Quilting Makes the Quilt

by Mary Beth Krapil

They say that quilting makes the quilt. Sometimes, that is more true than others. Of course it’s very true in the case of a whole cloth quilt. After all, in a whole cloth quilt, quilting is all there is. A single piece of fabric for the quilt top, made fantastically beautiful by quilting.

At the 2018 Houston International Quilt Festival I saw some quilts that were technically not whole cloth quilts, there was some piecing and/or applique or painting or dying. However the quilting was certainly the star of the show on these quilts.

Pink Oyster Mushrooms was created with dyed and painted white cloth. The quilting created real depth and texture.

This quilt is actually pieced! Karl used a single fabric, Quilter’s Linen. He carefully changed the direction of the fabric to provide subtle variation in color and texture. Quilted with silver circles and rays. The thread creates amazing highlights.

There was a beautiful display of Cathy Wiggins lovely quilted leather made into saddles. Cathy uses paints and dyes after quilting the leather.

Stephanie used multi-colored threads to add depth and texture to this minimally pieced quilt.

Cristina did not share what she used to create this adorable quilt. My guess is ink for the stripes on the bathing suit. What do you think?

This quilt definitely has some fantastic intricate piecing, but in my mind the star is Bethanne‘s wonderful pictorial quilting.

Another quilt with lovely piecing and over the top quilting. Sorry the detail photo I took was blurry.

Vicki manipulated a photo of a Bird of Paradise bloom and then had it professionally printed on silk charmeuse. Her quilting creates the detail of the leaves and bloom.

This quilt was machine pieced and hand appliqued, but the dramatic use of contrasting thread really steals the show.

Here is one of my own. It was a challenge issued to the Handi Quilter Educators in 2015. It is a single friendship star block and I added quilting in a contrasting thread color along with some couched yarn.

You should add this to your list of quilts you want to make: a minimally pieced or appliqued quilt where quilting makes the quilt. Are you game?