My goodness, it’s been too long since I updated you in the quilting studio! The end of the year was a rather busy season for longarm quilting this year. I took two weeks off from the quilting service for the holidays and am just now getting caught back up.

I have so much to share! Here is the first smattering of quilts.

Chasing Zinnias by Hester R.

When a new Dutch client brought in this baby quilt prior to my holiday break, I could hardly bear waiting until the new year to quilt it! But wait I did, and when the time came, I enjoyed every bit of the process.

The appliqué quilt pattern is Chasing Zinnias by Suzan Smith. Luckily, Hester wanted me to custom quilt it. To keep costs reasonable and the quilting soft, we chose a delicate all-over floral pattern for the main zinnia appliqué. Then each of the unique border elements has special treatment. The feathery quilting over the tall flower column surprised me. I didn’t expect to adore it, but I do, and I’ve used it again already.

I knew right away that I wanted to do quilt clouds over the rabbit scene! So sweet.

Hester’s fabric choices are spot on. She used mostly Liberty fabrics, combined with other replication prints. The combined effect is utterly charming! How lucky I was to get to be part of the process.

Flying Geese by Sabine Hofferer

When Sabine described her quilt as a vegetable quilt, I don’t know what I was expecting. Well, it wasn’t this! Can you imagine pulling this rich, saturated beauty out of a box, sight unseen? Such a splendid surprise.

Sabine’s flying geese blocks are small, about 2 x 4”. That’s a lot of piecing! Indeed, the fabrics are vegetable prints, but it’s the colors that make the quilt. Sabine combined the prints with near solids in the same vibrant hues. I absolutely love the way she arranged the colors with the lighter blocks at center. Her quilt truly glows!

I suggested Leafy all-over quilting with light green thread. Soft curves and organic shapes are a nice addition to the rigid structure of the patchwork. In my view the quilting takes a clear back seat to Sabine’s stunning patchwork. Sometimes the quilting only needs to get out of the way!

Kicks by Steffi Troy

Another fun quilt in another unique style! I follow Steffi @QuiltWerke, where she’s always sharing inspiring patchwork. She does a lot of her own quilting and she does it so well, that I was surprised she sent me a quilt top. Maybe this one had her a little stumped. Plus, there is SO MUCH negative space with this quilt. I have personally found that to be intimidating to quilt on a home machine.

I sent Steffi a few quilting motif ideas, but none felt quite right. She chose Chevron herself and I suggested this huge scale. That’s a 14” repeat! I think this bold, oversized pattern suits the quirky patchwork, while keeping the quilt soft and cozy, as Steffi wanted. The quilt pattern is Kicks by Latifah Saafir.

I feel like I’m always learning, often from listening to my customers. There’s so much to discover with longarm quilting!

Would you like help finishing your project? I am taking orders now for quilting that will be completed early February. Please be in touch if you have any questions or start the process off by placing your order. I can’t wait to see YOUR quilt!