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How to Quilt>Stuffing Areas of a Quilt Block
Adding Trapunto to a Quilt Block
Trapunto quilting is a technique in which some elements or motifs on your quilt are double stuffed. This creates a raised design above the rest of the quilting. While it may sound like a new technique, trapunto has actually been around for many centuries. There is evidence of trapunto in the early 1500s in Italy. It showed up in the United States during the late 1700s and was a very popular technique during the American Civil War period. As you can imagine, the way quilters achieve the trapunto effect are very different today than the methods were centuries ago. To create the extra puffiness of trapunto by hand, you have several options. The old way quilters added trapunto effects is still a good way to get the same results today. Quilters can simply stitch a muslin backing to the design they want to make extra puffy. Then, snip the muslin to add the batting and whip stitch the opening closed when finished. No one ever sees the muslin backing because it is in the middle of the quilt sandwich, lying on the back of the quilt top just above the full layer of batting. An easier way to accomplish trapunto today is by using water soluable thread and stitching the batting directly to the back of the design. For example, on the motif or design you want to incorporate into your trapunto, use water soluable thread and stitch the batting directly to the back side of your quilt top. Once you have been around the entire design or motif, flip the fabric over and trim away the excess batting, right up to the seam you just sewed. There’s no reason to have a muslin backing to this type of trapunto design because the batting is secured by the water soluable thread. Once you have added your quilt batting and back, don’t forget to quilt the water soluable area of your trapunto. Your final stitches are what will hold the batting in place (remember, those first stitches will wash away) and add dimension to your design or motif. As you become more comfortable with trapunto work, you will want to try different fillers for certain aspects of your designs. For instance, you might get better results from the addition of yarn or soft cording to create vine or line effects in your trapunto. Experiment with different threads to also add dimension to your trapunto. Simply using a thread just a little darker than the rest of the quilt top around your trapunto design can help add depth and dimension. You can also use varying colors of thread when quilting your design to add more characteristics, for instance, using a brighter color on the center of a flower to make it a focal point. The fun part of trapunto is that there are so many ways to experiment with it, and each design you choose to feature might have different characteristics. So, the trapunto technique you use in a project tomorrow might be completely different from the next project you choose in the future. Try trapunto the “old” way, where you add the muslin backing then add the stuffing. Try the newer way using water soluable thread. Use your machine or work by hand. Trapunto offers so many options and so many reasons to play! If you want to give the trapunto technique a try, start small. It’s much easier to learn when working on small projects because you can quickly see your results. If you are already quilting, you will probably have everything you need on hand to start experimenting with trapunto, unless you don’t already incorporate the water soluable thread into your quilting. Expect to pay anywhere from about $7 (300 yards) to $25 (2,000 yards) for that, depending on the size spool you buy. Rosie at Rosie's Calico Cupboard, can help you with water soluble thread - rozgonzalez@cox.net
Happy Quilting!
Penny Halgren www.How-to-Quilt.com
©2009, Penny Halgren This article courtesy of http://www.How-To-Quilt.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
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Banish Boring Binding. Forever! 
