I finished my quilt, now what do I do?
Does the following scenario apply to you? It has been many months that you have slaved over this top. You dreamed about the color combinations. You pondered over the type of piecing that would convey the pictures in your mind. You plied the rotary cutter so carefully and stitched the seams to an exact quarter inch. The question of pressing your seams open or to the dark or light fabric woke you up in the middle of the night and every time you looked at the blocks on your design wall you spent 20 or so minutes just moving them around until they were the perfect combination. Sashing? Cornerstones? Borders? Each construction step was contemplated with the input of other quilters until you were satisfied. Now your baby is finished.
Putting together a quilt top
You’re now ready for the next step, adding visual interest and dimension to this top by developing a quilting design that will hold all three layers together. But this is where most quilters get stuck. How do I do this? That is the question they all ask. I can provide you with the answer and we start with some simple questions.
- What style is this quilt top?
- How is this quilt used?
- What type of batting did I use?
- How much time do I have to quilt it?
If you’re confused, I can help guide you through the answers with some thought provoking examples from my own quilts and my own decisions. Designing a quilting pattern is not complicated and doing some simple homework will open up your personal design abilities which can be translated to domestic machine quilting, hand quilting (my speciality), or communicated to a long arm quilter if you decide to go in that direction.
Do not hand over your beautiful top to someone else with the hopeful instructions of “do what you think is best”. You have poured your heart and soul and sore fingers into this top along with some broken needles and it deserves your own impeccable vision. Give this top the last step of not only holding the three layers together but providing the eye catching details and texture that only your quilting design can give it.
So come join me and some other outstanding quilters on November 13 for some workshops that will guarantee to stimulate your quilting brain. More info about Quilt Fusion is here along with the sign up info. Save $20 off your ticket using my code "QF25Pattie."
Blog post by Pattie Klimek.
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Quilt Fusion 2025 is a one-day, live virtual quilting event designed to spark your creativity and boost your confidence at the sewing machine. Join eleven expert instructors—including keynote speaker Katie Pasquini Masopust—as they share fresh techniques, design inspiration, and practical tips to help you finish projects with flair. Customize your experience with breakout workshops in design, piecing, quilting, and finishing, all from the comfort of your own studio. Enjoy exclusive patterns, giveaways, and a digital swag bag while connecting with a community of passionate quilters. Sign up here.
