This week has been such a great week in the quilting studio. Everything is running smoothly and efficiently, and I finished my quilt for the day around noon!

In November I quilted a record number of quilts, as I slightly increased my project load in order to avoid a holiday backlog. And it worked! I’m not at all backed up this December. As a result, I was able to accept some orders last week to be quilted in time for Christmas gifting. Yay! It feels good to be able to come through for my clients in that way.

Here are some projects I’ve quilted since our last update:

Tula Animals Quilt by Ella @EllaThrowaWench

Sometimes the right edge to edge pattern can really make a quilt sing. I think that’s the case with Ella’s quilt, which features Tula Pink fabrics on a bold chartreuse background.

Ella has lots of great quilting ideas and actually found this pattern from a catalog I suggested. I love it so much, I need to add Prismatic to my quilting design catalog!

I did special order the perfect chartreuse thread, and it was so worth it. This texture feels 100% harmonious.

Fence Posts by Genevieve of Santa Cruz

On a modern quilt with lots of negative space, the choice of quilting pattern is a very important one. Sometimes simple is best.

I suggested Baptist fan quilting for this modern quilt made entirely with Carolyn Friedlander fabrics. The result is cozy and fabulous. I just finished this yesterday! Can’t wait for Genevieve to receive it soon.

Cherry Basket Quilt by Susan

Some customers love custom quilting, and I think Susan is one of them. She started by sending me a photo of her quilt top, along with ideas for how the different aspects of the patchwork could be emphasized. It’s excellent when customers know what they want!

In our ensuing conversation, I suggested we slightly simplify the quilting plan. I felt we could reduce her cost while still delivering a very special finish. After confirming I was headed in the right direction, I sent her digital quilting design options until we had finalized a plan for each element.

This quilt has a charming, traditional aesthetic that is not my own, and yet I’m pleased as punch with the outcome. The cherries are my favorite! I think it’s a fun and fitting way to quilt a basket quilt!

Cherrywood Solids by Catherine Berman

Here is another recent custom quilting job. Catherine doesn’t prefer dense quilting and favors geometric, straight lines. I developed a quilting plan that would emphasize the stars without stiffening the quilt. I’m particularly happy with how the Sun Ray quilting gently fills out those stars!

Did you notice that the colored triangles have Pyramid quilting instead of background fill? This resulted in a lot of interrupted background quilting. It was much more time consuming than I expected, but that is not the customer’s fault. I charge even custom quilting according to pricing determined up front, not according to actual time. I prefer this arrangement, as it leaves me with the responsibility of accurate pricing and allows the customer to relax. Every once in a while I have a learning experience like this one. I’ll only get better with time!

Rows of Cats by Rebecca

Let’s look at one more quilt before I let you go….

See, you didn't want to miss that! Of course, I’m talking strictly about the quilt (wink).

There, now you can focus on the patchwork. This is a Gingiber pattern called Rows of Cats. I just love their long, sleek look and adorable appliqué noses. Aria and Rora both adore kitty cats. They probably need a throw quilt to share someday.

When I suggested the diamond wave quilting pattern, Rebecca was clever enough to notice the vaguely fish-like effect. Do you see it? I’m sure these kitties are delighted with their good fortune!

Thank you for enjoying these quilts with me. I’m so very glad that a year ago I decided to take the plunge into longarm quilting. It’s turned out to be such a good fit for my business and for me personally. At first Brandon, my husband, was part of the process, which definitely helped me with the technical learning curve. But now I do it all from start to finish, and I enjoy most every step. Again, I feel so lucky to have found my way to this space!

with Gratitude,

Rachel Hauser