Double Nine Patch Update

Hey everyone! I finished the vintage double nine patch quilt top. Yay for staying with it and getting it done. It is a good size for a lap quilt. Finished, it should measure out to about 60″ x 70″. I am really happy with it and look forward to getting it basted and ready to quilt.

IMG_20150716_3530The quilting decision is an important one due to all of the negative space that this quilt has. My FMQ skills are improving but aren’t stellar. What to do?? My thinking is that this sort of traditional quilt calls for FMQ over straight line quilting (I usually associate straight line quilting with a more modern project). Because this will be auctioned off at a 1940’s themed fundraiser in October, I feel like I need to do some decent quilting on it. I need a foolproof idea! Please help me out here and send ideas my way! Do I do an easy all over stipple? If so, do I stipple the main portion and do something different on the borders or just cruise right over the borders too? I have plenty of time to decide. I don’t have any batting just now (well, other than the piles and piles of batting scrap – I could probably stitch those scraps together and make a piece large enough for a king size quilt). I need to spend some time on Pinterest and hop over to a few sites (The Inbox Jaunt and The Freemotion Quilting Project come to mind) for inspiration.

IMG_20150716_3532

One more thing…. Totally off topic here, but yesterday my quilt model and I went to the movies and saw “Inside Out”. I had high expectations for this new Pixar film since the reviews are glowing. Yikes, I was disappointed. Both of us kind of shook our head on the way out, wondering what the hype is all about. I found it really preachy – sort of like they were forcing a lesson down my throat. Neither my daughter nor I could figure out what age group this was aimed at. The plot doesn’t seem suitable for early elementary school ages and it seemed very trite for older kiddos.  Did I miss something? Maybe I wasn’t in the mood for it? Just curious what others are thinking about this movie.

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts and Needle and Thread Thursday. Links to these sites are available at the top of the page, under link ups.

28 thoughts on “Double Nine Patch Update

  1. Yvonne @ Quilting Jetgirl

    The border looks great! In terms of a quilting pattern… I would be really tempted to go with straight lines in the center but on the diagonal to create a cross hatch and then horizontal and vertical lines in the borders. An all over stipple would also work really well, though – I am a huge fan of all over patterns. 🙂

    Nope, the Inside Out movie was definitely weird; the best part was as the credits starting rolling, I think. I’m hoping the minion movie is better, and I’ll find out tomorrow!

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      I have been thinking of doing a cross hatch. It is classic and I know I would be able to pull that off easily.
      Well, at least I wasn’t the only one that didn’t LOVE that movie. I just don’t get the incredible over-the-top reviews it received. Strange… Let me know about the Minions. Julia wants to see that one too.

      Reply
  2. Beth @ Cooking Up Quilts

    Some quilts just call out for straight lines and I think this is one of them. I like Yvonne’s crosshatch idea, I love the look. Your top is so pretty, and it’s nice to have time and not be rushed for the quilting.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      You are so right about not having to rush. I am pleased with myself that I didn’t procrasinate and start this in September (which wouldn’t be all that unusual!) Based on all of the ideas and what I feel comfortable achieving, I think I will do a cross hatch and then try cable pattern on a border. It will be a pretty quilt once it is all finished.

      Thank you for the visit!
      Bernie

      Reply
  3. Deb

    Beautiful quilt top finish. I am always partial to an all-over quilting pattern like stippling and like you, my FMQ skills are limited so I always fall back on what I can do the best and most successfully. I am sure you will do something that will look great though!
    Our family really enjoyed Inside Out (kids age 11, 8 and 6) and my nephew also loved it and he is 5 years old. Honestly this movie spoke to me… And I found tears rolling down my cheeks. Obviously I was in the mood for it LOL.
    The middle was a bit slow though; we won’t be buying it but I would watch it again.
    Deb

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Well, maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for the movie Deb. I don’t know?? My opinion is certainly in the minority if you read the reviews. 😉
      Thanks so much for coming by and have a wonderful weekend!

      Take care, B.

      Reply
  4. Linda

    Oh I love how this turned out! I’m eager to see how you choose to quilt it. I think your FMQ skills are awesome. I found a couple links for quilting a design inside the nine-patch block.
    Scroll down to the red & white one – it seems to have a “simple” flower (wouldn’t be simple for me!) with straight lines on the color blocks: http://poodleknit.blogspot.com/2006/10/double-nine-patch-quilt.html

    Scroll down to the double nine-patch – it has a more elaborate flower and straight line on the color blocks: http://www.cupcakesndaisies.com/2011/11/quilt-y-ness.html

    Cable is always nice for borders – I tried it once but don’t usually have the patience for it. 😉 This gal has a tutorial on it: http://bloominginchintz.blogspot.com/2014/04/quilting-cables.html

    I think Pixar is preachy! But I gravitate toward sci-fi and suspense. 😉

    Your quilt model rocks!

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Linda – thanks for taking the time to send me the links. I will check them out. I am leaning toward cabling the borders. I have done it once on a table runner and it worked fairly well.
      Yes, my quilt model is something else. She is a funny girl.
      Hope you have something fun planned for the weekend and that it isn’t too terribly hot. We are only supposed to get to 88-90 or so, not too bad for mid-July.

      Reply
  5. Jen

    Hi- Love the simplicity of the blue and white! Perfect for a bedroom.
    As far as the Pixar Inside Out, very disappointing. What happened to those creators that made Toy Story and Finding Nemo? And the Pixar short, Lava ???? Weird. I agree. This did not live up to the hype.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Oh… I forgot to mention the Pixar short, ‘Lava’. That was just terrible. Usually I love their shorts and some are almost as good as the movie. Pretty disappointing!

      Thanks for coming to visit Jen! Have a great weekend.
      Bernie

      Reply
  6. Sandra

    Ooh, I like this quilt! So crisp! It is calling out (I hear it, I do!) for feathered wreaths in those blank square spaces. More feathers in the last border too. Maybe 3 rows of straight-lines (or 2) in the inner white border. Joanna Figuero did that on a pattern I made of hers and it looks so classic, classy, take your pick! I’ll see if I can send you a pic of the quilt. You CAN do feathers. Have you taken Angela Walters’ Craftsy class? Worth every cent.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      When I was hunting around, I saw numerous quilts in this pattern with feathered wreaths on the blank squares. I have never done any feathers and don’t think this is the place to start! Seems like the “first timers” are never terribly successful. I will check out Angela’s class. I could use something like that as I am basically self taught.

      Thanks Sandra!

      Reply
  7. Mari

    This is a lovely finish, Bernie! I’m with Yvonne–crosshatching in the center would be very traditional and look great. You could do cables in the border with a walking foot. I’m sure whatever you decide will look great. Enjoy doing the quilting and have a great weekend!

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Thank you! It sure came together quickly once all of those pesky little 9-patches were finished. I think I will cross hatch the center and do something else on the borders. Hope you have a good weekend as well!

      Reply
  8. Penny G

    Love the quilt. The colors are amazing. As for how to quilt, stipple is always good, but what about your other options. I can’t quilt worth a darn so I am the wrong person to ask.

    Inside Out appealed to me, but I have a different view point because I have a child who suffers from anxiety and people always tell her to get over it. The attitude here was that controlling your emotions is more difficult and that they all work together. It made sense to me knowing the struggles I have witnessed over the last 20 years. My daughter experienced a traumatic event that follows her and isn’t easily dismissed. I have watched her stand in a room and cry or even run from people. I have asked for tables in restaurants where there is a wall on one side so no one can sneak up behind her. I have shopped with her and told salespeople not to bother her in a dressing room. I understand that she can’t get over it and once she has reached the panic stage it takes a long time to get back.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Hi Penny,
      It sounds like your daughter deals with emotional distress in a daily basis. I am so sorry to hear that the most basic parts of daily life (in public) are difficult for her. It is certainly true that our emotions are a hugely complex series of interactions. I am glad this movie spoke to you. It must have been something you are able to relate to from your personal experiences. I wish the best for her and hope that she can overcome some of her anxiety.

      Thanks for coming by and for your comment.

      Warm regards,
      Bernie

      Reply
  9. Julie Stocker

    Your pattern is clean and simple so I would make your FMQ pattern something a little more ornate. Your focus with the fabric is in the center, and it’s the greatest amount of space overall to fill. It’s also the hardest to manuever through your machine. I would let the piecing pattern be the highlight, and if you are good with stippling, use it there.

    Then you can think of your borders a few ways. You have the outermost, the color, and then you actually could do a separate FMQ pattern on the inner border, too. I think figuring out what you can do, what you like, and what looks good are tough. Make some quilt sandwiches and practice, practice. Simple motifs would be my pick, though. Not everyone realizes the difference between easy and ornate. They just see that it’s quilted. Be kind to yourself.

    Julie

    Reply
  10. JanineMarie

    I’m trying to think back to how I quilted these kinds of quilts way back when I hand quilted more. I like Yvonne’s crosshatch idea, but I also remember doing feather wreaths and rope borders. To modernize that theme a bit, you could do a stylized flower. (Inbox jaunt has some neat ones such as http://theinboxjaunt.com/2012/11/27/the-easiest-flower-ever/) that just builds on itself with echo quilting in the big squares. She also has a modernized rope design (http://theinboxjaunt.com/2013/09/10/tuesday-tutorial-twisting-rope/) that could go in the border. I’m not sure how hard they would be. Of course, having said all that, I’m always fond of stipples. How’s that for wishy washy? I haven’t seen Inside Out, but the discussion around it here is interesting.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Wishe washy is fine! I like hearing the ideas. At this pint I will do a cross hatch over the body of thequilt and cable the borders. I think that will look traditional and is something I can do with good results.

      Thanks Janine!

      Reply
  11. Carie

    Yay, it looks fantastic, what a great finish and oh such a tempting pattern to try to turn into a crazy chess board – or maybe Sudoku?

    Reply
  12. Tish

    I love how this turned out. I haven’t worked much with stencils, but have you considered finding a nice stencil to use in the squares with the negative space? Maybe something more traditional like a feather wreath?

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Thank you! I am really happy with it as well. Feathers are a bit scary to me! I haven’t tackled those yet.
      So glad you stopped by and offered some feedback.

      Take care,
      Bernie

      Reply
  13. Rosemary B

    Hi Bernie, I have been so busy, I flagged your post to comment later haha
    I love this quilt, it is perfectly fresh and fun!

    Hubbs and I do not go to the movies anymore. All of them have a subtle agenda kind of
    sneakily dispersed in the story. bleh.
    We wait until they come out on DVD and watch it — if worthy
    Stay cool

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Hi Rosemary,
      Thanks for coming back to leave the comment. That is so sweet! We rarely go to the movies either. Having one kid still at home is really the only thing that gets me refer, even then, I am likely to just take her and a friend rather than go to the movie myself. It is crazy how expensive it gets too….

      I appreciate the compliment on the nine patch. Time to buy some batting and get this one quilted up!

      Regards,
      Bernie

      Reply
  14. Sarah Goer

    Your quilt looks great, though I have no idea what to recommend for quilting. I look forward to seeing what you decide. I like Tish’s idea of using a stencil for something in the negative spaces. (I’d probably do an all over stipple due to time.)

    As for Inside Out… I enjoyed the movie, but I expected more. Not sure what exactly, but I felt like the feelings having feelings thing was pretty nuanced, except of course when Joy cried. We didn’t bring the kids. My 5-year-old is really sensitive to anything scary. He wouldn’t have enjoyed it. (Toy Story is basically the only movie he watches.)

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      Well, I am almost certain that I will do a cross hatch over the main body of the hilt. I just ordered some cabling stencils to use on the borders. I so appreciate all of the input that readers gave on this one. People left some really helpful links and ideas, yourself included!
      I love Toy Story! I’ve loved that one since it came out when my guys were little. Toy Story 3is a little bit scary with the fire scene tho. Does he watch that one? The Toy Story characters are so sweet.

      B.

      Reply
  15. Diana @ Red Delicious Life

    Such a beautiful finish! Deciding how to quilt it can be the hardest part. I wish I could offer some suggestions, but it’s always such a personal choice. Good luck. Whatever you decide, I’m sure it will look wonderful.

    Reply
    1. Bernie Post author

      You are so right. Deciding how to quilt any project is usually the toughest part for me. I have really appreciated all of the input I received after this post though. So many good ideas.

      Glad you came for a visit!
      Bernie

      Reply

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