Selecting the right E2E design for your quilt can be challenging, particularly with the sheer range of designs available. Here are some tips and tricks to consider when selecting the right E2E design for your quilt to make sure you enhance the craftsmanship, style and functionality of your quilt.
What Is Your Quilt’s Purpose?
- Functional v. Decorative: If the quilt is for everyday use by a child, choose a durable and less intricate design. For decorative quilts, whether wallhangings or bed quilts that will experience less washing, then a more intricate design with detailed quilting can be used without risking design degradation.
- Recipient’s Preferences: Let’s be honest – not everyone appreciates the work that goes into a quilt. If your recipient compares your quilts to those available at big box retailers and doesn’t appreciate the differences in their construction or design, then a simpler design is better. Also, your selected E2E design should be consistent with your recipient’s design preferences. A child may appreciate a novelty design, while an adult might prefer a more classic or sophisticated design that reflects their personal tastes.
[Insert Peach and WC Photos]
Match the Quilting Design to the Quilt Top Design
- Fabric Style: If your quilt involves busy prints, an intricate E2E design will get lost in the quilt. One the other hand, if your quilt has lots of solid colors or negative spaces, those sections of the quilt can serve as great areas to highlight intricate designs and add a second design layer to your quilt.
- Scale of Patchwork: The style and complexity of your piecing should also be considered when selecting an E2E design. If the patchwork is small pieces and intricate piecing, a large, complex E2E design will overwhelm the patchwork. If the piecing involves large blocks with significant free space, a tiny or overly simple E2E design can get lost in the patchwork and detract from the overall look and feel of the quilt.
[Insert Malibu and WC Photos]
Quilt Density and Why Not To Kill Your Quilt With Quilting
- Quilt Use: Perhaps it’s my background in hand-piecing and hand-quilting, but I prefer simpler quilting designs that enhance the coziness and comfort of a quilt. High-density quilting can be visually striking, but it makes the quilt stiff. So if the quilt is destined for a child’s bed, lower-density quilting that allows the quilt to remain soft and puffy would be better for comfort. Then you can save the high-density quilting for wallhangings or show pieces.
- Quilt Warmth: Quilting density can also affect the warmth of the quilt. If you want to keep your northern friends warm in cold winters, less dense quilting might be preferable to allow the batting to loft more.
[Insert photo of puff quilt versus Dream Big Rose wallhanging]
Quilting Designs Should Compliment, Not Compete With, Your Quilt’s Style
- Traditional v. Modern: If you have spent months making a traditional Baltimore Album quilt, you do not want to use a sharp, geometric quilting design that competes with the quilt’s heritage or overwhelms the applique. Traditional feathers and stippling could be a better choice in that instance. For modern quilts, both traditional and modern quilting designs can be used with great success, so long as they honor your intent as the maker.
- Theme: If your quilt has a specific theme, either due to the design or the fabric used (floral, nautical, stars), a quilting design that echoes that theme could be used to enhance the overall effect.
Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. The “right” E2E quilting design is ultimately the one that you love. Take your time to choose a design that complements your hard work and creativity, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to Craftwright Quilts for recommendations. Craftwright Quilts is also happy to use an E2E quilting design from outside our database with an appropriate cost-sharing arrangement, or we can design a specialized E2E design just for you and your projects!