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? Â 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? Â What blocks are in YOUR quilts? Â 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? Â 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. Â Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. Â For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Â Thanks!
100 comments
shoshana
thank you so much for asking!!!! i actually have a question that is probably sooo simple, but it’s keeping me stumped. when i’ve finished piecing my quilt and am ready to start quiting, i’ve basted it and now what. do i just start quilting, if so from where, the middle, on one side, does it matter at all or do i first “stitch in the ditch” andall around the edge and only then start with what ever design i’m trying….. so many halfopinions, could you just tell me what to do??
[wow, i wish mjy kids would tell me that!!!!!!!!!!]
thanks again lori, your colomn and book are priceless.
shoshana
Elaine Murray
There are so many books with blocks out there. You make the best machine quilting tutorials and I hope they are the focus of all of your books. I always go to the In Box Jaunt to get ideas and how toos. Just finished a quilt with your sailboats- it is a whaler themed quilt.
Marie McKay
I would like ideas for types of blocks. For example: Half Square Triangle ideas, QSTs, square in square, corner beams, star blocks of all kinds, zig-zags, etc. Other kinds of traditional or modern block motifs that are found in quilts today.
You often show a motif on a solid fabric where the quilted motif is really what is being featured. I often make a quilt where the blocks are the feature and the quilting is going to enhance it. (Does that make sense?)
Thank you – I love your work, your blog and your books.
dawk2012
Ditto! I rarely quilt on a solid color except in borders. However, besides the printed block designs, sometimes it’s hard to decide what to do if I have sashing that really breaks the quilt into pieces? Should I quilt in sections, individual blocks, all over? So many choices.
Lorraine Doyno Evans
I agree with Marie, Solids are great to show how to do a motif in a tutorial or for a small whole cloth, but I always get stumped when looking at my larger pieced quilts with printed fabris and what to do for quilting.
Mary
Ditto from me too! I do quilts with a combination of prints and solids. I’d love to explore motifs for solid half square triangles, log cabins, star blocks and so on. Also see examples of how the motif is used in a real quilt, or a couple of connected sample blocks, rather than just a stand-alone design. I love book 1 and will get in line to buy book 2 when it’s published…so bring on book 3!!!
Lynne Tinsley
I sent in my “wish list” of things I need help on then went back to read everyone elses’ comments. Many have the same theme. I don’t feel so “dumb” now knowing that many of us struggle with ways to quilt beautifully pieced tops. I too will be in line for book 2 and 3.
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There was certainly a consistent theme!
Laurie B
Another in agreement. I almost always use prints. Also, how to quilt log cabins. Lori, do you quilt with every fabric color change?
Rebecca
I agree about wanting to see more FMQ ideas specific to different types of blocks. I’m stumped on a quilt top that features pinwheels and very large (maybe 8″?) triangles. Also, FMQ ideas for various sizes of squares. — I have some 5″ square quilts but what if I went to 2″ or 3″ solid squares? I also am currently working on a quilt top that has sashing and like a previous commenter I am wondering how that will work as well.
Raelynn Heintz
I have to chime in and say please, give us ideas on how to quilt specific blocks. I also mostly do pieced, printed quilts and need help with ways to quilt them other than stitch in the ditch or stippling!
Julia Friedman
Lori, thank you for asking. I find the choice of quilting thread is a challenge — what do I want the thread to do in the overall quilt design ? Show up? Direct attention to something special? Hide a flaw? Etc. color, shine, weight, durability, one color or many, variegated or not, see at a distance or not, . . . I guess the question is about when/how the thread acts as an embellishment. I enjoy learning from your blog!
Marty
Need more FMQ Ideas for: 1. miniatures (and doll quilts) so quilting stitches and motifs aren’t too large nor too overwhelming to the small blocks; 2. pieced projects with bulky seam areas (fans, Lone Star, mini-pieced blocks used in full-sized quilts so lots of seams); 3. planning design for whole-cloth quilting. Thanks so much!
DorothyB
I love reading your blogs every day. It would be helpful if you could walk us through determining designs to use on our pieced quilts. I would like ideas on motifs for various blocks. I appreciate all your creative knowledge!
Helen Lee
I think a logical growth from FMQ is thread painting and would love to learn how. A common challenge now is blocks with lots of seams.
Grandma Jane
Please, please, pretty please? ????
AmyB
I realize that when I see a quilt that really catches my eye it’s the colors that draw me in first. And that is what I struggle with most. I hate to think of all the fabric I’ve bought that the colors just didn’t work how I’d hoped and so I went back and bought more, and more… Does choosing great color combinations just come naturally for most people or can I really learn it? I’d love the help.
Maureen B. in B.C.
A colour theory workshop worked wonders for me. Perhaps you could find one online.
dmearls2015
I have difficulty choosing how to quilt so that the overall quilting goes together to enhance the quilt- adding motion, intricacy, etc. i have several tops that have not been quilted as I don’t know what to do to create a unifiedConfidence is also part of the problem.
effect.
Cindy Child
I just live your fmq. Thats what keeps me coming back. Your ideas are fun, easy and gives the confidence that i need as a beginner. I cant wait for the new book
Pat D
I’d like ideas on what to quilt on pictorial quilts/wallhangings. For example I have a panel of Birds sitting in trees that I added borders on to make it into a wallhanging.. What do I quilt on it that will not take away from the picture itself. I have had it on my design wall because I cannot make a decision on the quilting.
Marta
ditto with a flower panel for my cousin
Carol
I have that same issue. I am doing wall panel quilts- I am total beginner so I have no idea how or what to do. I have one ready for binding now that I quilted with the “feathers” of an eagle and the main plain area I just squiggled (can’t think what you call it) for my grandson who is in the army. Am now ready to do one for my granddaughter with the Eiffle tower and roses on it and am rather “stumped” for what to do.
Also, being a beginner I would love to have a few very simple blocks with simple designs to start on. I am not a good “practicer”, no patience, I want to “do a project” I can use. So something to practice on that could make up a pot holder or something similar would be nice. I love that sunflower piece you did and someday want to do that but it’s a bit too much for me yet.
Thanks so much for all your lovely instructions and blogs. Really enjoy them.
Vivian Lewis
I would like to understand how to make choices for machine quilting. A good idea might be to show traditional blocks and some options or perhaps allow us a glimpse into your thought process.
Cindy
I am stumped right now with a large Mariners Star. I would like something in the N-S-E-W points and the only thing I can come up with is feathers. Shoot! I’d like something unique.
Laury Sousa
I’m with Marie McKay on her comments, I love all your FMQ but have trouble visualizing the designs on a quilt top. 90% of the time you show your designs on whole cloth projects, I realize this is your passion and respect that but perhaps some visuals of quilting on actual quilt tops to take the fear out of actually putting that quilt under the needle!! I look forward to this blog everyday since I have been following you, very inspiring….Thank you for all your inspiration and wonderful designs..Laury
Bonnie Reed
I agree with Marie and Laury. Looks like there’s many with the same opinion. I know you can do a whole new book on showing how to put your beautiful fmq designs into a Pieced Block. Then book number four Can be how to enhance wall hangings. And number 5 thread painting. See we love your work and we will keep you busy!
Love you Lori!
Janet
Thank you for asking! Machine applique and machine quilting applique quilts are my specific interests.
Lynn
Yes, quilting around appliqué.
Pamela Arbour
I refer to your first book often. I don’t know what your second one will offer but I would like to see designs for sampler quilt blocks. I have a lot of sampler quilt tops either with sashing or alternated blocks. It would be nice to have designs that would universally go in those blocks. I have used Claire’s Peony in a lot of blocks. It seems to be easily used in any size block. I especially like the format in 180 Doodle Quilting Designs with ideas for blocks, borders, and triangles, etc.
Sharon - IN
I doing your Spring Quilt-a-Long b/c I want to learn FMQ to use within pieced blocks. I’m always on the look out for ways to FMQ actually blocks pieced with in quilts.
Marie Peters
I also have a problem getting started to quilt a quilt top so therefore, they just lay there unquilted. I know they are not a quilt until quilted! I look at all those beautiful designs you did in your first book and those you put up each day and I have a hard time deciding what to quilt. Maybe I just need to get my mojo and start to quilt.
Marie
Karla Shinnick
My biggest challenge is thread choice; weight and color. My FMQ is coming along, but not ready to “feature” it with high contrast thread. I also prefer to not change color to appeal to my thrifty propensities. Is the there one thread to “rule them all”?
Thank you for asking for our educational needs. I love your motifs, your style of writing, including all your puns.
Karla
Vonnie
I too get stumped on what to quilt and wind up doing an edge to edge design.
One block that I would really like ideas on is the Log Cabin Block. And always want an alternative to the traditional feather which is really hard for me to be consistent on.
Vonnie
Wanted to add that I have both your Craftsy classes and your book. Looking forward to your next book. I love your motifs and have used them several times on my longarm.
Marta
What an intriguing question… Like going to ice cream store with bookoodles of flavors to choose from! One of each please. My worst problem is quilting which has puckers. I remember we discussed this here awhile back. My old machine doesn’t seem to have an adjustment for how tight the presser foot comes down on to the seam line. Even sewing a rectangle an inch from the edge of a potholder ends up with a pucker at the seam meeting point. I recently took out all the quilting seams in a lap quilt and did it over by hand because I could “ease” the fabric. That was more tolerable than gifting a quilt with numerous puckers. This problem prevents me from even trying some FMQ designs. Years ago I bought one of those weighted halos to place around the presser foot flat on the fabric. Cost me a bundle and I wish I had not done that. More trouble than it was worth.
I love the look of curves in a block pattern and wish to do more of that. Many FMQ designs would love fabulous next to or within curved pieces.
Margaret Duke
FMQ larger quilts on home machines and using fabrics besides solids. Also interested in block quilting.
Marta
Pardonez moi, what is block quilting, please?
Pat
Making blocks like the log cabin that Lori has in the photos.
Janet
Just quilted my first quilt, a baby quilt. Your blog with such detailed instructions was what made me think I could do it. The quilt personality was transformed by the quilting. Before quilting it had a hard industrial look. I quilted your daisies in the sashing (soft pink thread on gray fabric) and it turned out beautiful. Can hardly wait to do the quilt along! I would love more information on marking techniques for a larger quilt.
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.
Mary Grass
Thank you for all of your posts, Lori. I would love to see your tricks for CURVED PIECING.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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…
🙂
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?
Annie
Merci de nous demander ce qui nous intĂ©resserait Ă l’avenir.
Personnellement j’ai attaquĂ© le quilting piquĂ© libre depuis peu et je suis preneuse de toutes les idĂ©es de quilting.
J’aimerais aussi des idĂ©es pour broderie piquĂ© libre ‘ peinture Ă l’aiguille avec explications très dĂ©taillĂ©es pour la rĂ©alisation.
J’apprĂ©cie Ă©normĂ©ment tous vos conseils.
Annie
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!
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!
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.
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.
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 piquĂ© ‘ 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 dĂ©taillant de frontières avec les blocs de losanges compliquĂ© serait gĂ©nial, 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!
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.
Norma
Thank you for asking for our ideas. I would like ideas about choosing patterns and threads.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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….
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!
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