I hope your holidays were wonderful!! Mine were pretty great, with lots of family time. I also took some time off of working, which is always great! I’m also including the first two quilts I’ve quilted this year, because I haven’t quite blogged the other quilts yet. The more the merrier, right?!

This fun quilt was made by Mary. She took a leap and used light pink fabric, for the background, and I love it with the navy floral print!!

The quilt pattern is Jane’s Garden by Forget-Me-Not Quilt Design. I searched for it, and couldn’t find it. But I do know it was a class that My Girlfriends Quilt Shoppe offered. So if you’re interested in this pattern, check with them. They may know how to locate it.

I used my Diamond Chain©️ to quilt it. It’s available in my shop or at Urban Elementz, in several different digital formats. When I saw the angles and points in the quilt pattern, I knew this design would be a great match for this quilt.

I used white 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread and Winline’s 8020 batting.

Another quilt from Mary! This is a fun Christmas quilt…quilt patterns like this are perfect to show off the prints in the fabrics.

The quilt is called Snappy by Swirly Girls Designs.

I used Antique Cream 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread and Winline’s 8020 batting.

I love this fun quilting design by Apricot Moon Designs, called Apricot Moon’s Christmas Tree. It’s available at Urban Elementz. It goes perfectly with these fabrics.

How sweet is this mini pear wall quilt??? Also made by Mary.

Pattern is called Mini Canned Pears by Fig Tree and Co.

I used Dyed Natural and Winline’s 8020 cotten poly blend batting.

For the quilting in the pears themselves, I did a different line design in each one. Some are very similar, but they are still different. I also quilted pebbles and ribbon candy in the sashing or borders. All freemotion quilting. I used my favorite Edge rulers from Linda at The Quilted Pineapple.

Next up, also by Mary…this super fun quilt!!!!

The quilt pattern is by A Scarlet Thread and is called Starry Eyed Sixteen. I couldn’t find it for sell anywhere online when I searched. I used Dyed Natural 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread and Winline’s 8020.

She told me she wanted something to highlight the star block, and orange peel in the square block. So I drew the star block on a piece of graph paper, and gave Mary a couple of different options. She loved one but wanted one part from the other design included. I love how it turned out. Beautifully showcasing the star, yet harmonizing with the orange peel. Plus, it goes so well with the fabrics from Cotton and Steel.

I used 3 of my Circle2™ machine quilting circle rulers, to quilt this quilt and Linda’s 8” Edge ruler. I used my 4” Circle2™ ruler to quilt the curves inside the star block. The 6” Circle2™ ruler to quilt the curves in the squared block, and the 13” Circle2™ ruler to quilt the curves in the inner border.

I just love the look of all the curves and lines together!! Often my clients want custom, yet not overly quilted. This quilt is still soft and cuddly, yet has more detail in the quilting.

Here is a look at that inner border curve, using that 13” Circle2™ ruler. These rulers come in a set of 6, and you get 12 different sizes of circles. 2”-13”. They come in clear or green high quality 1/4” acrylic. For more info on them click here: https://www.quiltingit.com/blog/2018/10/10/introducing-my-circle2-longarm-circle-ruler-set

Also, the border has my 1/2” line design. I started do this in borders and as a background filler, when I didn’t quite know what to do. I love it. There is no rhyme or reason to it, random different angles. I do make sure when I quilt a line, that I quilt multiple lines parallel to it. If a single line is quilted to give a set of lines a boundary, it interrupts the woven look of the design. So I suggest quilting multiple lines, before moving onto the next set of lines. Here is a video from awhile back…I need to do a new one. https://youtu.be/m5UXfRD_ujY

Next up, this awesome quilt that Caroline made using old jeans and clothes. I love the mix of blue denim with the variety of clothing squares.

Now…some of my clients know I don’t typically quilt quilts with jeans in them. In the past the mother board on our machine got fried because the needle was struggling to go into different seams on a bulky denim quilt, and yes, I was using a big needle. When the mother board is fried, the machine doesn’t work. So, I’ve steered clear of denim quilts. The reason Caroline’s quilt was okay is because the denim is sharing a seam with the thinner clothing squares. Thick denim seams, especially in the corners, are just too hard for the needle to get through.

I think the squares are cut 6.5” and 2.5”. I used a Dyed Natural A&E Perma Core thread and Winline’s 8020 cotton poly blend batting.

Caroline wanted a simple line design, so I used Linda’s Edge rulers, to quilt an X in the bigger square and an X in 4 of the smaller squares. Which actually turned out pretty fun, when you look at it all together.

Remember last year…I told you I quilted some fabric for my sister to make stockings??? Which was December 2018. We got around to making them before this last Christmas, so they could hang up in their new home. One for her, her husband, and their pup Milo. He’s seriously my favorite!!

Here he is!! Because, why not pause and share that cute face. He’s a Bichon Frise Toy Poodle, and a ball of energy. When we see him he is so excited he jumps repeatedly until we pick him up. I just love him! Awe, that snowy nose.

For the stockings I quilted the fabric like I would a quilt. The lining was the “quilt backing”, and the top was the white. Fabrics are available at Sisters and Quilters. We bound the inside seams, so the stockings could be reversible, and then the tops, with an additional tab to hang them with.

I used my Starlight©️ design to quilt the fabric. We actually quilted enough fabric for her to make several stockings, for the children they hope to have someday.

Next up, this king size circle quilt made by Terri.

Terri brought a king size Quilters Dream Wool batting, and I used a light grey Omni thread.

She told me to quilt a variety of different designs, so I did…haha!! I ended up being able to quilt 3 rows in one section. With 324 circles, I knew it was going to take me awhile, and yet, I didn’t want to quilt the same thing over and over. So I quilted 27 different designs twice in each section. Once again, some are very similar, yet they are still different.

I also quilted the background with a swirly feather, which was perfect for the fabrics that she used, but also easier and faster for me, as it helped me get from one circle to the next. I got a few ideas from Natalia Bonner, who is doing a daily quilt along for a year. Each day she shares how to quilt a different design in a shape. Go check out her YouTube channel where it’s all happening: https://www.youtube.com/user/NataliaBonner

Here is the first set of 9 circles.

The second set of 9 circles.

The third set of 9 circles. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. Most lines are 1/2” apart. Some like that bottom right pin stripe is 1/4” for the pin stripe and 3/4” for the space in between.

Here are some of my favorites!! That top circle with the arc, I used one of my Circle2™ rulers to quilt it, if I remember right it was the 4” one. I also love the variety of different textures these designs created next to one another, with the swirly feather of course. No quilt pattern for this one. She needle turned the circles, with an extra layer of fabric, and no interfacing which made it so easy for me to quilt. She put 4 circles on one square, and then sewed the squares together.

Next up, this fun quilt made by LeAnn.

The pattern is by Abbey Lane Quilts and is called Words of Wisdom.

She had minky on the backing, so the quilting pops even more.

I used a tan Omni thread, if I remember right…or maybe a cream Perma Core thread. I also used Winline’s 8020 cotton poly blend batting.

We decided on a traditional quilting pattern, which goes so well with the fabrics and quilt pattern. My and Patricia Ritter’s Venice Too design, which is available at Urban Elementz.

Next up, another sweet quilt made by LeAnn.

She used Lella Boutique’s fabrics and her Kith & Kin pattern.

I chose the Mackintosh Rose design by Natalie Gorman, to quilt it. It’s available at Urban Elementz. It couldn’t be more perfect with these fabrics. So so sweet!

I used Antique Cream 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread and Winline’s 8020 cotton poly blend batting.

This right here is why I LOVE solid minky vs. any textured minky. That texture wouldn’t be as glorious if there was an added texture to the minky fabric. Go solid when you pick a minky, and the quilting will be amazing on the backing, too!

I had the privilege of watching this sweet quilt be made. Each week we sew with a friend or two or three, and Ramona has very diligently been stitching away.

The pattern is by Bareroots and is their Flower Quilt. I wish you could see all the delicate flowers that she hand embroidered.

The pattern has you stitch a layer of batting in wherever you embroider flowers, which made it extra puffy when I quilted it. She used the same 8020 cotton poly blend batting that I used to quilt it, when she did the hand embroidery. I also used Dyed Natural A&E Perma Core thread.

She wanted the quilting simple. I stitched in the ditch around each embroidered part, and then did pebbles in the borders of the blocks. Then I did ribbon candy on the outside border. Just look how sweet those flowers and leaves are. Pictures don’t do this quilt justice.

Next up, the first quilt I quilted this year. Made by Jane with the Zen Chic fabric line Day in Paris and the Summer Moon quilt pattern by Carrie Nelson. Sisters and Quilters has some of these fabrics available in fat quarters.

We talked about having this quilted custom, but I struggled coming up with something to quilt in all those random shaped backgrounds. It’s great to quilt quilts like these with a edge to edge design.

I used Bamboo batting and white 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread.

Don’t you just love this quilt?!?!?!!! Amazing!

I chose my Diamond Squared©️ design to quilt it, and it turned out great!! It’s available in my shop or at Urban Elementz.

Such a fun quilt to start quilting for me this year!! That quilty texture has me so happy!

Last up…I just finished quilting this one a couple days ago. So, I thought I’d include it, too. Made by Sherry!

This pattern is by Pen and Paper Patterns, and is called Sewology. It’s such a fun quilt!! I have oodles of pictures to share, so you can see each block. First up the sewing machine, so fun…right?!?!

Sherry wanted it quilted custom, and was so kind to wait until after the holidays. Sometimes it’s hard to fit in a custom quilt right before I take my holiday break, and this is one that I definitely didn’t want to rush through really quick.

These stitches and scissors are fun!

I quilted a variety of different lines, to create textures and to define each notion.

When I was trying to figure out what to quilt in the background this fun overlapping circle design came to mind, inspired by the rotary cutter. Haha!! Reminded me of it. I love how it turned out!

Okay, that ruler takes up quite a bit of the quilt, and is my absolute favorite part. Seriously that texture is one of my favorites. Just those 1/2” lines, like I talked about above on Mary’s quilt border.