Frixion pens (again) and simple quilting
I recently developed a new workshop titled “Your Quilt, Your Way” in which I work up several quilting design plans for students based on a submitted image of their work. I just taught it over the weekend and I think it was a good workshop. I worked with 9 student quilt tops (as other participants observed), most of them art quilts.
Many times an art quilt demands mindfully chosen but very simple quilting; quilting that enhances, yet neither shouts nor shrinks. If the quilt design is strong on its own, the very best quilting choice may be parallel lines or a simple grid. I thought that some students may have thought that such a simple quilting plan was just not enough.
So I created a sample to show the effects of simple quilting on an art piece. I used a hand dyed piece of silk Radiance that had a lot of interest to the dye pattern. I felt that this would show that the simplest quilting plan can be the perfect answer.
I used 2 different designs here, a simple on-point grid and a pumpkin seed design. I left one portion of the fabric unquilted for comparison and to highlight the effect of the quilting on its beauty.
I think the grid greatly enhances the beauty of the piece. I initially thought the pumpkin seed was too much, but now I’m on the fence about it. Most of my students felt that the pumpkin seed was overkill.
I used Superior Thread‘s King Tut (40 weight 3-ply Egyptian cotton-a pretty hefty thread) in color #935-a perfect enhancement for this fabric. I also used a Frixion pen for marking. I wrote about my previous experiences with Frixion pens here, here and here.
I deliberately chose the Frixion heat erasable pen to mark this piece. I knew that when I heat erased the pen, it would leave permanent marks on this particular fabric. I have said in class that “ghost” marks left by the pen on some fabrics will not show if you end up quilting along the marked lines, even though the marks are plainly visible before quilting.
I started with the simple on-point grid-I love the way this looks! I think the fabric looks better with the grid than without!
I next added a pumpkin seed motif to a portion of the practice sandwich. What do you think-is the pumpkin seed overkill? Does it detract?
Just to prove my point, I quilted over the “ghost” marks. Indeed, you cannot see the ghost marks, so all is well here.
After I took the photo above, I ripped out the stitching and free motion quilted that same area with “perfectly imperfect” parallel lines to see what effect that had on the beauty of the piece. (The color is off on this photo because it was dark by the time I finished).
What do you think of this one? I like the parallel lines. If I were to do this on a real piece I would have been more careful and my lines would not be as imperfect as they are here. You can clearly see the “ghost” lines of the on-point grid though, confirming my point that if you mark with the Frixion pen and change your mind, it will show pretty clearly.
So I conclude:
-Simple quilting is sometimes the very best answer for a strong art piece.
-My favorite simple motifs are the grid and imperfectly perfect parallel lines.
-If you use a Frixion pen to mark, it may leave ghost lines where you mark-test first!
-Even if the pen leaves ghost marks on your fabric, if you stitch along the lines you marked, the ghost does not show.
-If the Frixion pen leaves ghost marks and you want to change your design, the marks will show, so beware.
Let me know your thoughts in the Comments section or on Facebook. I’ll be linking up with Nina Marie’s Off the Wall Friday here.
I love the pumpkin seed motif! Quilted as beautifully as you did here, it is a wonderful design. I am so eager to take two classes from you in Houston! And thanks for the info on Frixion pens.
Thank you Barbara-I look forward to Houston too! Good to know you like the pumpkin seed-I really thought it kind of overwhelmed at first, but as I looked at the photo, I decided I liked it…maybe. Love the Frixion pens-in the right circumstances. Competition quilts cannot be touched by them though:-(
Pumpkin seed quilting over kill!
I think closer together lines, a bit wobbly, is what I would have quilted last piece. Vary spacing some.
good examples and info
Thanks Pam. Hmm, wobbly would be so much easier! Good thought.
Don’t know if this is only true of the photo or if it looks the same ‘in the fabric’. The fabric really shows off with the pumpkin seed quilting. Somehow with the grid I’m seeing two separate layers and focusing on the grid.
I agree with Pam that the spacing of the parallel lines should be varied more. That would make it clear that the variation is deliberate instead of accidental.
Thanks for that Helen-I am beginning to get the sense that there will a lot of different opinions on this. I kind of thought it would be more unified. I am seeing that a variation of the parallel lines would be both forgiving and more interesting.
I do like the grid, though I’d like to see the pumpkin seed with differing sizes of rounds. Did you try any wavy lines? They might cast interesting shadows on that silk. And do try wonking up the closely spaced sort-of parallel lines. I think it would be more intriguing to look at, given the random patterning on the fabric.
Hi Joanna; Nope, did not try the wavy lines-no more room! I like the idea of them though and see them all the time in the modern quilt world. Random is hard for me-can you tell??
I’m a huge fan of parallel lines and the grid. I agree, simple is often the best choice. Pumpkin seeds would be killer on solid fabric so they could ‘show off’ by themselves.
Yes, kinda like the whole pumpkin seed thing-I have to be careful to not overload on them. Hard to go wrong with parallels and grids.
First, I like the concept that quilting should neither shout nor shrink. I have the not shouting down pat; however, I may let it shrink.
Of your three, I agree with the students who think pumpkin seed is overkill; I like both the imperfect lines and grid; prefer the grid.
I think it wise that you left the unquilted portion of your sampler to show that quilting improves the look of the fabric.
Thanks Claire. I had to leave a portion unquilted because I needed to see if it did enhance the fabric too. As to shrink or shout, that’s an evolving process and takes time to find that personal sweet spot inbetween. I just started a project and had to rip because it was shouting.