Stitched in Color

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in the Quilting Studio, no. 27

From modern to classic, from colorful rainbow quilts to minimalistic neutral ones - I give quilts of all styles a hearty welcome in my longarm quilting studio. In fact, the diversity of the quilts that I get to see is part of what I love about this business. Taking part in finishing these quilts is like getting to experiment with so many different patchwork patterns, fabrics and styles. What a gift!

I hope you are inspired by these special quilts made by my talented customers.

Rainbow Postage Stamp quilt by Bénédicte

You might have spied this quilt top in my Grand Sewing Studio Tour blog post. I knew you would want to see more. What a beauty!

Bénédicte’s patchwork quilt is a timeless classic - tiny squares alternating between colors and white. Postage stamp patchwork always makes magic, but hers is extra sparkly due to the organization of the scraps by color. I call this a Rainbow Blend in my book The Quilter’s Field Guide to Color and the making of one tends to be incredibly satisfying.

Satisfying to make and mesmerizing to behold!

She chose Tulip all-over quilting, which allows for open yet even coverage. I think the fawn brown gingham backing fabric was a fantastic pairing!

Country Crossroads by Primrose Bohne

My whole family knows this customer by name. Primrose Bohne is a prolific quilter whose bright yellow shipping boxes frequently arrive at our door. She sometimes includes surprises like Nestle chocolate chips or Annie’s macaroni - American foods we miss to which Primrose has unique access. Yes, quilters are the nicest people!

I recently had the opportunity to custom quilt a very special project for Primrose - the Country Crossroads quilt pattern by Nancy Rink. It’s a huge quilt, the biggest that I’ve ever custom quilted, with a pleasing symmetry and medallion style.

We settled on a combination of natural motifs and straight-line shapes, for a finish that feels fresh, not fussy.

Country Crossroads quilt is destined for Primrose’ bed, where the serene color scheme, showy appliqué and beautiful HST patchwork are sure to set a lovely tone. Thanks for letting me quilt for you, Primrose!


Sponsor of the Week

Tales of Cloth

Jodi Godfrey’s new Applique Collection is due to release on May 21st! The collection includes 4 quilts, each of which combine meditative English paper piecing and breezy appliqué. Sign up for her newsletter to stay updated with the pattern release!


Penny Sampler by Christine

I know I’ve shown you a bundle of Penny Sampler quilts, but I never tire of seeing this quilt pattern interpreted in a new way.

Christine’s version has a limited color scheme with lots of contrast. The eye wonders over the quilt, pulled along by pops of coral in a sea of blue.

It’s Baptist fan quilting again! This quilting motif is directional, like the Penny Sampler, and simple enough to marry well with the wide variety of sampler blocks.

Choice of thread color was a little more tricky. Given the high contrast in this quilt (cream vs. dark navy), I chose a medium blue thread for the quilting. Here a medium value color is best for blending with the quilt top overall.

Hello Neighborhood block! That’s always one of my favorites from the Penny Sampler 2020 collection.

Enfold by Brigitte Heitland of Zen Chic

I’ve not yet sewn a pineapple quilt, but I definitely will someday. This stunning quilt by Zen Chic has renewed my interest.

It’s sewn in such a simple, minimalistic color scheme, but the effect is. engaging. With the Enfold pattern, the border fabric color is also used for the outer corners of the pineapple block, creating a lovely floating effect.

Zen Chic fabric designer, Brigitte Heitland, chose Stud all over quilting for this project. Isn’t it fun how the lines show up in different layouts on the black portion of the quilt top? I hadn’t anticipated that result, and I really like it.

p.s. This quilt is made in Modern Background More Paper fabrics. 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 May. 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!

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