Hello Friends, it’s lovely to have you visit again. I truly appreciate all the comments you have left on my blog of late. I do apologize for not getting back with you quickly enough… I am hoping another 7-10 days, my life will be more normal again. Here is a sneak peek of my Feathery Formation quilt for you — you know I do love quilting feathers! Feather Formation is quilted with my domestic sewing machine, Bernina 640 Artista.
And I jumped right into these fabrics after Feather Formation. I love love love these fabrics — I am really going to try to work with more Batiks/Balis!
SO, curious mind wants to know…
#1. if you quilt with Batiks/Balis
#2. if you have tried feather quilting
AND, what your assessments are for #1, and #2.
Thanks for stopping by. I haven’t forgotten about the Thread Talk post on the feather wreath I had posted earlier this week. It’s taking me a little longer to get the tutorial ready. Stay tuned – hopefully, it will be ready before this week is over…
Hugs to you all!
Ivory Spring 
Love batiks. Can’t get enough, but somebody said–you’re supposed to cut them up and use them, not hoard them. Hmmmm…
Feathers are nice, but they don’t belong on everything.
I love feathers and batiks. I’m practicing my feathers. They are improving, and your feathers have inspired me to do better. I was recently appointed an ambassador for Island Batiks (whooohooo!!!) and now have to share how beautiful they are. Batiks are fun and bright, and so lovely to stitch. I’ve made a few quilts with batiks, and just love the colors. I have lots more to make, too. I love florals and screen prints, too, but there’s just something about batiks.
Thanks so much for the inspiration!
I love feathers, both when my long-armer quilts them and when I attempt to quilt them myself. 2013 was the year of the feather and I did feathers on every quilt I did. I improved a lot, but I still have a long way to go, so I’m continuing that focus this year. There may be a few items that won’t have feathers, but not many. I figure if I keep trying I’ll get better! I haven’t quilted much on batiks, but I have a Jelly Roll Race layered and ready to go!
Tat feather quilting is gorgeous! As while I don’t quilt, I love batiks.
That not tat… Though my sister does tat! LOL
Hi Wendy. I am struggling with my free motion quilting on my domestic machine. I just don’t seem to have the feel for it but I am not giving up.
1. I love feathers
2. I have used a lot of batiks
Thanks for your posts.
Right now I am sewing my first batik quilt! I won a Balipop at a shop hop and since our quilt show is coming up, I decided to enter a batik quilt. This quilt will be straight line quilted.
Have been practicing feathers……have not gotten up the nerve to try them on a real quilt yet. Your feathers are beautiful!!
Love, love, love batiks. I use them in settings that other people say will never work. For the past 5 years I have bought only batiks and solids and never run out of ideas.
Feathers are a different story. I have always hated feathers. I have been trying to figure out why and have spent months trying different variations. Still not my favorite, though there are some variations that have grown on me.
Gorgeous feathers, Wendy! And yes, I have quilted feathers. Batiks are one of my weaknesses, but then, I’ve rarely met a fabric I didn’t like. The only downfall of batiks is that quilting looks less textured on them, because of the tight weave. I usually mix batiks and regular wovens in quilts. One area where batiks excel is in needle turn appliqué.
Hi Wendy….I have rarely quilted a feather…but trying with your help here. I’ve used Batiks a little. Thanks for your help
Wendy, you make me laugh, always saying that you hope your life will “go back to normal” soon. Don’t you know that this IS the new normal? :-)
Yes, I have used batiks, but I have not always used them WELL. I really like how you’ve paired yours with a solid white so the batiks sparkle like jewels. I have made the mistake of “more is more” with batiks (which gets too busy and you can’t appreciate them as well) or “batiks go with everything” (uh, no they don’t!). I’m currently challenging myself not to step back and think of the quilt as a whole when I purchase fabric instead of just buying the splashy prints and boldly dramatic batiks that I fall in love with on an individual basis. I have been spending HOURS on Pinterest (time invested, not wasted) creating inspiration boards full of the quilts that I love. Then I go back through periodically to look at what I’ve been pinning and analyze those quilts, to find common elements and to figure out why those quilts are so successful, and one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that I need to limit the “diva” fabrics and mix them in with healthy doses of solids and tonals. One thing that surprised me is that more than half of the quilts I pinned have solid white backgrounds — yet I have never EVER purchased solid white quilting fabric! I think it’s like putting together a successful holiday meal. Yes, you want to have a fabulous dessert that everyone talks about, but you can’t serve nothing but pie, cakes and soufflés for Thanksgiving dinner! The solids and tonal fabrics that look boring individually are like the turkey and the vegetables. When you do them well, they are outstanding, they are the foundation of the quilt, and they set the dessert fabric off to absolute perfection.
Feathers are something I have been working on for awhile now and I am just finally starting to feel like I could attempt them on a real quilt, in matching thread of course. Ironically, I find myself admiring traditional feather motifs LESS and instead the ruler work quilting is appealing to me lately. However, the feathers you showed recently that had angular tips and little tendrils here and there felt fresh and fun. I might like to try some of those.
As everything else you do Wendy, they are simply gorgeous! I cant wait for the tutorial! I like batiks and still am wary of trying feathers, still trying to echo!!! :)
Hoping you find some calm in the days ahead. I LOVE batiks, and have used them. I am always drawn to them for sashing and borders, places where I don’t have to cut them into tiny pieces! Feathers; well…lets just say I need a lot of practice…and leave it at that.
I use batiks, usually I mix them with my other fabrics. I do have a paper piecing WHIMH that uses all batiks. I have some of the fabric chosen, but it’s a project for a much later date.
I also love feathers and mine improve every time I quilt them. I don’t usually draw them, I do free motion. Your tips and lessons help tremendously!
Hugs to you too, Wendy!
Your feathers are always so beautiful! I find that on the long-arm I am better at the “bump-top” feathers than the formal long, graceful feather that backtracks down the stem. On my domestic, however, I can backtrack just fine on any type of feather. I’m sure that is partly due to slowing myself down on the domestic…when I am at the long-arm I tend to want to go fast, just because the machine can do it. I’m feathering the heck out of a charity quilt this week, as a warm up for my Downton Abbey quilt that I’m hoping to start this weekend!
I love batiks, and am drawn to the gorgeous jewel tones. If I’m making something from my stash (which I should do waaay more than I do), I almost always have some batiks in it. I us them quite a lot for backings too. The 1,000 pyramid which I’m still working on, is all batiks!
The beautiful spring weather is making me want to be outside, but the yucky yellow pine tree pollen and oak trees are torture on my eyes. Hope everyone else is getting to enjoy some warmer temps and sunshiny days!
Lovin’ your feathers. They are fun to do. I enjoy adding tendrils and swirls to them. I am not much of a batik person. I am still remembering when batiks were drab earthy colors. There are some really pretty, vibrant colors in the mix these days, which is more to my liking. Be sure to come up for air occasionally.
Love your feathers and I have not yet been brave enough to quilt feathers. I enjoy working with batiks and have them in my fabric stash. The batiks are fun to mix with other fabrics to either accent or blend multiple colors in other fabrics.
I do have a question for you – just whenever you get a chance to get to it. I have trouble even in regular sewing with the fabric folding over and making unplanned little pinches, particularly the fabric underneath, that I then have to go back and take out. Maddening! How do you prevent that in your quilting?
You are so talented! I would love to do feathers but finding time to concentrate is a limited privilege around here. I love batiks for their brightness but have used few!
I have recently fallen in love with Island Batiks. I love the rich colors and the fabric is wonderful to work with.
Your love of feathers really shows in your spectacular designs. I enjoy quilting with batiks. They seem so alive to me.