How to Quilt a Dream Big Panel
Hello friends! I recently finished my 6th Dream Big panel (Yay!), and I’ve got some questions about quilting on it. I thought it might be helpful to share my experience with you in this post.
1. Preparing the panel for quilting
To prepare the panel for quilting, begin by steam ironing the fabric to remove any wrinkles. Since the panel features a large flower with various petal shapes, there’s no need to worry about perfect squaring. Simply focus on steaming the fabric flat, and then continue to baste it in place, ready for quilting.
My 6th Dream Big Panel
2. Batting choices
For quilts intended for display, my favorite batting combination is a double layer of wool and 80/20. This pairing gives the quilt a beautiful, dimensional look that enhances the quilting, making it pop while still laying flat when displayed. I place the 80/20 batting on the bottom and the wool on top.
Keep in mind that this combination is a bit puffy, which can lead to puckering. To prevent this, I recommend securing the batting with ample basting. On my longarm machine, I baste horizontally every 6-8 inches to avoid puckering. Basting from the center outward also helps minimize any puckering during quilting.
Wool and 80/20 battings from Quilter’s Dream
3. Thread options
The thread selection depends on the colors of the panel you choose. For panels with a single color or subtle shading, you can typically get away with using just one or two threads. If you’re a beginner, I recommend starting with a monotone panel to simplify your thread choices. However, for panels with contrasting colors, it’s important to select matching threads to maintain the overall look. I usually prefer Glide 40wt or So Fine 50wt threads.
Keep in mind that there are some areas where choosing just one thread color may not be ideal. In these cases, I normally choose a thread with a lighter value to maintain balance and highlight the design.
This is my first Dream Big, and I only used a couple different threads.
My 5th Panel
4. Design options
When I quilted each panel, I came up with a theme. Dream Big panel is such a great option for practicing any kinds of quilting techniques such as feathers, filler designs, grid work, rulerwork, etc.
Once you’ve chosen your theme, I highly recommend printing out a black-and-white version of the panel to sketch your design ideas. Mapping out what to quilt on each petal beforehand will make the quilting process smoother and more efficient.
I used a few grid work designs for this panel.
5. Rulers
I use various curved rulers to shape and frame each petal. However, some petals have unique curves, so I have to adjust the ruler as I quilt. I admit that not all petals are perfectly traced, but once they are filled with quilting, they will only look beautiful! As far as templates go, I do not use them. For grid work, I mark the lines with a water-soluble blue pen.
I use Julia Quiltoff’s curved rulers and 4-N-1 mini from Piece N Quilt.
6. Where to start quilting
Now, it’s time to quilt! I normally start in the center and work my way outward.
I trace the petals first before adding detailed quilting. Depending on the thread colors, I may switch between different areas of the quilt as I go to minimize thread changes.
7. Finishing
Congratulations! You completed quilting your panel! To complete the project, I prefer facing the panel instead of using binding. I’ve found that it’s often challenging to find the perfect binding color, and I believe facing gives the panel a more artistic, gallery-like finish rather than a traditional quilted look.
I used fabric glue to hold the facing instead of hand stitching.
I found this video on Youtube if you would like to learn how to face a quilt.
I hope this post gives you a glimpse of how to get started with a Dream Panel, and I really hope you try! Have you quilted one? Share your thoughts below. And let me know if you have any questions about quilting one. Thanks!
