edges would be a nice addition, but it’s lovely the way it is now.
Gorgeous fountain pen, I love fountain pens, they are such a treat to write and draw with – thanks for the info about Paradise Pens, I was not aware of them, a dangerous web site to visit…
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Christmas is coming…
Lil Koster
Ditto! The “ayes” have it!
Doodle
Yes more quilting- would enhance applique
Dara
I think it would look awesome with more of your beautiful quilting.
Peggy Aare
I would add some straight line quilting – maybe diagonals — so you don’t camouflage the leaf-work.
Cindy Schultz
It is beautiful, but I have to agree a little bit more quilting would look great.
Celeste Delostrinos
The quilt is lovely. Thanks for the inspiration to make a raw edge appliqued quilt.
Susan
I think it is beautiful the way it is, but more quilting would also be beautiful.
Deonn
I love it, Lori! I like to call it free-motion applique’. Fun!
Kathy Vanacoro
I love it, and I am going to make a round one for my lazy suzan…never did raw edge applique
Debbie
I have “just” started free motion quilting….I too think you should add a bit more, it is lovely although it just does not look quite finished.
sup
What gorgeous colors! Love it. I am also a fan of little quilts. My vote is for more quilting–would definitely make this beauty appear more finished. As always, thank you for the inspiration.
Suz
Sorry, my comment above should have read from Suz. Darned ipad and darned ipad user
Judy
More quilting is also my vote. Thanks for all you do!
Karrie Derenski
It’s lovely. But I think you should fill it in
Julia
My first reaction even before you asked the question was that it needed more quilting on the edges. I think a curved or straight line cross hatch would “stay in the background” without taking away from your applique and the quilting around it. It was so interesting to read everyone’s comments! ! ! Love your tutorials!
Sally Parrish
Yes, more quilting…bugs and other flying things (read seeds here), stems for the flowers (directional or not). I love your ideas and especially that you share them with us. I have actually played with a few of your designs. FUN Thanks, Sally
Hazel
My first thought was that it needed more quilting on the background…out to the border. The applique is awesome!
Connie
It’s lovely and I agree. It does need a little more quilting in the background.
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