Happy Monday!  I hope your weekend was refreshing.  Now the week begins again with its rhythms of work and play.  What are you looking forward to this week?

Each week I anticipate seeing the customer quilt tops on our longarm quilting schedule enlivened with dimension and texture.  What will this quilting pattern look like on this patchwork, in this color thread?  Even when it's a fairly familiar quilting pattern, it has the taste of discovery. 

My favorite part is rolling up and packaging the finished quilt.  I know the customer will be so excited to unbox it soon!

I'll show you some of the quilts that have come through our quilting studio lately.

Rainbow Log Cabins

This is Rainbow Log Cabins by Patty Mace.  Don't the colors just glow?  Patty asked me to recommend a quilting pattern.  I suggested a couple, describing how they would effect the finished work.  She landed on Triple Diamond.  Sometimes it really helps to have someone narrow the choices down.

We like how this pattern adds another layer of interest to the solid patchwork.  I was particularly happy with the way a dark yellow-gold thread suited the range of bold colors.

Cone Thread Shelf

Speaking of thread, we have a growing collection!  We're investing in Superior So Fine thread, which is a 50 wt longarm quilting thread.   Brandon built this utilitarian thread rack, which is tucked in the corner of our quilting studio, behind the door.  

It's nothing fancy, but works so well!  Now we can keep our wound bobbins matched with the correct thread cone. The bobbins slide onto nails.   He made the shelf just thick enough for two full thread cones.  This way I can keep our critical colors double-stocked and still see everything at once.

Pineapple Quilt

You saw a peak of this quilt earlier.  Check out all that spikey piecing!  Our customer mentioned that the pattern is by Elizabeth Hartman, if you find yourself bitten by pineapple love.  

This quilt features one of our most understated quilting patterns, called Wave.  I adore how soft and drapey it finishes.  I believe it's so cuddly because none of the quilt lines converge.  Checkout Aimee's comments.  She made me laugh!

The Big One

This weekend Brandon quilted our biggest quilt yet!  Debbie from A Quilter's Table sent us her recently finished top a la the Big Bed Quilt-Along.  Basting 112" of quilt onto our frame is not as big as we can go, but getting there.  

Debbie and I decided on Mirage quilting, which is a straight-lined pattern with a twist.  Quilted on this low volume work in blending thread, it gives the illusion of continuous diagonal straight line quilting.  Up close you'll be surprised to find the pattern has a little extra pizazz.  

Debbie's color palette reminds me of my Facing East project.  Oh, I can't wait to finally see that finished quilt on my bed!

For me, seeing all of these great big quilts get finished is extra motivation for my own big bed project.  I love finishing!  Apparently, I even love finishing vicariously as a longarm quilter, haha. Wishing you a finish this month or your hoped-for progress. 

Here's to quilts soon ready to be used and loved!