On sunny days, I absolutely love to begin in the studio, basting and setting up a fresh project for longarm quilting. Not every day is so picture perfect, of course. We have plenty of cloudy, darker November days in The Netherlands. But this one, which began with a fresh autumn bouquet and plenty of light, was one I knew I must share with you! I hope you enjoy these glimpses of my longarm quilting work.

Vintage Restyle Sampler by Ruth

When I unpacked Ruth’s quilt top, I was enthralled by the charming patchwork and soothing palette. How lucky that she had opted for custom quilting, which makes it part of my job to settle in and study the quilt in order to come up with a quilting plan.

I’m particularly proud of the custom quilting plan I developed for Vintage Restyled, a pattern by Lee Heinrich. Ruth wanted the quilting to be open, so the quilt would remain soft. At the same time, I wanted to highlight the different layers of patchwork design, from the showy central block to the layered sashing and delightful patchwork cornerstones.

My design began at center with the Floral Frenzy block. It’s just the right scale for this large, central quilt block. I added the swooping corners to fill out the square space, appreciating that they mimic the swoop of the orange corner quarter-circle elements.

Next I chose some open-style quilting motifs for the surrounding, smaller blocks.

The search for a suitable sashing motif was much harder. I rejoiced when I discovered this solution! This echo style quilting motif is goes perfectly with the layered sashing, and it creates a scallop frame around the blocks themselves. Plus - happy dance! - the sashing quilting meets over the cornerstone area to create a flower-like accent. It’s perfect!

The finished custom quilting reminds me a bit of a wedding cake. I feel it embellishes the quilt in the style of the patchwork and fabric. Hurray!

Day in Paris by Monika

Next up is another custom quilting project, this time for a quilt sewn in Day in Paris fabrics by Zen Chic. Again, Monika requested soft, medium to open quilting.

I suggested Decatur for the quilt blocks. When she agreed, I let that set the tone for my other recommendations. The minimalist feather motif on the sashing coordinates well with Decatur and allows this area, which needs little reinforcing, to be soft and open. For the cornerstones, a pretty flower makes each one special.

Monika had framed her quilt center with a beautiful thick border, composed of layered patchwork elements that are visually complex. I suggested we unify the border elements with Feather Cable quilting. This motif brings a soft and flowing movement to the complex border. I’m very happy with how it finished the quilt off!

Sponsor of the Week

Tales of Cloth

Gorgeous. Meditative. Relaxing. Those are the words that come to mind when I think about English paper piecing and any of the Tales of Cloth designs.

This beautiful Bonnie quilt is a new-release, scheduled for November 26th. Subscribe to the Tales of Cloth newsletter or follow Jodi on Instagram for more info.

Nightingale by Marcy

Now for something totally different. Marcy @Bookish.crafter sent me her Nightingale quilt for all-over quilting.

With a strong, but limited color scheme and crisp patchwork design, this one asked for something more modern.

This was my first time quilting the Hexagon Labyrinth all-over quilting motif. I like how it brings a different shape to this quilt, while keeping it clean and crisp.

Christmas Sampler by Marcy

One more! Marcy also sent me a simple little sampler in Christmas colors. I got an early Christmas present, because she agreed to Holiday Doodle for the quilting, which I’ve been just itching to use for an entire year now!

Yep, I love it! Bring me your Christmas quilts, because I need to do this one again soon, haha. And don’t worry, I can get into holiday mode at any time of the year. ;)

Would you like help finishing your project? New orders can still be quilted before Christmas. 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!