Planning the quilting

        Not a very productive week so far......ear infection and vertigo = doctor visit + medication.    So in my down time, I am planning/drawing ideas to use for the quilting on the blended braid top that is ready to be quilted. 
      The black strips are strong in this quilt, and I want less focus on them.  So I will quilt them down using a close design---probably a loop and stipple. 
It is just a meandering stitch with a loop thrown in every so often to change direction.  I like the texture it creates and is great to "eat" up any fullness or stretch in the fabric.  By stitching the black sashings and border down/dense, the braids will move forward---or so I hope. 
      The braid strips are about 6 inches wide, so they will require some quilting.  I could use straight lines, or even wavy lines through each braid, stitch in the ditch.    But that sounds boring to me.    So here's a couple of pages  from my sketch book........

     I love doing swirls and curls and tear drops.   The teardrops on the right, I think are just too dense for the braid--even if I space them out in  a long run.   So I went to the swirls and curls.    I prefer the small curls and vine at the top-- near the pencil--for the center of each braid.  I can curve the line  and keep it open so it is not too dense. 

     So  the quilting design is planned.   Now  to pick the thread color.  On the black, that's easy....black isacord thread.    For everything else, I chose "cloud" isacord thread.  It's not a blue, or a grey, exactly but blends nicely with so many colors, especially turquoise and purple. 

  I sketched a couple more ideas for the journal quilts, so I have to put those into production when I get over this vertigo. Since they are so small, they don't take long.   And I am "craving"  a watercolor design....I don't know how else to express it!  I have been on this use up the strips tear for a month or so, and I have been ignoring my floral stash.    It's calling me...loud and clear.   I have a photo of a window box I saved for just this occasion.  Maybe next week.  Till then, happy stitching.