Leisha Farnsworth 6/10/19 Leisha Farnsworth 6/10/19

Shelley’s Pixelated Heart Quilt!

(This post was written awhile back, and was meant to be shared elsewhere. When that didn’t work out, I knew I wanted to share it here...enjoy!!)

I’m so grateful I get to do what I do!! My sweet as they come client, Shelley, made this for one of her friends who has cancer and is going through chemo. This is when quilts and quilting mean far more to me. Being able to machine quilt something that is bringing warmth and love to someone during a difficult time, is such a gift and a privilege. I hope her friend finds healing and is on the road to recovery soon.

If you’ve been on Instagram and you follow quilters, you may have seen this pixelated heart quilt. It’s been everywhere lately. Judith Hollies from Just Jude Designs is selling this pattern on her Etsy. I’m loving the scrappy look to this quilt, from the low volume background to the reds and pinks in all different varieties of prints.

Some of my clients look on my website www.quiltingit.com to see which edge to edge machine quilting designs I have available, unless they request custom quilting which I do free motion. Shelley came with a few ideas, which is great!! I appreciate it when they help me narrow it down to what they like. However, after I saw this quilt I showed her our Cupid©️ design. This design is by Patricia Ritter and myself, and it’s available in paper and several different digital formats at https://www.urbanelementz.com/cupid.html She said yes!! I was excited. I’ve quilted this particular design out once or twice, and each time it’s just one of my very favorites, and I think it’s a perfect fit for this quilt.

When I pick a quilting design, I take into consideration everything about the quilt. The fabric prints, the textures, the quilt pattern, and so on. I often draw inspiration from a quilt, like I did with Shelley, and I just know when I look at it what will look great. Other times I have to think about it for awhile. When deciding on the quilting design, I often choose something that will complement the quilt without it being the exact same design. For example I don’t love to quilt flowers on a quilt that has flower quilt blocks and flower fabrics. I think that’s when the quilting can compete with the quilt. In that case I would rather choose something with leaves or a geometric design. I feel like quilting isn’t supposed to be the focus of a quilt, rather the focus should be the quilt as a whole. Everything, fabrics...pattern...and quilting. If done right each part is complimentary to each other. Now, you may be smiling. I quilted hearts on a heart quilt. Yes, however not every fabric on this quilt has hearts on it. That’s why quilting hearts works. Cupid enhanced the hard edges on the giant pixelated heart, and softened it up quite a bit. I also love to soften the hard lines on a quilt by doing curvy or swirly designs for the quilting. My best advice, be inspired by the quilt. Everything about it. You never know, you may be inspired to do something amazing, by just thinking outside the box. Urban Elementz has an incredible selection of quilting designs from a wide variety of designers, I recommend choosing a variety of different designs that will look beautiful on a variety of different quilts.

The swirls in this design add great movement, and almost dance across the quilt. I also love the texture that quilting adds to a quilt. You can see pictured below the difference of the design on the beautiful red, and the softness of the cream background.

I used Dyed Natural A&E 30 tex Perma Core thread, which is the most lovely creamy color of thread, on the front and back. I also used Winline’s 8020 cotton poly blend batting. Which is a perfect combo, with this super soft Cuddle™️ (minky) backing. Cuddle is the brand name for Shannon Fabrics minky. This particular one, was one of their 90” wide minky’s. I love the 90” for those quilts that are too big for the 60” minky.

I’d like to mention something about plush quilt backings, like minky or Cuddle. I prefer the solid minky with no textures or prints or embossing, 10 times out of 10. The reason being, the quilting you’re paying good money to have done, can be your texture. I mean look how absolutely beautiful our Cupid design is on this Cuddle. With the textured or printed minky’s, they compete with the quilting, and you miss the texture the quilting gives the quilt. What you really want the quilting to do is enhance your quilt, front and back. I’ve often heard that quilting is like the icing on the cake. If you love those textured minky’s, great!! Go for it! For me, I’ll just be over here swooning over those swirly hearts.

Thank you for spending your time with me today! In the future, I’d like to share with you my thoughts on the size/scale of a design. Until then, I hope your quilting journey is a happy one. I love creating designs that you love to use. I for one am excited to see what we can continue to do together in the future. Happy quilting!!

Have a great day!!

- Leisha

Leisha Farnsworth 5/16/19 Leisha Farnsworth 5/16/19

Quilts...quilts...quilts!

Hello Quilting Friends,

Hope that your week has been a great one! I told you last time that I have some fun quilts to share with you...so here goes!

First up, this lovely quilt made by Beth, using the Mini Metro Rings pattern from Sew Kind of Wonderful. If you haven’t and you’d like to try a curved quilt, take a look at Sew Kind of Wonderful’s pattern selection. I’ve made a couple of their patterns, and they make sewing a curve easy peasy!!

Beth used mostly Porcelain by 3 Sisters fabrics, from Moda fabrics.

This quilt is small, and yet oh so lovely. So fun to custom quilt. I used Antique Cream 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread and Beth provided a batting...I think it was bamboo.

I used my 3” and 9” Circle2™ machine quilting circle ruler to quilt the curves, except for the curve just inside of all the circles. I used a -10- curve ruler from Linda at www.thequiltedpineapple.com

My machine quilting circle ruler set, Circle2™, comes in a set of 6 ranging from 2”-14” circles. My sets are available in green or clear acrylic, on my website: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop?category=Rulers

Here is more info about my rulers: https://www.quiltingit.com/blog/2018/10/10/introducing-my-circle2-longarm-circle-ruler-set

These rulers are such a versatile set. Because they range in size from 2”-13”, that gives me a wide variety of options for curves.

I quilted a diamond shape, with lines 1/4” apart in the center. I freehand quilted swirls with a little tale, inside the “rings”. Pebbles and a little curve inside the rings, make the rings pop!! I love the combination all together.

Here is a great look at the backing. The backing is a minky, so the texture is lovely!!

Next up...Sherry’s Wagon Wheel quilt. This is a classic quilt block. Do a google search, I’m sure you’ll find a tutorial.

the black and white fabrics are so striking together!!

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

I gave Sherry a few options for quilting designs, and she chose my Beaded Clam Take 2, which is available on my website as well as Urban Elementz. Go here: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/beaded-clam-take-2 or here: https://www.urbanelementz.com/beaded-clam.html

We chose this design to soften the hard lines of the quilt blocks, and it goes well with the fabric prints.

Look at all that fun quilty texture!!

I quilted this with my Gammill 22” Statler longarm machine. All of the other quilts and runners I quilted freehand or free motion.

Here is a look at the quilt backing. Love it!!!

Next up...this absolutely stunning quilt made by Joleene!!! Joleene is the mastermind behind the Sew Red Glasses.

Joleene made this one of a kind quilt to represent the last few years of her life. Family, friends, faith, service, her Sew Res Glasses and so on. Beautiful!! I love the red and white!!

When I quilt a custom quilt like this, I want the designs to flow throughout. You’ll notice orange peels, crosshatching, overlapping circles, diagonal lines, circles, and so on. I try and replicate a design in multiple spots to compliment the quilting designs and help the eye travel throughout the quilt. I love how this one turned out.

Here are some of my favorite blocks...first up, these 4” red stars were throughout the quilt. I thought the quilting on these were perfect to make the stars pop. I used my 2” Circle2™ machine quilting circle ruler to quilt the curves, and an Edge ruler from Linda at www.thequiltedpinapple.com

I also love this star!!! If I remember right I used the 12” and 6” Circle2™ rulers to quilt the curves in the corners. Then I just echoed the Star with some simple lines.

On this block I used 4 different rulers...the Edge ruler, and 3 different sizes of Circle2™ rulers. It might have used the 3”, 6”, and 13” circles to create all the curves. I remember using the 13” circle, but I’m guessing I used the 3” and 6” for the smaller curves. I actually ended up using 5 of the 6 rulers in my set, to quilt this quilt!! I didn’t use the 5”/11” ruler. Which is a great example of the versatility of this set of circle rulers. I’m also loving how nicely they fit in my hand as I quilt.

Okay...those apples are too cute!!

Here is a look at the amazing quilt backing Joleen pieced. Cute, huh?!?!?!! I used white 30 tex thread, and Winline’s 8020 cotton poly blend batting.

Here is a quick look at the clear set of my Circle2™ rulers. For more info or to purchase a set, go to: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop?category=Rulers

Here is a look at the smallest ruler, the 2”/8”. I designed them with the 1/4” hopping foot in mind. If you were to quilt a 2” circle, you would get a 2” circle. Not a 2.5” circle, like I’ve seen happen with other circle rulers.

Below is a look at the largest circle, 7”/13”. Check the link above to see a the other sizes. I’m loving seeing what your creating with these rulers. Please use the hashtag #circle2rulers on instagram, if you post pictures. I’d love to see them and share them. Thank you!!!

Next up, Barbara made these two lovely table runners.

This pattern is actually a quilt pattern by Down Grapevine Lane and is called Tumbleweeds Quilt, and she just made a runner.

I decided to quilt a variety of different designs to create some fun texture. Overlapping circles (video here: https://youtu.be/x0UNyEJdm9Y), swirls, ribbon candy, lines, feathers, and such!!

I love these fabrics with this pattern, so fun!!

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

And this lovely little runner is a pattern by Kim Diehl and is called Simple Whatnot’s 8.

I used a coordinating teal thread for the border, and a nice cream colored 30 tex thread, Dyed Natural, from A&E. I also used Winline’s 8020 cotton poly blend batting.

I freehand quilted a swirl feather in the center of the quilt, ribbon candy in the blue borders, and circles in the thin 1/2” cream border. Then I quilted a fun loopy freehand design in the 9 patches on the corners.

These fabrics are also from Kim Diehl.

I nice close up. Quilting just adds so much personality to a quilt, I love it!!

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great weekend!!

- Leisha

Leisha Farnsworth 4/27/19 Leisha Farnsworth 4/27/19

Quilts Quilts Quilts!!

Happy weekend to you!! Hope you’ve had a great week!

I’m excited to share these amazing quilts with you!! First up...my mom’s amazing Apple Pie in the Sky quilt! My mom and aunt Kristin own www.sistersandquilters.com and awhile back my aunt created a tutorial on their blog for a quilt called Apple Pie in the Sky. Go here to check it out: http://sistersandquilters.blogspot.com/2013/04/apple-pie-in-sky-sampler-quilt-along.html?m=1

Kristin shared 13 blocks and some amazing time saving/fabric saving tips!! My mom decided to make hers queen size and do 42 blocks. There currently is not a pattern for the rest of the blocks, would that be something you’re interested in? Comment below and I’ll pass it along to them.

Also, if you’re looking for an excellent selection of fabrics go to: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SistersandQuilters and https://www.sistersandquilters.com/

Isn’t this amazing?!?!!!!

The benefit of having your own quilt shop, you can pick and choose fabrics from different designers or lines, and put them together. Which is what she did here.

This quilt hung in my closet for a year, my mom just hadn’t decided what she wanted. So, I pulled it out a couple weeks ago and told her it was time to decide. We had talked about doing my On Point©️ crosshatch design, however I asked her what she thought of me quilting my Sweet Orange Peel©️ design...she said she was thinking the same thing. I’m so glad that’s what I quilted, it looks beautiful!! Sweet Orange Peel is available only in my shop at https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/sweet-orange-peel

I quilted this design at a 4” height on my Gammill 22” Statler. This design does not need to be offset at all.

Now I’m going to share a closer look with you of all 42 blocks. Because this quilt is laid out as 6x7 blocks, and I’m showing them to you in sets of four, you will see some repeat blocks.

These happen to be my two favorite blocks!!!

I used Winline’s 8020 cotton/poly king size batting for this quilt. I also used 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread in Antique Cream color. It is the perfect off white cream color.

Please comment below if you’re interested in a pattern. Who knows, maybe they’ll do a quilt along again!!!

Next up...a quilt my sister made for her husband!!

He wanted a plaid quilt, which also looked checkered to me.

I love the arrow fabric they chose to go with the red and Moda cross weave grey. They got these fabrics from https://www.sistersandquilters.com/

I gave them a few options, and they chose my Up and Down©️ design, for the quilting. It’s available only in my shop at: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/up-and-down

I used the same Antique Cream 30 tex A&E Perma Core thread and king size 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline.

They chose the same Moda cross weave for the backing. Which I think they will LOVE!

Next up... Denise’s incredible Inter Woven quilt, pattern is by Lo and Behold Stitchery. I love the colors that she chose!! So cool!

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

Denise wanted something soft and curvy, to soften all those hard lines. So I sent her a few options and she chose Soho by Sarah Ann Myers. It’s available at Urban Elementz go to: https://www.urbanelementz.com/soho.html

I love this quilting design!! It’s so versatile. I’ve used it so much, definitely a favorite.

Seriously so impressed with this quilt!! I want to make one now.

Next up... Pat’s plaid Disappearing Four Patch. Its a pattern by Missouri Star Quilt Co. and Jenny has done a YouTube tutorial on it here: https://youtu.be/jA-10A_Uc6k

This is my most favorite Disappearing 4 Patch that I’ve seen. I love this size of the blocks, and I love love the plaid fabrics.

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

I suggested Patricia Ritter and my Kindling©️ design for the quilting and I think it turned out great. I seriously love this wood grain texture. Kindling is available at Urban Elementz go here: https://www.urbanelementz.com/kindling.html

A few different pictures just to see all that incredible texture.

I also want to point out how well the Cream thread blends on all of these different fabrics.

Of course we all love the great texture that shows up on a quilt back...

For a look at all of my designs that are available on Urban Elementz go here: https://www.urbanelementz.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?cat=0&p=1&q=Leisha+Farnsworth

Thanks for taking time to check out what I’m making or sewing...actually, I should share the sewing caddy I made on Tuesday of this week...

Isn’t it amazing!! I can say amazing, because I’m a quilt maker. Every time that I reach outside my wheelhouse and make something, I learn so much. This pattern is called Catch All Caddy from Patterns by Annie, it’s available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/623810801/catch-all-caddy-pba-225-bag-patterns-by?ga_search_query=Catch%2Ball%2Bcaddy&ref=shop_items_search_1&frs=1

For the base she suggests foam core or cardboard. However, we have tons of old cutting mats, so a friend cut some down for us. Once I get that put in, I’ll fill this up. So excited!!! I’ve wanted to make this for a couple of years, and we finally got together with friends and made it happen.

Annie has a 1/4” foam that you use, it’s called Soft and Stable, it’s available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/609969032/by-annie-soft-stable-72x58-wh-s-s2072?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=soft+and+stable&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1

And it’s a breeze to sew with or quilt. I actually loaded my fabrics on the gammill and quilted them.

I used my 1” Grid©️ design to quilt a large piece, and then went back and cut them down to the sizes required. It’s only available here: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/1-grid

A quick note...the fabric and foam shrunk about 1” . Annie includes that inch in the requirements for fabric to be quilted.

Hope you have a great weekend!! Happy quilting! -Leisha