How to Ruin a Quilt with Stippling

August 24, 2016
Meander No More, FMQ, Lori Kennedy

Ruin Quilt, Stippling, Lori Kennedy

Good Morning, Quilters!

Last week, I outlined Six Ways to Ruin Your Quilt with Quilting.  For the next six weeks we will tackle the factors that lead to our overall FEAR of machine quilting.  By mid-October, YOU should be a FEARLESS machine quilter–LOL (there’s no such thing as a fearless quilter–we just learn to move beyond.)

HOW TO RUIN YOUR QUILT WITH STIPPLING

Stippling is described as a wormlike design–REALLY?

Unless you are a bird or a fish, I can’t imagine worms are your favorite design?!

IN DEFENSE OF STIPPLING

I know many of you like stippling–a handful of people wrote in defense of stippling.  Some like how it looks, others like the soft textured feeling it can give a quilt and a few find it relaxing to stitch.

If this applies to you–STITCH ON!

YOU are turning quilt tops into quilts and I applaud you!

YOU have chosen a motif you like and you are developing your quilt esthetic–and that is my goal as a quilt teacher.

I am not the quilt police or an art critic…My only goal is to help YOU on YOUR way.

Meander No More, FMQ, Lori Kennedy

“RUINED” QUILTS

To be honest, ruined is a very strong word.  The primary function of machine quilting is to combine the three quilt layers into one. By that definition, meandering and stippling are perfectly functional and acceptable.

What I am referring to is a visual preference and is completely subjective!

But as long as we are stitching… why not make our quilts beautiful and add personal touches to them.  (My sister loves her quilt with all the personal notes added...

Machine Quilting, Basket Quilt

Machine Quilting, Basket Quilt

 

WHEN/WHY I REMAIN OPPOSED TO STIPPLING

Stippling is not easy for everyone.

Many people (like me) find stippling very difficult. Stippling is not necessarily an easy motif to learn.  There are no stopping points and no concrete steps to follow.    I wrote about it –Why so Many of us Can’t Stipple or Meander HERE.   Many beginner quilters have been frustrated by this “Beginner Motif”.

There are many easy motifs.

I am also against stitching allover Stippling or Meandering as a default motif-instead of learning a variety of stitches.   There are over 100 Step by Step tutorials provided FREE here.  Many of them are quite easy to learn with a little doodling.

Quilting should enhance the piecework or appliqué.

The right motif can enhance the patchwork or appliqué below, and all over stippling rarely does the trick.

TRUNK SHOW 

Imagine The Poppy Quilt with stippling or meandering all over it?

The quilting on this is very simple. Any beginner could quilt this.  The wavy lines give the poppy dimension and enhance the appliquéd flower.  Allover stippling would have ruined this quilt by flattening the entire design.

Poppy Quilt

Next, imagine my Modern Log Cabin quilt with Stippling or Meandering

What do YOU think?

The quilting on this is as easy (or easier) than meandering–and it enhances the quilt below.  Would meandering have been as effective?

Hand Dye, Log Cabin Quilt

What about the Wedding Ring Quilt?

Would meandering have enhanced this quilt?

You know my answer–but what do YOU think?

Double Wedding Ring Quilt

WHAT ABOUT SOFT TEXTURE?

The quilt motif has nothing to do with the feel of the quilt–let’s save that for Open Line Friday!

INSTEAD OF STIPPLING….

I hope that I have convinced you to move beyond meandering.

Stay tuned tomorrow for easy alternatives

What about YOU?  Do YOU love the look of meandering?  Do YOU find it relaxing to stipple?  Do YOU find it difficult to stitch?  Do YOU think it enhances quilts?  Have YOU ever “ruined” a quilt?

We’d LOVE to hear!

#MeanderNoMore

Lori

PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only.  Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt.  For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com.  Thanks!

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