I really thought this quilt was finished. But then I realized it wasn’t. So now it qualifies as my latest UFO. I enjoyed making this quilt and I like the quilting on it, but I don’t love it – it’s just not enough. After the last project I quilted the heck out of, I am starting to find my personal quilting style. It’s one that requires a lot of quilting. And I mean A LOT.
So I will add many more lines of quilting to this quilt. The original pass of straight line quilting only took about 2 hours to do and I was so happy to finish it so quickly. But now that it’s been sitting around for awhile it’s calling to me for more. So I will add more.
I decided to fill in the lines of quilting with more lines. I marked all of the original lines about 2 inches apart so I could quilt them neatly with my walking foot. Fortunately the “filler” lines do not need to be marked; I simply used the edge of my walking foot as a guide and can fit exactly 3 more rows of quilting in between each original line of stitching.
After about 2 more hours of quilting I’m about halfway done and I think it’s looking much better. FYI, I used Superior King Tut cotton thread in a variegated blue (in top and bobbin – my stitches seem to balance out better when using the same weight on both sides).
And now for the soapbox part of this post – it’s ok to make a quilt just because you want to. I have no idea what I will eventually do with this quilt. I may give it away. I may keep it as a teaching sample. I may turn it into a pattern. I originally made it as a tutorial and still have a few kits left with the same fabrics.
It was really nice to not have to rush off and send this quilt off somewhere as soon as (I thought) it was done. So that’s why I can “finish” it now – because there are no deadlines and it needs more quilting.
What I enjoy most about this quilt is that quilting it makes me happy. There are lots more quilts out there that I have to make, just because I want to – with no end purpose in mind. And that’s OK. Really it is. How liberating!
Here is the same Baby Bricks quilt design a pink version. And yes, I think it needs more quilting, too…. Any suggestions??
Christa Quilts 
I love straight line quilting. But I don’t have the patience. I think the way you handled it just might be the way to do it if you always planned on doing as much quilting as you are doing. It is the only way to make all of the lines straight.
I love the extra quilting! I agree with straight-line echo quilting on the pink quilt. Echo til ya can;t echo no more! Thanks for linking up with Sew Cute Tuesday:)
Your quilt looks perfect with the extra quilting…..I have to admit I’m a over-quilter. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you all for your excellent comments! I think I like the idea of echoing the geometric shapes and then filling in some of the areas with pebbling or background fillers. Keep the great ideas coming!
What a great post! I like the first quilt better with denser quilting — good for you for adding more! But the pink quilt is AMAZING just as is! I love the quilting in the white sashing – how did you do it?
Thanks Michelle! The quilting in the white sashing is a series of double loops. I started at one end, quilted loops to the other side, then went back the other direction echoing around each loop. Like Susan said above, easier to show than describe. 🙂
I thought about making X on all the rows, like the center, but I think I would really like it if, instead, you echoed what you already did, so that there are two more lines of stitching that cross the other stitching – exactly the same, but starting, for instance, at the bottom of the square instead of the top. I could show you in half a second but describing it is a lot harder! I always make quilts just because I want to. =)
Oops, I didn’t see the circles in the white on first look. Cancels some of my idea, but I still think I would go with echo to the edge of the colored strip.
It is just amazing what a difference those extra rows make on the blue quilt! The pink one seems less desperately in need of more, but if more were to be added, I think I would go the echo route on the pink one. I think you would get interesting shapes in the middle where the echoing of different angles would meet.
Your additional quilting looks great. For the pink quilt, you could echo all the angled lines a few times until the pink columns are filled with stitches. I think you’ll essentially get a similar effect to what you are doing with the blue quilt–the same idea but denser.
Feathers would look great in those straight line spaces!
Wonderful job. The pink and green one is my favorite of the two.
Like Lynda I would suggest finishing all the X’s and then if nore is needed either do the pebbles or consider outlining the edges with quarter inch quilting as well Maia
I agree with you that we should make quilts just because you want to. I have 4 tops waiting to be quilted and already I am thinking about the next one. I have just bought a quilting frame from New English Quilter and am loving the freedom it gives me. I have done loads on it so far. I also agree that the quilt needs more doing to it. Perhaps you could do as suggested by Betty but also fill in some of the diamonds created with pebbles to complement the borders.
I agree with Betty too. I love your free motion loop design!
I can completely relate to the “it needs more quilting” feeling. My most recent finish ended up with a random crosshatch and lines that were between 1/4″ and 1 1/4″ apart.
I agree with Betty 100%.
Just finish all columns like the middle one – I think that’s all it needs.