The sun is shining and my longarm is humming over a sweet spring quilt. At the moment, all seems well in the world!

It’s such a treat to allow our creative hobbies to carry us away from our worries and fears. For the quilter, cloth and color speak volumes of possibility and hope and love. Here are some missives from my clients, whose creations lift my spirits throughout the year.

Bear Tracks quilt by Juliane

Juliane was inspired to make this quilt from my book, The Quilter’s Field Guide to Color. Her version is also scrappy, but with a twist all her own.

It’s a double rainbow blend! Juliane’s quilt has red at center and then in both direction it blends through purple - blue - green - yellow - orange, with orange making up both the top and bottom edges. Gorgeous!

My first thought for the quilting was a Continuous Eight, as that is what I used for my quilt in the book. Juliane wanted something a bit fancier, so we ended up with Lily quilting - also a great choice. The thread color is light gray. It shows more than white would on the negative space and blends more than white would on the saturated blocks.

by Annet @AnnetHuizinga

Would you believe that Annet had never touched a sewing machine before she started this project? It’s her very first quilt and, oh my goodness, is it a success!

I apologize that I do not know the name of patchwork pattern, but it looks to be a combination of log cabin blocks and stripe blocks. Simple piecing to be sure, but sometimes simple makes for the strongest statement.

The quilt top is made up entirely of solid fabrics, organized in a color gradient. This simplicity lends itself to more elaborate quilting, thus Graffiti Grow quilting shows off to lovely effect!

After completing her quilt top, Annet sourced this dreamy floral print for the backing fabric. Doesn’t it coordinate beautifully? I couldn’t have been more impressed with a first sewing project. I hope you keep sewing, Annet!

Spring in Paris by Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic

Lucky me, I get to do lots of longarm quilting for Brigitte Heitland, the designer behind the Zen Chic fabric brand. She sent me a series of quilts in preparation for her upcoming quilt along. Introducing a new patchwork pattern called “Spring in Paris”.

Zen Chic is known for her clean, modern aesthetic. That comes through in quilt designs like this one, which use negative space so effectively.

Of course, as a quilter, negative space is an invitation to have some fun! I enjoyed putting together several designs for this custom-quilted Spring in Paris quilt, made in Zen Chic’s Dance in Paris fabric collection.

The other two Spring in Paris quilts have a totally different flavor. Here’s a peak at the rainbow version, made in Zen Chic Spotted fabrics and all-over quilted with Triple Diamond quilting.

Up next, a version in Quotation fabrics. Can you spot the fussy cutting? When it came to quilting, Brigitte and I thought that the Retro Tile quilting motif was a nice echo of the asterisk print from her Quotation collection. Fun!

See more Dance in Paris quilts and learn about the quilt-along over at Zen Chic. The quilt-along begins April 28, so it’s not too late to get involved.

p.s. You can find Zen Chic fabrics at Dragonfly Quiltworks and Fat Quarter Shop.

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