Good Morning, Quilters!
I need YOUR help.
After turning in Book 2, I started thinking…(always dangerous…)
I was thinking about two things and I realized they are one in the same…
What would Book 3 look like? What do readers of The Inbox Jaunt want to learn?
I’m guessing you want to see/learn more about how to use the motifs in blocks and quilts.
That is why we are doing our Spring Quilt-a-Long.
If so…what blocks should we focus on?
What are YOUR favorites? What blocks are in YOUR quilts? What blocks are the most challenging to FMQ?
MAYBE IT IS SOMETHING ELSE?
Is there anything else YOU would like to learn? Do you want more info on piecing? Appliqué? Sewing machine tips? Do you prefer long tutorials? Quick Tips? Should we doodle more? Color theory? Mix it up?
Or should we just focus on machine quilting? Do you have enough resources for other things?
I have been quilting a long time…machine quilting is my favorite, but I could do tutorials on other things?…
Can we make The Inbox Jaunt even better?
Suggestions please!
What do YOU want to learn?
We’d LOVE to hear!
Lori
The Inbox Jaunt has beat the blogging odds and turns FIVE soon. I need a plan so we can celebrate more birthdays together!
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!
100 comments
Lynne Tinsley
I would love to have a go to book of ideas on how to FMQ quilts for Christmas, Fall/Autumn, Spring, etc. I also like the idea of having multiple ways to quilt a specific block like log cabin, nine patch, stars etc. My biggest challenge is trying to figure out what I can do with my quilting that will enhance my quilts. I can practice individual feathers (or any other motif) all day long but if I can’t figure out how to incorporate it on the quilt then all the practice is wasted. Much of your work is shown on solid fabric (which is great because we can see the design) but rarely do I have solid fabrics on quilts. I’ve often thought if I had someway to take a picture of a quilt top and send it to you to get suggestions on motifs to use and placement ideas it would be great. Once I got started I’m sure I would need the help less and less but as a fairly new “long armer” I still struggle with this aspect. Often I look at a quilt for over an hour just trying to figure out what I can do to add interest and not take away from the overall design of the quilt and beautiful fabrics.
WordPress.com Support
Lynne you are not alone! This is a struggle for all quilters! I laughed when I read you looked at a quilt for an hour to figure out how to quilt it.–I once spent three months looking at how to quilt a log cabin quilt! Im going to work on some guidelines. It may take some time.
MS Barb
I have some beautiful panels…and…how do I make them into quilts? (I don’t want to make wall hangings) THANKS!
Gloria
Hi been quilting for only 5 years and that’s been limited. Retirement this fall so would like to know how to best quilt squares whole cloth and more doodling please
Gloria (Moorhead MN)
Helen
I like large basic (not too detailed) quilts. Less systematic more free form. Information on battings for this type of quilts.
Amy N.
So, after reading comments yesterday and while walking on the treadmill today, I came up with this idea. Next book–A Quilting Project with Lori Kennedy–Book 1
This book would focus on the quilting aspect of a large wall hanging (a square of about 40-50 inches or rectangle 40-50 X 50-60). I would like it to be a medallion quilt. The center of the quilt would be an vase of appliqued flowers with plenty of negative space around it. There would be a series of borders (at least one or two pieced). Chapter 1: Piecing the quilt. The book would assume you already know how to piece and applique. It would be very simple directions focusing on measurements needed and types of units etc. No explanations of how to make HST, flying geese etc. You could refer to your blog or your friend’s blogs for more info.
Chapter 2–Quilting the medallion–here is where you shine! Take it step by step.
Chapter 3–Quilting the first border
Chapter 4–Quilting border #2 etc….
Book 2: A Quilting Project with Lori Kennedy–Book 2. This one could be a lap quilt or a few table runners etc.
You could incorporate some of your get up and move ideas and ergonomics for quilting in your books too. Healthy living tips.
WordPress.com Support
I love your ideas! And that you have it so well visualized!
Monica Hendewerk
I love your idea of adding quilting to blocks! I am struggling with one right now.
Michele R
I love your first book and will buy your second. in fact, your third book too! 🙂 I love your doodles for free motion and hope to see more, i’d like to see blocks with different quilting designs, and since modern quilts are also popular, how YOU would approach quilting those.
Sandy Hill
I feel stymied when I need to quilt in traditionally pieced blocks. I’m not talking an overall pattern but more like custom quilting.
Victoria nelson
Thanks for asking! I would really like more information in a few areas:
1. How to select motifs for areas in a quilt to get a truly harmonious, “it all works together” look in the quilting. I still get that stuck feeling when I see “quilt as desired”.
2. Any tips and tricks for how to execute the quilting process – Tricks that help with basting – pin basting, spray basting, hand basting. SinD, all seams or between blocks, or??? What areas to quilt first, what to quilt next?
3. Tips and advice on choosing battings and quilting threads.
Thanks for all of the good information that you share with all of us in your blogs.
Deb M
I loved loved your book! You do an extrodinary job of taking a complicated stitching design and breaking it down into doable steps. You also do a great job of then writing the steps to make them easy to follow. I liked all the information you gave at the beginning of your book especially the surgeons knot that has already come in handy. I find that I check the designs often for inspiration on my quilts. With this being said, I think your next book also needs to include many new designs using the same format as the last book. I also agree that giving some hints and steps for how to choose a good design would also be nice. Just remember to include lots of new designs as this was why I bought the first book and look forward to the next. You can never have too many quilting designs in your tool box.
Dione Gardner-Stephen
Hi Lori,
Firstly, many congratulations on such a long running and productive blog! What an amazing amount of work and how generous you have been. I have been following you for over 3 years, and yours is the only blog I read that is allowed to email straight to my primary inbox! You have great content, but it’s more than that. One of the things that makes your blog stand out is that it stays on topic and any given post is worth checking out. I have been so pleased to see this focus and hard work paying off for you.
I think that you should not stray too far from the “Doodle to Design” FMQ niche that you are becoming so renowned for, even though I am sure you could write amazing content on other things. The desire to know how to FMQ a quilt appeals to such a wide-range of quilters – it is the point at which all your readers are united and it is what they follow you for. My first thought in response to your question was that you should start writing about how to apply your process to pieced and appliquéd quilts. As I look through the comments, I see that I am not alone – there seems to be a resounding call for this!
Looking forward to many more FMQ adventures in my inbox!
Rita
I would love to learn about quilting medallion style quilts, especially those using log cabin style blocks.
Virginia Hanson
How do you suggest quilting english paper pieced quilts? Grandma’s flower garden, patchwork of the crosses, etc. I have an in/out ribbon quilt in my queue also.
Dee by the Sea
It seems like almost all of the comments are from accomplished quilters. I enjoy piecing and then that top gets stacked with others because I am intimidated by where to start the quilting process. I’m sure I am not the only one standing off to the side, watching in awe at the ability and confidence of those accomplished quilters. They too were beginners once and though an entire book need not be dedicated to the first steps, perhaps a few tutorials on the baby steps to get started; a little hand holding if you will.
Thank you for sharing your amazing skills and beautiful work and for your inquiry as to what we will be interested in learning on our journey to be more creative.
Sewfun B
I’m not sure there is a magic formula but I would like to know what machine quilting designs to choose for different areas of the quilt. It takes me so long to decide what I design I want on the quilt.
Diane Obernesser
I have been making church seasons banners & would like something that blends in with the background & will not distract from the applique. Not necessarily just lines. Like simple stars with lines connecting. Thanks.
gladquilts
Your request for info on what to work toward is fantastic. Teachers do not always ask the students what they might like to learn or what the topic should be. You will certainly grow and so will your loyal followers through this effort. Every teacher I have ever had always taught me something that I could put in my tool box for future projects. I have your books and your Craftsy classes and I refer to them often. Keep up the great work.
KellyW
Hi Lori — I LOVE your FMQ tutorials. I am not much of an artist – so it’s so-o-o helpful that you show us how to draw/doodle something step by step. Keep doing that! I bought your first book and have read it cover to cover. I already quilted a lap size quilt using two of your flower designs. I would agree with several of the other commenters with recommendations for how to quilt a finished top. Maybe show examples of different kinds of quilting on the same blocks. How to tie blocks together with a unified theme – for example do you do all floral designs, would it be more effective to mix straight lines with curved lines. I also love the quilt alongs — makes practicing FMQ fun. Thanks for all you do!!
annieofbluegables
I don’t think my comment was delivered and I didn’t copy paste, so I think it’s lost. ????
Denise Mohler
Hi Lori, I would like to know how do you decide how to quilt the quilt. Sometimes I can look at one and think I know how I am going to quilt it and then the ones I do not have a clue on how to quilt it.
Jacqui VMS
That’s one of my problems too…I freeze and waffle on how to quilt so much that I procrastinate way too long! I also don’t want to do really close quilting on lap size quilts and would love lots of ideas for larger motifs for overall quilting 🙂
Claudia
Hi Lori, All your stuff is just wonderful and very helpful. I have always loved the look of thread painting, so that is one. And the next is dong ruler/template work on a domestic machine, which seems to be the big wave now. I would love to learn both. Thanks for asking. But anything you choose will be great….Hugs to you. Claudia
Terry
I have no idea how to quilt an applique block. So much time is spent on the block so I think the quilting should be simple, but….?….a few echo stitches may not even get in between the applique pieces.
Robbie Carpenter
Wow you sure asked for it and got it!!! I would like to have ideas on quilting applique quilts. Like the quilt I am currently trying to figure out, I wanted to do feathers on it but every design I come up with the feather runs into an applique. I don’t want to quilt over an applique but I also don’t want to stop and start all the time. I love all your tutorials and so look forward to the next one every day!
Amy Roth
I’d like to see ideas on how to quilt negative space. How to break it up, maybe, so that the quilting is the design (rather than blocks or piecing). I love your ideas, Lori! Such great inspiration!
Marta
Lori, did you know the depth this would go to ?!! Just say, Thank you Lord for the love and respect we have for you.. You can do this…. one idea at a time. What a wonderful group of fans and fellow quilters. I feel privileged to be a part for 3 years now. Looking forward to the future here and in the books. Blessings….
Teri Coha
I also agree with those who have already responded. I know you have many beautiful pieced quilts. Somehow, you come up with a plan on how to quilt them. I get them basted, I stitched in the ditch around each square to stabilize. And now I don’t know what to do with the individual squares. So they sit. Unfinished.
bucklady
Great comments. I so appreciate your blog. The variety is great! I’d love to see some ideas for machine quilting large open space, on a quilt with stars or flowers scattered over the surface with those large open spaces between. The open space quilting needs to enhance the stars or flowers, not distract from. Something for the non-traditional quilt pattern with repeated blocks. Thanks for continuing your blog and being interested in our interests. Even tho’ i don’t know you, you seem like a wonderful person, so caring, giving, kind, and helpful.
Jane
Thank you for asking! I, too, would like designs for a quilt top made up of blocks that need a design in them and also for the background around the blocks. Have your book (and looking forward to the next one). I do mostly wall hangings and don’t do whole cloth quilts.
Appreciate all your detailed tutorials!
Jane
lswanekamp
Keep doing machine quilting. There are others that just do piecing out there. Motifs and how to use them in multiblock quilts. How to change scale, and combine motifs. How to quilt with a variety of patterns and make the quilt cohere. I don’t quilt solids real often and use blocks with lots of small pieces.
Charlotte Calkins
I want to see desins, fillers and borders. I’m not into cute little cats or things like that. I want to see more continuous designs or things I can do in a row and go back and build upon. Thanks you for the great ideas you give us.
Norma
Thank you for asking for our ideas. I would like ideas about choosing patterns and threads.
quiltdivajulie
I make a wide variety of quilts – many need an all over approach rather than a block/motif look. I’d like to see how to expand some of your motifs to cover more area without having to mark anything . . . I’ve adapted a couple of your ideas from the first book but I’m always looking for more ways to make the FMQ fun but without having to draw on the quilt and then remove the markings. Congrats on the second book (in progress) and eager to see how you take all these suggestions and create new blog posts and maybe another book (perhaps include a gallery of quilts by others where the motifs/designs have been used). Love that you asked your readers for their thoughts!!
Lorraine Doyno Evans
Ditto! Also, when looking at all the lovely quilts on Pininterest that are FMQ I feel they are toooo densely quilted and would take too long to complete and a bit overwhelming.
Happy quilter
Annie,
I believe this is what you were saying: Thank you to ask us what we are interested in the future.
I personally have attacked the quilting piqué free since little and I am lessee to all ideas of quilting.
I would also like to ideas for embroidery free piqué ‘ needle painting with detailed explanations for the achievement.
I greatly appreciate all your advice.
Je ne parle pas bien français, mais je suis d’accord avec vous. Le détaillant de frontières avec les blocs de losanges compliqué serait génial, aussi
Translation:I don’t speak much French, but I agree with you. The detailing of borders with complicated pieced blocks would be awesome, also.
Merci beaucoup! Thank you very much!
Katherine
1) what to use on different blocks so that block isn’t diminished visually (ex. a quilt made of orange peel flowers or a quilt made from printed panels that are framed with other pieced blocks in between)
2) when to use eye catching color for the quilting rather than blend in
3) how to best quilt heavily pieced blocks (ex. mariner’s compass or any block where pieced seams get built up more than usual)
Thought the other day that I almost wished your book had come out in a notebook so that additional “pages” could be added. That way we could purchase additional sets, add them to our notebook (one that has a back that folds to stand it up) to use by the machine. A notebook would also allow me to sort the ideas for my own purposes, too.
Thank you so much!!!! Have taken free motion classes and come away so frustrated. But your lessons are so presented so clearly and broken down into the smallest step that even i can follow.
Linda B
Hi Lori and thanks for asking. Loved reading what others are asking about. I too love all your designs, and the FMQ techniques you share make me think I can do it too. So glad to have found you!! But I want to do the FMQ on my machine, an older Bernina without a big harp space. (Maybe one day I will be able to justify a Juki 2010, but that is not now). So I am attracted to quilt as you go techniques (or smaller projects) combined with your FMQ techniques. And just before I got caught up in quilting, I was totally attracted to Zentangle designs, and can really see it translated onto fabric instead of just on paper. It seems to me that it is so like your doodling designs, except trying to do it without lifting up the pen or the needle, that I want to pursue a combination of these three things (FMQ, QAYG and Zentangle)…on whatever quilt top/table topper/mug rug (etc) that I am drawn to. I have not actually seen anyone pull these together in a tutorial or book. So thank you again for all your lovely creative thoughts that you communicate so well to us your followers!! All the best, Linda B
Sharon
I think you would enjoy Karlee’s Porter’s book ‘Graffiti Quilting’. It’s similar to Zentangle.
Grandma Karen
Thank You for all you do to continue to inspire us, even asking what we want. I started McTavishing and enjoy the S curves and C curves – but what else could one do. I also love feathers in a natural look, rather than all exactly the same. Would love patterns that can just flow through a whole quilt even if it has blocks. People are starting to say that my work looks good – they don’t really see all my errors!! Again, please continue to share your thoughts and ideas with us. You are very special to take time for your followers!
kayrigert
I love the simplicity of your designs! I would like to understand how to decide what to quilt in a space, that may not have a theme. Just overall designs. Thread and needles are a challenge. I am doing my first Quilt-a-Long. And I am working on a red/white Hunter’s Star. How should that be quilted? Enjoy your blogs and admire your work!
Annie
Merci de nous demander ce qui nous intéresserait à l’avenir.
Personnellement j’ai attaqué le quilting piqué libre depuis peu et je suis preneuse de toutes les idées de quilting.
J’aimerais aussi des idées pour broderie piqué libre ‘ peinture à l’aiguille avec explications très détaillées pour la réalisation.
J’apprécie énormément tous vos conseils.
Annie
Pat V
Great question! Thanks for asking. I also struggle with quilting on pieced quilts. What design will work on a quilt with a lot of seams? I seem 🙂 to get hung up crossing bulky seams and intersections. What design will work within blocks yet give a good overall design?
Pat
Lori,
It seems to be a consistent challenge for all of us to apply your beautiful quilting designs onto our pieced projects. I am willing to send to you as many pieced tops as you want (for demonstration purposes only). …only thinking of you…
🙂
Dawn
I agree with the other quilters who would like help deciding what design/motif to actually quilt in the blocks of finished quilt tops. I am a modern quilter so I do quite a bit of improv piecing and wonky blocks. I am still developing my free motion quilting skills on a domestic machine. Thank you for asking.
Charm
I love your first book! I would love to have a book with all your designs and short picture tutorial like what I find when I go to the site tutorials. There are so many and I find it hard to get through all of them to find just what I want, then have to go back through all of them again to locate the one in my mind that I just decided I wanted to use. Similar to Leah Day’s “365 Free Motion Designs”. But it doesn’t show the how to part like yours does. Yours could be even better with the picture tutorials perhaps just taking a half page so we can get lots of designs into one book!
Of course, knowing what to quilt is still my biggest challenge and unless I can ask you on each one what should I put in this space, the designs would be the biggest help right now.
Thanks for sharing all your knowledge. I enjoy each day looking to see what you have for us!
Gayla Lane
I agree! A section with all of your wonderful FMQ designs sorted into types: flowers, geometric, themed, and so on. That would be a great resource. I would also love to see various styles of pieced blocks with 3 or more different ways to quilt them.
Charm
I love that idea of the three different ways to quilt a block!
Elaine in North Texas
Quilting in blocks is a most wonderful idea as it is a big need for me also. Plus how to quilt the big outer borders such as 5-6″ borders would come in handy too.
Linda
I agree with many of the above comments. Figuring out how to quilt a pieced block is a BIG challenge for me. Background, fillers and all-over designs are much easier IMO. I spend a lot of time looking at pictures of quilts trying to figure out how (or why) the blocks are quilted the way they are. I would love to have a book (or a series of tutorials) addressing the issues and considerations of choosing designs for pieced blocks.
Brenda Perry
Love, love, love your blog, your designs and your first book – can’t wait for the second. I quilt a lot (4 – 6 per month) of charity cuddle quilts. I stitch mostly large over-all designs for speed and to keep them cuddly. I would like more motifs that are suitable for unisex large background fills, please!
lilquilter
I posted my comment before seeing yours, Brenda. Glad to know I’m not alone in wondering how to quilt those charity quilts! Lori will have our answer, I’m sure!
June Neigum
I look forward to your blog each day. Thank You for your question. Reading thru the comments I agree with many. Color and thread choice top and bottom are my most troublesome areas but the mechanics of choosing the right design is at the top also. Scale and if I should break up the block differently. I follow a couple LA quilters and They make it look so easy deciding on what design to put on the quilt. Are there any rules for this decision? I do not think it is easy. They also do a lo-o-o-t of quilting on their quilts. Many look like like they could stand up in a corner. Not that that is bad but I like a softer quilt. Maybe I’m over thinking it but. . . .
lilquilter
I’m with June…all that wonderful dense quilting is great in show quilts but it takes so long. I have so many UFOs that need to be finished that I don’t want to do tons of quilting, but enough to hold the layers together and to complement the piecing. What about quilts for charity? I have several tops of 8″ squares and I’d like to do something simple other than a large meander. Thanks!
scrappychris
Feathers! I love feathers and free motion but I can’t get the hang of them as they curve in and out. I think you have done feathers in a straight line but doing the curves of feathers on a border or using it as a pattern on a plain block would be cool. How about it? The way you do your FMQ explanations are wonderful. Could you apply your methods to figuring out how to curve those lovely feathers??
Bonnie Reed
I agree wholeheartedly! I absolutely love her and would like to see your tutorial broken down. Would like to learn about curved feathers and would also like to see how to place them in different blocks.
Anna Huffman
I’m quilting a Bargello heart at the moment, and how to quilt it stumped me for a long time. I want the overall heart pattern to show up, not the individual fabric patches, but I wanted something more interesting than an overall quilting pattern. Last month I quilted a sampler with 6″ wide sashing that interlocked at the cornerstones, and that was tough for me to determine, too. What I ended up with worked, but it didn’t play up the deign element of the quilt, so it didn’t completely do its job. Seeing motifs in a wide range of shapes would really help me visualize them in the varied quilts I actually make!
Mary Grass
Thank you for all of your posts, Lori. I would love to see your tricks for CURVED PIECING.
Vickie A
I love your designs and would like to use them more but get stuck trying to figure out what would look best in the pieced quilt block. So I like your idea of showing various ways to quilt some of the traditional quilt blocks like log cabin, bear paws pin wheel, Ohio star, etc.
Comments are closed.