Cross Hatch Quilting

How do you prefer to quilt? Straight line? Stipple? Fancy free motion? Well they all functional finish off the process of  holding the layers together. Quilting can add or distract from a quilt.

For instance, on this tea cozy above, I felt the cross hatch quilting was appropriate and would not steal the show. Simple.

On this two inch square design, the quilting pattern fades allowing the fabric to stand out. (Scrappy trip Around the World--tutorial on Bonnie Hunter's site)

The tiny 3/4 inch squares blend well into the background. That way the flags can stand out.

When you get in to much of a hurry, you miss the beauty of returning the hatch lines in the opposite direction. This poor baby needs a finish. I'll cross back and maybe some big stitches around the border. Sound okay?

Here again the quilting recedes into the fabric and the hand embroidery work gets the starring role.

Let's talk about straight line quilting. Is there an easy way? Do you mark or trust your eye? I'd like to  hear what you seasoned (and unseasoned) quilters have to say. Quilting is sharing and we can learn from each other.

Thanks for  coming by and give me and other readers your suggestions.

Marcy

Panel Challenge

A week ago I dropped off my philanthropy quilts. The leader gave me a panel and asked if I could do anything with it. Was she kidding or what. It was a six block cutie and I couldn't resist. But what to do, what to do.

Since matching fabrics weren't part of the deal, it became a real challenge. I had to dig in the philanthropy fabric, my fabric and even that of a friend but the results pleased me. The panel was divided into two different framing fabrics so that's the way I split the six blocks. There was enough matching fabric gathered to frame them again. But what were the options for the other three blocks on each quilt?

Using the scraps--and I mean scraps--this is what I did. (Please pardon the fuzzy pictures. Shaky hands with my cell.)

If you can forgive my poor picture, here's a quilt I saw at a quilt show yesterday. Amazing!

I hope spring is headed your way. It's the happiest season with lots of fun holidays.

Marcy