in the Quilting Studio, no. 66

longarm quilting in Europe

I’ve just come through a very busy time in the quilting studio. For weeks I was quilting my max - three quilts per week - and my work hours were full of longarm noise and multitasking energy. It feels good to come up for a quiet breath of fresh air now. At the same time I look forward to the next wave of your creations!

Old Town by Kate

Old Town is the first quilt that Kate has had longarm quilted. I can see why she decided to go for it with this one!

What a stunner, right? And with so, so many small pieces in this large throw quilt, it has a hefty weight. This quilt would be quite a challenge to quilt on a domestic machine. Plus, it should have lots of quilting to secure all of these little pieces.

I adore it! The color palette is simple, in the sense that it only contains a few colors. But, wow, is the effect dramatic.

After discussing a few options, Kate and I settled on Crop Circles quilting in light aqua thread. This spiraling pattern fits well with a square quilt that has no directionality. It also offers nice, even quilting and soft shapes to balance the strong, angular feel of the patchwork.

Kate spared no effort on the quilt back, as well. Here’s to strong finishes!

Brimfield quilt by Regina

I met Regina through my kind friend Katrin, the one who helped me paint this apartment. Regina and Katrin are part of the same sewing circle. A few weeks ago when Regina was coming through my area on vacation, she stopped by with her Brimfield quilt top.

Now, this is a very special quilt. The appliqué is deliciously precise. The circles feel so balanced and yet energetic. I was delighted to see it in person and to have the honor of quilting it too.

Its Crop Circles quilting again! Funny how one pattern can suit so many different quilts. This time we opted for a gray thread, lighter than the background gray, but darker than the circle fabrics. It turned out so beautifully!

And you have to know that the backing is this fantastic Tula Pink snails! Of all the backings that I have encountered as a longarm quilter, Tula Pink wide backs are the most silky soft. They feel like the most luxurious, high thread count sheet. Definitely recommended.

Bird quilt by Annet

Now, let’s finish off with a quilt that reflects the season…

In The Netherlands it feels and looks like summer. Flowers are vibrant, everywhere is green and little birds show up by every cafe table. Annet’s quilt is an ode to these delights.

Annet always trusts me to choose the quilting design for her quilts, but this time she was worried that a dense pattern would distract from the birds. I shared that I find the opposite to be true. I find that a dense pattern can fade into the background better than open floral shapes, for example.

I have found that when quilting over a picture-motif, like these birds, simplicity is key. A pattern that is easy for the eye to understand, such as straight diagonal lines, baptist fan or these clouds, gives the best results. If the eye can quickly “see” the quilting pattern, the brain can then easily let it go, giving more attention to the patchwork itself.

I am happy to report that Annet was pleased with the quilting! I have had to return these beautiful birds to their owner, but not before enjoying the impression they made on my own design wall. =)

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I’d be happy to finish your projects with a beautiful 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 collaborate on YOUR quilt!