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.
“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...
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.
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?
What about the Wedding Ring Quilt?
Would meandering have enhanced this quilt?
You know my answer–but what do YOU think?
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!
77 comments
Cheryl Lea
Thank you for this post! I am a new quilter and the very first thing I read about machine quilting talked about how easy stippling was and referred to it as “the” beginner stitch design. I can’t do it! I’ve tried and tried and it looks terrible. I get lost, stuck, cross over lines, you name it. I had almost decided quilting wasn’t for me. but, before I gave up, I decided to try stitching individual motifs. Wow! I’m no where near perfect, but it was a piece of cake compared to stippling! But, I felt like I should still be able to stipple-like I couldn’t be a real quilter if I couldn’t master the “easiest” of stitches. No more! I’m stipple-free from here on!
Ness
Exactly! Thank goodness we found Lori!!
dragee
Sorry my french computer does not accept the word “stippling” and change it. Anyway I think that even with my bad english you can understand my enthusiasm !
dragee
When I began to learn you classes a month ago, I was able to manage stipping but I was not like going on meandering all my quilts it was going to be boring. I am absolutely ok with you, stripping does not fit for all the quilts and I am so happy to learn doodling and exercising all your motives, so charming and far from the basic ones. Today I can tell you that I am no longer afraid of ruining my quilts. A little more training to have a more consistent FMQ and I’ll be enjoying FMQ as well as you do. Thanks a lot for all your help.
Kind regards from Marie so grateful.
Lori Kennedy
Great to hear your testimonial! Thank you!
kaholly
Well written. I think stippling has its place, but it’s not my favorite. I’ve only used it once, and that was only on a pillow. I’m one that wants to learn more, with each project/quilt I make. My default overall motif is the feathered flower, much easier than stippling, and a little more attractive.
Lori Kennedy
That is always my goal, too–to learn something new with each quilt!
sarah
First thank you for the great blog! I love to read it. I am making the 365 challenge quilt. In december 2016 the quilt top would be ready. I already are thinking how to quilt it but have no idea. It’s already a busy quilt… Do you have an idea? Regards Sarah
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