in the Quilting Studio, no. 36
What kinds of quilts do I enjoy longarm quilting? All of them! I appreciate the whole spectrum of styles from understated to bold, from cute to sophisticated, from classic to modern. Variety is certainly part of the fun.
As I gathered images for today’s In the Studio update, I noticed a theme - bright and modern. These quilts use bright colors and/or oversized motifs, in a way that connects to the modern quilting movement.
Please enjoy these beautiful quilts sewn by my customers in The Netherlands and Germany.
pssst - - - my free batting offer is good through Tuesday (23 August) for any size quilt. Drop me a line to reserve yours!
La Fin du Monde quilt by Marieke Baas
First up is a funky little quilt sewn by Marieke Baas of @MariekeBaas. This unique heart patchwork is a pattern by Libs Elliot called La Fin du Monde.
Quilts with a single, large motif are usually said to be modern. This one also has such unexpected shapes within the heart. It strikes me as a fun piecing project!
You might notice that the edges of this quilt look a little strange. That’s because the excess batting and backing fabric have not been trimmed. My customers may choose for me trim the backing/batting flush with the quilt top or receive it back untrimmed. That’s just a personal preference. Though if it might be some time before you bind a quilt, keeping the edges untrimmed will keep the quilting stitches tight, even beyond the edge.
As you can see, this cool quilt is finished with Echo Heart quilting. The soft swirls provide a texture that’s gentle. It was an easy choice for Marieke, and she’s pleased with the result.
Tula Pink Bloomers quilt by Marian K.
When Marian @mariank1982 sent me this quilt, a big ol’ smile broke out across my face. I don’t sew with many Tula fabrics, but I do enjoy the quilts that come through my studio with her signature style.
The Tula Pink Bloomers pattern is pretty clever. It gives the impression of a complex quilt, but is actually a consistent patchwork construction throughout. So fun to see traditional English paper piecing worked up in these eye-catching hues. I’ve been told that this kind of quilt can best be categorized as “modern traditional”, not that it matters much. Haha. Call it what you will. It’s pretty!
To me this quilt has a 60’s vibe, so I suggested Swirl Out quilting. It has a sort of dizzy/retro feel that suits the quilt perfectly. I used a mint green thread, which blended best with the quilt top overall, rather than white or cream.
Book Nerd quilt by Heike N.
Gotta love a book quilt! Well, I do love them anyway. I love books too! I don’t know if book patchwork is a modern invention, but it strikes me as one. What do you think?
This quilt is fun from afar, but it would really blow your socks off it you could get up close. Heike has sewn each book cover in a fabric by Ruby Star Society. She frames a selvedge on each book spine. Ruby Star selvedges are pretty special, which makes for quite a fantastic look. The pattern is called Book Nerd by Angela Pingel.
Heike sent a thick, heavy batting and asked for open density quilting. I suggested Retro Tile. It’s full of circle shapes, which feel amazing with loftier batting. Retro Tile is not a pattern that I get to use much, but when it suits the quilt, it’s something special. I’ve found it best with quilts that have a lot of solid negative space.
The finished quilt is super cozy! Someone very lucky is going to have a good snuggle - with a book, naturally.
Mega Star 2 quilt by Sabine L.
Here’s another special quilt, in a modern style. This is the Mega Star 2 pattern by Zen Chic sewn by Sabine L.
Both the broken star and the excess negative space are aspects that connect officially with modern quilting. Sabine wanted it quilted with straight lines. I didn’t have something just right in my quilting design catalog, so I went searching for a solution. This design is called Cubism, and I think it fits the quilt beautifully.
Whenever a quilt has excess negative space, it tends to work well to choose a quilting thread that is the same color as the background fabric. With this quilt that was a little tricky. Quilting with a dark blue thread would have looked too dark on the mainly low volume star. As a compromise I suggested a medium blue thread. It blends pretty well with both the background and the star, which is usually the look that my customers and I prefer.
I’d be happy to finish your projects with a modern quilting texture too. My services are available to those who live throughout the European region. 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!
