Beverlee's beautiful Sea Glass Quilt
Hello Friends,
I hope that you’re all doing well. The holiday quilting rush is well underway over here, and Christmas will be here before we know it. I still have a few spots available, if you need something quilted. Please keep in mind if you’re planning on shipping a quilt, to send it as soon as possible. USPS shipping times are even slower this year. Please email me for questions or to get on my quilting list. quiltingit@gmail.com
Back in July I quilted this fabulous quilt that Beverlee made, beautiful huh?!?! The pattern is by Joanna from Fig Tree and Co. and is called Sea Glass. She actually has a couple of the full kits available. She did it as a block of the month. It’s such a beautiful pattern! The following pictures just don’t do this quilt justice.
I love it when my clients have me custom quilt quilts like this one, and just say do whatever you think will look good. That gives me the opportunity to be creative as I quilt, and not worry about planning out the entire quilt. There are definitely times when I draw out what I’m going to quilt on a block that is repeated throughout the quilt. When it came to this quilt, I knew that I wanted to use my Circle²™ machine quilting circle rulers, that are available in my shop, and the 8” Edge ruler from Linda at The Quilted Pineapple. Then I just look at the size of the blocks and start quilting. If you actually look at the individual lines or curves, they are very simple shapes, yet together they look great! One little orange peel petal linked to another, creates a chain through the corners to the block that is diagonal to it. Which frames the unique quilt blocks beautifully. That was my plan going into quilting the “chain blocks” or the repeated quilt blocks, because they were every other block. It’s also nice to have a repeated block, because not only can I quilt the same design out on each block, it helps create a beautiful overall design.
I love to take progress pictures to post on my instagram, which Beverlee was so excited to see. Go follow me there, and check out my stories for pictures or videos, as I quilt.
I love a good angled picture. Even though you can’t see the entire quilt, you can see all the beautiful quilting shapes and textures. Quilting brings a quilt alive, and I feel so bless to be able to do this for my clients.
I used bamboo batting from Winline Textiles out of Ogden, Utah and Natural White Omni thread from Superior Threads.
Here is a straight on picture of several of the blocks. When I quilt the single blocks, that are not repeated anywhere, I do a lot of similar shapes which helps bring the overall design together while highlighting the shape of the block itself.
I love how simple lines mixed with curves, add just the right amount of detail to a quilt block, like these blocks. With a lot of the horizontal or vertical lines I quilted, there is a 1/2” spacing.
These blocks are some of my favorites!! On a quilt like this one, that is mostly quilted with rulers, I love to add some freehand loops or petals. It helps soften the near perfect lines and curves that are quilted with the rulers that I use. Like pictured below.
Lets talk borders…I love a good pieced border, why??? Because look at these fun details. It’s a great way to frame a quilt, and sometimes that comes with multiple borders…like the 4 you can see below. Yes, I’m considering the row with the half “chain blocks”, as the first inner border. Having those half blocks completes the overall look of the quilt. I was a little perplexed on what to do in the solid rectangular background. So perplexed, I quilted everything else and then just starred at it for a moment. Ultimately going with squares that are the same size as the 9 patch block. I personally think, those simple squares allow the quilting to breath a little. It helps define the space and blocks that surround them a little more, too. I quilted the half “chain blocks” the same as the full blocks in the quilt. The 9 patch blocks are quilted the same on each of the four corners. The rest of the borders just get better and better, as they go out to the edge. In the 2nd inner border I used my 4” Circle²™ ruler, I did make sure that the corner was going to be angled like so. So that is looks complete. My favorite way to quilt flying geese is with four simple lines, crisscrossing and spaced 1/2” apart. Which adds some fun details…and straight lines…to all those beautiful curves. I love mixing the lines with the curves. They harmonize so well together. I used Linda’s 8” Edge ruler, linked above, for those lines too. Next, the orange peel petals link the background of the flying geese to the solid background. If I remember right I quilted the scallops first with my 4” Circle²™ ruler, then went back and used my 3” Circle²™ ruler for all the orange peel petals. I used a water soluble pen to mark a dot inside each curve, so that I had a reference point. Then I quilted the peels continuously, by quilting the top petals, and then coming back and quilting the bottom. When I custom quilt and move the machine from right to left, it helps to quilt down or up to help avoid the thread from breaking. Yes, I have my needle turned to 5:30. Quilting right to left just puts a lot of stress on the thread, and it can break sometimes. That’s all the details about the borders.
For the “chain block”…the only repeated quilt block in the center of the quilt, I used my 2”, 3”, and 4” Circle²™ rulers. Which are the same three Circle²™ rulers that I used to quilt all the curves throughout the quilt. I used the 2” ruler to quilt all the small orange peel petals, which create the beautiful diagonal links. I used the 4” ruler on the inside of the center square, and the 3” Circle²™ ruler to quilt the curves in the rectangular blocks. I also used Linda’s Edge ruler to quilt a couple of elongated X’s in the bigger background that is rectangular. You can see a couple of these blocks pictured above.
Here are the three rulers that I used. 2”, 3”, and 4”. As you can see, the 2” ruler also has an 8” circle on the outside. The 3” has 9” on the outside, and the 4” has 10”. Each of my Circle²™ rulers have two different circles per ruler, which means that there are twelve difference sizes of circles. Ranging in size from 2” to 13”. It’s such a versatile set of rulers. My Circle²™ rulers are made in America with high quality 1/4” acrylic. The 1/4” lines help with measuring while quilting, and I even used those straight ends sometimes to quilt a short line or in the ditch while I’m using the circle ruler. I also created these with the 1/4” hopping foot in mind. When means when you quilt out a 2” circle with the 2” ruler, your circle will actually be 2”. Other rulers that I’ve seen or used in the passed always gave me circles a 1/2” too big or too small. For more info check out this blog post.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
My Circle²™ rulers come in clear or green (as pictured). The green set is a little easier to see on lighter fabrics. If you’ve used clear rulers, they would work great for you as well. I used them both equally, it truly a matter of preference.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
The Circle²™ set all stacked up together.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
There are holes in each ruler for hanging them up, and measurements along the straight edge, for your convenience.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
My Circle²™ ruler set would be a great addition to your machine quilting!!
- Design Patent D875,574 -
I look along the side of the quilt…
Another look straight on.
The backing looks fabulous!!
I wish you each could have seen this quilt in person!! It’s so beautiful.
Thanks, Beverlee for trusting me with this beautiful quilt!!
I have oodles of quilts to share with you. Thanks for stopping by. Take care, and happy quilting! - Leisha
Quilting It • Freemotion™ Launch
Hello there Friends,
I hope your fall or spring has been a beautiful one.
Tomorrow is the day!! My Quilting It • Freemotion™ video course is launching!!! So excited!! Those of you who’ve already purchased a video or two will receive a NEW link in an email, you’ll then download a PDF which will have all the information you’ll need to access the video you purchased. Because of the size of the videos, you can download the videos directly from Vimeo if you wish, or you can continue to view the videos using the link on the PDF and password provided. Please keep the link and passwords private, no sharing with others. Remember, you do have to have a Vimeo account to view the videos. No worries, it’s free. Go to: Vimeo.com
If you’ve been following along on my Instagram, I’ve been sharing short videos of pictures of the quilts I’ve quilted using the designs in my Quilting It • Freemotion™ course. If you haven’t, you’ll have to go to: https://instagram.com/leishakaye/ and watch the several videos in my feed. I have a few more to post.
Below is a video of the bundle of 10. (If it doesn’t show up correctly in the email, use this link: https://youtu.be/gpZqBIaiwRM )
Here is a look at the intro video…in case you missed that, too...below. (https://youtu.be/5i_iKdnyq2Y ) (Note: The table runner pattern Pumpkins in a Row and fabrics are by @figtreeandco • and was quilted just for this promo video)
Now that launch day is tomorrow, yay, my sale will end at midnight on Friday October 15th MST. If you purchase the entire bundle of 10 designs, you’ll get access to a private Facebook group where you’ll be able to share your work and see some iPhone videos of me quilting client quilts. I hope that you’ll join me.
Now…just a quick look at each design on a quilt. To see more examples of quilts I’ve quilted with these designs, head over to my shop and check out the Quilting It • Freemotion™ listings. There are lots of pictures. You could also look through my blog posts, there are even more pictures than what I can share here.
Above is Stippling in the background behind those beautiful flowers. Stippling is the first design to learn…and it’s a classic!
Loops, like the ones above can be extra sweet! The great thing about practicing loops, it helps you when you go to quilt pebbles.
A great Pebble can add some awesome texture on a variety of different quilts, like this Christmas tree quilt. The swirls are a fun addition to add to your pebbles.
I teach a variety of different Swirls and how/where I quilt them. All found in the Swirl video in my shop.
Crackle is one of those designs that you’ll love to add to just about every garden, winter, or Halloween quilt. It’s versatile, organic, and very forgiving as you quilt it out.
My Swirly Feather design can be a show stopper on an entire quilt, in a border, background, in appliqué, and it’s as fun as it looks. Definitely one of my favorites!
Wood Grain is also one of those organic, forgiving and fun designs to quilt in a small area or over an entire quilt. This will certainly be a favorite to add to your skills.
That Grassy texture in the background of Little Boy Blue, created the perfect texture for this single block. It’s also like Wood Grain and Crackle…organic and forgiving and so much fun.
Overlapping Circles is sure to be a show stopper as well. There are many quilts I’ve quilted it on, like the one above, just look at that background texture. This one is the most popular one so far!
If you noticed the lines in the leaves in the Wood Grain picture above, then you’re sure to love this border. Its called Overlapping Lines. It’s definitely one of my favorites, especially when it comes to borders, when I don’t know that a swirly feather would look good.
I hope you noticed in the pictures the variety of different quilting designs, that go so well together. There is great value in learning all the designs, so you can quilt some of them on the same quilt. I hope you enjoyed a little look into the designs that I have available. I kept getting requests for videos, so I decided to start with 10 basics and/or favorites to teach you. If you’d like to get started with freemotion quilting, start with Stippling the 1st video, and work your way up through each of the videos. This is self paced, so noooo rush. I hope you’ll join me, let’s get quilting. Thanks for being here. Take care,
• Leisha
PS…all of these pictures are from client quilts that I’ve already blogged…check out my previous blog posts from the last few years for all of the pattern or quilting details.
Prelaunch of Quilting It Freemotion™ is LIVE!!
Hello Friends,
I know it’s been quiet around here, and if you checked out my last blog post, you know why.
My Quilting It Freemotion™ course is available Friday October 15th!! To celebrate today is the first day of my prelaunch…which means you get an awesome deal. Go to my shop, to check them out.
My approach with these videos is to bring the classroom into your home. A way for you to learn at your pace, and enjoy the process. In each video listing in my shop, I’ve found pictures of client quilts that I’ve quilted over the years, with the particular design on them. Many of the quilts have more than one design on the quilt, and some even have them intermixed in a background. My hope is that you watch, learn, practice…practice…practice, and then quilt confidently. Please join me, it’s going to be so much fun!
Here is a look into my course. I’m sorry my promo video didn’t show up in emails last time. If it’s still not working, head to my blog and check this post out or click here.
Disclaimer: The table runner in this video is only used in this promo video. In all of my design videos I quilt on white muslin with a contrasting navy thread for easy visibility. The table runner pattern (Pumpkins in a Row) and fabrics are by Fig Tree & Co.
Here are a few examples…swirls in the background with grass texture in the bird.
Quilting It • Freemotion™ Prelaunch Sale
Hello Friends,
It’s been quiet around here, and if you saw my last blog post, you know why. I’ve been working on a freemotion quilting video course, which will be live on Friday October 15th, called Quilting It Freemotion™!! To celebrate let’s have a prelaunch sale starting today! Head on over to my shop, to check out the listings. No code necessary.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to freemotion quilt? You’re in the right place!! We will be covering the basics of each design, and then my hope is that you’ll become a confident freemotion quilter someday. You’ll need to watch and learn, then practice…practice…practice, and you’ll be well on your way to quilting custom quilts, all from the comfort of your home. Yes, a class brought right to you!!
I have 10 different videos available…1•Stippling, 2•Loops, 3•Pebbles, 4•Swirls, 5•Crackle, 6•Swirly Feather, 7•Wood Grain, 8•Grass, 9•Overlapping Circles, 10•Overlapping Lines, and a Bundle of all 10. You can buy whichever designs you’d like to learn, or get the bundle of all 10. If you get the bundle of all 10, you’ll have access to a private Facebook group, where you can share your progress and get more videos from me, from my iPhone as I custom quilt clients quilts.
You will receive a temporary PDF, until the 15th of October, when I’ll send you the file with the link and password to access it on Vimeo. The first thing you’ll need to do, is sign up for a free Vimeo.com account. Tell your friends!! This is going to be so fun!
Here is another look at my promo video. If you are reading this from an email, please click the “promo video” button above to watch, or head on over to this blog post by clicking on “read in browser” at the bottom of the text.
In each of my video listings I share a variety of pictures of quilts I’ve quilted over the years, like these few. They are great examples of when I’ve used a particular design or two, on a quilt. Also, notice the combination of designs used on the same quilt. Like the swirls and grass texture on the quilt above. The bird and tree are quilts that I quilted for Laser Cut Quilts.
You’ll notice in the picture above pebbles and swirls, with a touch of wood grain on the tree. Love the combination of these designs together.
This last quilt has wood grain in the background, and my overlapping lines in the leaves. I believe this pattern is by V&Co, it’s one a client made for her daughter.
These are just a few examples of the variety of different designs that you can quilt together on one quilt. Go check out the listings in my shop to see the vast variety of options. Click on the listing, then click through the pictures. The sky is the limit on what you’ll be able to do!
Check out my instagram for more ideas over the 12 days, as we get closer to release day!!
Don’t miss out on the amazing prelaunch prices, they expire on the 14th of October at midnight!! No code necessary.
I hope that you’ll join me!! Thanks for being here, Leisha.
Disclaimer: The table runner in the promo video is only used in the promo video. In all of my freemotion videos I quilt on white muslin with a contrasting navy thread for easy visibility. The table runner pattern (Pumpkins in a Row) and fabrics are by Fig Tree & Co.
Coming Soon…
Hello friends!
I have something so exciting to share. Take a look!
By popular demand, I have created 10 videos to teach you a variety of different freemotion quilting designs. Taking you from beginner to confidant quilter. If you’ve never freemotion quilted before, no worries. I encourage you to start with video #1 and go in order to #10. However, you’re welcome to pick and choose which designs you’d like to learn…let’s get quilting. Coming Friday October 15th. Yay!!
PS…Watch for prelaunch sales! You won’t want to miss those. Also, please create a free Vimeo account to watch the videos. More details to come.
Disclaimer: The table runner in this video is only used in this promo video. In all of my design videos I quilt on white muslin with a contrasting navy thread for easy visibility. The table runner pattern (Pumpkins in a Row) and fabrics are by Fig Tree & Co.
Also, I have been working at redoing all of the images for my digital quilting designs in my shop, and adding the suggested design height to the details on each listing. They are done!! Yay!! You’re welcome to take the images from my shop and use them, or contact me and I can resend you the digital files from your order(s), which include the new images. PDF’s are something that I’ll work on adding in the near future. Thanks for your support, it means so much to me!! (My friend Molly is going to redo the images for her designs.)
This is my Arbor design. The images now have a highlighted row.
Thanks for your support over the years!! I’m so excited about quilting with you. ❤︎ Leisha
quilt + quilt + quilt
Hello!!
Thanks to everyone who got my free Hexie Scallops quilting design…I think there was close to 100 of you. I hope to see it on lots of fun quilts. Please tag me on Instagram @leishakaye and I’ll re-share it.
Its been awhile since I’ve posted quilts from a few of my different clients, and in an effort to help me get caught up faster, I thought I would quickly share a few quilts with you, that were all quilted with my Gammill Statler computer. Of course, there is a design that is 20% off at the end. It’s my best seller…in my shop. Any guesses without looking. It’s definitely a crowd favorite.
Let’s start with Kathy’s beautiful Stroll quilt, which is actually a boxed kit from Moda. The pattern is by Camille Roskelley of Thimble Blossoms, and it features her and her mom Bonnie’s fabric line Sunday Stroll. My favorite fabric shop has some yardage, precuts, and 4 kits available.
Kathy made this sweet quilt for her mother…she’s pretty lucky to get such a beautiful quilt! My pictures aren’t doing it justice.
A few of my favorite blocks.
I quilted New Moon Loops by Wasatch Quilting. It’s a free design that came on my Statler. So sweet and just the right amount of quilty texture.
I used my favorite 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline, and natural white Omni from Superior Threads.
Which row is your favorite??? Mine are the flower blocks.
That little dotted background fabric is adorable!! I sew with Kathy, and got to see this one come together. Such a darling quilt.
Next up, the Stars and Stripes quilt made by Kristan. The pattern is by Camille Roskelley from Thimble Blossoms. I made one too…which I need to take pictures of. It’s such a fun quick pattern.
Kristan used a variety of reds, blues, and whites. That’s the great thing about this pattern. Scrappy looks so beautiful.
I quilted Good Vibrations on it by Patricia Ritter at Urban Elementz. There was a 1/2” gap, if I remember right.
I used natural white Omni thread from Superior Threads, and my favorite 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline.
Such a fun fun texture for this particular quilt!
Karla made this adorable Take 5 quilt from the book The Teacher’s Pet. This is one of those quilts that showcases the fun fabrics that you choose. I love the fun geometric prints Karla chose.
I used a light gray thread and Karla provided a 8020 batting.
She chose Cartwheels by Julie Hirt for the quilting design, and I think it’s perfect with the fabrics.
I’m loving that cartwheel quilting texture!!
Do you have a quilt that needs quilting? You can contact me or email me at quiltingit@gmail.com …I’d love to quilt for you!! For more info click here…Quilting Info. Look forward to quilting for you!!
Did you guess it?… my Sweet Orange Peel design is the most popular design I sell in my shop, and I’ve seen it on countless quilts. It’s one of those designs that looks good on so many quilts. Sweet Orange Peel is going to be 20% off until my next blog post, no code necessary. Thanks again for using my designs. It’s so fun to see them on your quilts.
Hope that your week is going well!! Take care, and happy quilting!
• Leisha
Sherry’s Ewe Troupe Quilt
Hello there,
I hope you’re having a great week!!
First off, I still have plenty of openings for quilting from now until Christmas, I would love to quilt for you! I’m about 2-2.5 weeks out at the moment. Email me at quiltingit@gmail.com or text me. You can drop off or mail in your quilts. I have a form on my website under quilting info that you can print and send with your quilt. If you have any questions, please let me know.
This fun block of the month was made by Sherry and is called, The Ewe Troupe by Stitches of Love. It’s a machine embroidery pattern.
I love how the sheep are dressed up in something different each month, which coordinates with the holidays or seasons.
Sherry loved how the original quilt was quilted, and asked that I quilt it the same. Simple custom quilting for the win! The backgrounds have a small stipple, with a zig zag in the inner border. And, nothing quilted in the sheep, other than the stripes in their faces.
I quilted a line right down the middle of the lighter inner border which is between the sashing and 1” squares. Then some simple one inch pebbles in the postage stamp squares. To finish it off, some 1/2” lines using an Edge ruler from Linda at the Quilted Pineapple in the outer border. Her 8” Edge ruler is my favorite!
Even though the quilting designs are simple, it has great quilty texture overall.
I used 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline out of Utah, and natural white Omni thread from Superior Threads.
The design on sale for this blog post…is my Hexie Scallops and it’s FREE until my next blog post. Don’t hesitate to go get this one!! I’m going to try and blog in the next day or so, and will pick a new design. No code necessary.
Short and sweet…more fun quilts coming soon!! Plus, I have a fun project that I’ve been working on, thats coming soon…more details to come.
Happy quilting and thanks for being here, Leisha
Liz’s Tumbler Quilt
Hello there,
Things are starting to pick up around here. If you’d like a quilt quilted before Christmas, let me know. I’m only scheduled into the first week and a half in September at the moment. I’d love to quilt for you!!!
Liz and her sister Pat love sewing together. They found this tumbler quilt at our local quilt shop, I wish you could really see the fabrics they are sooo sweet. You can do a google search and find several tumbler patterns. It’s such a good basic block. I even have a tumbler quilt from back in the day.
I used 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline and a tan’ish cream Omni thread from Superior Threads.
We decided on Patricia Ritter’s and my Sweet Indigo quilting design for the quilting. I don’t think we could have chosen a more perfect design, than this one. It’s just so lovely with those fabrics. Sweet Indigo is available at Urban Elementz.
Look at that lovely texture. This is a prime example of looking at the overall design of the quilt blocks and fabrics, as you’re selecting the quilting design. I also want the scale to also be appropriate to both the fabrics and blocks. I think it turned out fabulous.
And…the added bonus, is the minky. It definitely has the coziness factor…and this design on that backing is just awesome.
I know this quilt is simple…sometimes that’s what we need. A simple quilt pattern that shows off the beautiful fabrics. I’ve seen a local quilt shop offering these kits. The tumbler quilt is trying to make a comeback.
The design deal today is Flight. Fun huh?!?!?!!! It’s was such a fun one to design. Excited to see it on a quilt. Flight is 20% off, no code necessary. Snag it before my next blog post.
That was short and sweet!! Thank you for being here. - Leisha
Brenda’s Mariner’s Compass Quilt
Hi Friends,
Let’s start this new week off with an amazing quilt, made by Brenda!!
The pattern is called Mariner’s Compass by Quiltsmart. Check out the kit that comes with that link. Brenda did an incredible job sewing this together!!
Above is a look of it while it’s being quilted!!! Just loved the texture so much!
Brenda and I talked about some custom quilting ideas, and then she and her husband decided on my Cornerstone quilting design. I’m so glad she did!! Cornerstone adds the perfect amount of quilting texture, that doesn’t take away from all the amazing points.
See what I mean? Cornerstone can be found in my shop.
I used 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline and light gray Omni thread from Superior Threads. I love that Brenda wanted light gray thread. It almost looks white, unless you look close up. The light gray thread was softer on all that navy background, than a white would have been. A majority of this quilt has navy fabric, so one might think navy thread is necessary. Yet, navy thread wouldn’t blend very well over the Mariner’s Compass, and take away from the overall design. I actually prefer 10/10 times, matching the thread to lighter neutrals in the quilt. Lighter threads on darker fabrics blend better, than darker threads on lighter fabrics. Keep that in mind when choosing thread colors.
Some close ups of the quilting!!
Such a cool quilt!!!
Brenda was so wonderful to share some pictures with me, here are a couple of them. Which I love to see!!
I look forward to seeing what Brenda makes next!
Thank you for being here!! Have a great day!! and…Happy quilting… • Leisha
Dot’s Summertime Picnic Quilt
Hello,
I hope all is well with you!! I was doing so good at catching up on blogging quilts, and then our summer just got busy. I’m back, and ready to share Dot’s amazing quilt with you!! I hope you enjoy all the pictures…there are a lot of them. As I share this quilt with you, I am going to talk about some of the things that I quilted, and some pointers on how to quilt such a detailed sampler quilt…lets get started!!
The pattern is called Summertime Picnic, and it’s by Fig Tree & Co. It’s a block of the month. Dot also used Fig Tree & Co.’s Catalina fabric line. For more info on the pattern, check the link above.
Dot did an incredible job piecing this quilt!! It was so fun to quilt! We did a double batting, which helps the quilting pop so much more. A 8020 cotton poly blend on the bottom with Hobbs wool on top! My favorite double batt combo, can you see why???
I used Omni natural white thread from Superior Threads, and I think it blends beautifully with all of these lovely colors.
Quilting a quilt like this requires a lot of detail, and it took nearly 12 hours. It was so much fun to quilt!!!
When I quilt a quilt like this, I quilt similar designs throughout to have the quilting harmonize from top to bottom. I also like to highlight the shapes within the blocks.
Orange peel petals in a variety of sizes, circles and swirls, ribbon candy, arcs, a variety of different lines, and so on. If you look at the quilt, that’s really all it is. The variety of those designs really play well with the shapes in the quilt blocks, and adds such an incredible amount of texture. This is my favorite way to quilt a sampler quilt. I also want to point out there isn’t a lot of background filler…stippling, pebbles or swirls, grassy texture…and so on. The only background filler is my overlapping circles in three of the blocks. A couple of wagon wheel blocks and the sail boat block. By simplifying the backgrounds, the quilt blocks shine and the quilt isn’t over quilted. I like to use the “background” of a quilt block to enhance the quilting within the block. It adds so much to the block itself, making it unique because of the shapes, yet keeping that design harmony. My quilting philosophy is to keep my quilting clean. It just looks so much better! If you machine quilt, I challenge you to try something custom on the next sampler that you quilt. Don’t be afraid of rulers, if you haven’t tried them. They are an incredible asset to your quilting, and can help you achieve some pretty amazing designs!!
Now that you know my quilting approach for this quilt, let’s enjoy all the details.
The star above has a variety of different lines, and then swirls in the red floral. I wish the pictures picked up those swirls. They were a fun addition to all those hard lines.
Speaking of hard lines…look at the mixture of lines, in these pictures. Now look at the curves. Intermixing them adds just the right texture and softness at the same time. A quilting balance. I love that sooo much.
I look at the above picture and see 6 different sizes of orange peel petals…and that is just in the bottom more detailed part of the picture. The top portion has some as well. Because I have a variety of different sizes of orange peel petals, it requires me to have different sizes of rulers to create those lovely petals. I love my Circle2™ machine quilting ruler set!! I am able to quilt all those different sizes of petals with the right curve to fit the shape so nicely. I actually used my 2”, 3”, 4”, 5“, 6”, and 8” rulers. That is actually 5 out of the 6 rulers in my Circle2™ set. The 2” and 8” circles are on the same ruler. If you aren’t familiar with my Circle2 rulers, the circles come in 12 different sizes 2”-13”. They are made in the USA with 1/4” high quality acrylic, and the width of the ruler is 2.5” from the outer circle to the inner circle. I designed them with the 1/4” hopper foot in mind. If you use the 2” circle, you’ll get a 2” circle. The other sets I’ve seen give you circles at 2.5”, or 3.5”…and so on. For more info head to this blog post: Circle2 Rulers™. There are clear and green sets available in my shop! Below is the 2”/8“ clear ruler. More pictures are available at the bottom of this post, as well as in my shop. There are also pictures of other quilts in the ruler listings…its fun to see what they can create. I’m also loving the quilting I’m seeing on instagram under the hashtag #circle2rulers
You may wonder why I’m not telling you which curve I used where. The smallest orange peels were created with the 2”, and then I worked my way up from there. I actually lay the rulers next to the shapes from point to point and see which ruler is going to give me the curve that I would like. I do it the same with all of the curves I quilt.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
I also have a mix of freehand quilting in there, too. The circles and swirls, petals and loops, with the occasional feather. I just love the mix of textures so so much.
Below is one of the three that I mentioned before, that has a background filler…this is one of the wagon wheel block, the other one is a lot smaller. I loved adding the overlapping circles in the background because with that much negative space its noticeable, plus it softens up the hard lines. I love it with the mix of curves in the other parts of the block. Also, notice the checkered squares down the right…I love love those petals that are diagonally from one another and the x’s that are diagonally in the other direction. Along the left side, my favorite way to quilt a string of pearls or pebbles, with a swirl inside every other circle. It’s the little details that add such a fun touch. The string of pearls or pebbles is also a great way to fill a strip of fabric used as a spacer or filler.
The orange and green block below is a great example of trying to highlight the shape of a block. After quilting the lines in the green and center and the feathers in the orange, I had a hard time trying to figure out what to quilt in the background. Because of the odd shape, nothing was coming to me. Then, I grabbed one of my Circle2™ rulers, probably the 5” or 6” ruler, and quilted these lovely curves. Its amazing what one simple curve can do to a quilt block. It frames this quilt block perfectly, enhancing the overall shape. Next time your stumped with a background, try adding some curves from point to point! I know I need to remember this.
Check out all the other fun little details!!
These angled pictures show the details in a totally different way.
More details!! Those churndash blocks were so fun to quilt…simple and cute, you can see the curves and lines behind, what you cant see very well is a 1/4” pinstripe line inside the churndash itself. Also, this three larger block are certainly fun. That vertical row of orange peels and ribbon candy are such sweet touches. With the variety of different designs, you may wonder how does everything work together so well together…its all about scale! Different sizes of some of the same curves and lines. Also, it’s great to look at the size of the block as well as the fabric prints, and quilt designs accordingly. Keep scrolling down to see more detailed pictures of the three bigger blocks.
I love to use Linda from the Quilted Pineapple’s Edge rulers to create all of the lines that I quilt!
Now, I want to share with you some quilting in individual blocks. It’s all in the details.
Another…a closer look…
Then a look at three of them together. ….also, while we are right here, look at the flying geese at the top of the picture below. I love the mini 9 patch that was created with the 3 simple 1/4” lines going in both directions. There are some fun designs to quilt in flying geese blocks.
Some more blocks…and more details. I love how those soft curves make a difference with all of those hard lines.
The twisted loop design is also a great strip quilting design. I also love these blocks side by side.
Another great angled picture. As you can see the repeated shapes throughout, really work beautifully together.
This is one of my favorite blocks. The quilting actually links together so nicely. I love it sooo much!
How cute is that navy block in the flag?!?!?! I quilted the blue blocks below the flag nearly identical to the navy one. The center square is just a little different. I also love the simple pinstripe behind the 2020.
Another block close up!
Another…
And, another. These are the trio of blocks pictured above.
Here is the sail block, with more of that overlapping circle design. While we have this close up, look at the 1/2” lines at a variety of different angles. I love the dimension that it gives the stripes of fabric in the sails. The boat itself has a 1/4” plaid with a 1/2” center of the plaid. Simply changing the spacing adds some variety to the quilt overall. If I only quilted vertical 1/2” lines throughout the quilt, it wouldn’t look diverse. Just like each of us…diverse in our likes, abilities, beliefs, humor, and so on. Quilts need diversity in the quilting as well.
Can you tell that the next block is directly below the sail boat…haha!! Those lovely flying geese and orange peels should tip it off. Just another closeup of a beautiful block.
So much good about this block…scroll down one more picture.
Above you see a close up on one of the three blocks, that you see below.
Lets talk about details. First up, the sashing. With the curves in the block, I wanted to highlight the blocks with a fun diamond design that frames them beautifully. Those corners…like I mentioned above…are diagonal petals and then diagonal x’s, and with the corners being opposite directions, it add some fun shapes to the overall design. The center loop design, in the cream fabric, which goes around the squares is a fun. One of my favorite parts of an overall favorite block, is the orange peel petals with a line down the middle. Lines are actually an easier way to help find a center…when quilting an x…or just a simple way to add dimension to a simple petal. You can see it a little bit, in the block on the upper left of the bottom picture, as well. I think the simple x’s in the chained blocks are just the right amount of quilting. Simple and perfect for the overall design. Also, I should note that the squares in the sashing have a little swirl circle.
The bunting blocks are such a fun touch. They are also along the top edge as well. That light blue block with the simple x’s adds some fun depth to that block.
I mentioned…texture…dimension…variety…scale…diversity…which are all important aspects in custom quilting. I hope you enjoyed reading about my thought process.
If you made it this far, thank you!!! I wanted to share lots and pictures and thoughts about this quilt. You can see why I’m behind on getting this quilt blogged, too many details to share. I also wanted the time to share my approach to quilting a sampler quilt. They may seem daunting with the variety of blocks and block sizes, however as you use similar designs throughout…you can quilt something beautiful.
Here are a few more pictures of my Circle2™ rulers. Above is the green 3”/9” and below is the entire green set stacked up, which is how I ship them, with a piece of cute tape across the center to keep the together.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
Below is the 4”/10” clear ruler. To see all 6 rulers, head on over to my shop and check out the pictures in the ruler listings.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
Below you can see an angled look at the clear set stacked up, and see the measurements along the straight edge. Notice the 1/4” lines from the inside of the ruler to the outside, which help tremendously with quilting. If needed reference the picture above to see the lines as well. So, the question I get asked a lot, clear vs. green, which is better and why so you offer both. The clear are cheaper to make, and some quilters are used to working with clear rulers. The green ones are actually not much more in price, but add a great depth especially when placed on lighter fabrics. It’s easier to see the lines better, which some quilters prefer. Truly it is a matter of preference.
You may be wondering about what this means… - Design Patent D875,574 - …My design patent was approved, and it is recommended that I share the number with images of my rulers, to protect them. I’m so proud of these rulers. I’ve wanted a great set of circle rulers for years, and these actually turned out better than I could have dreamed. I’m so grateful for the wonderful people who help me manufacture them. I couldn’t do it without them!!
In honor of all of the orange peels, the next design deal is Woven Orange Peel, and will be 20% off until my next blog post. No code necessary. Thank you for using my designs…it’s such a joy to see something I create used on your quilts.
I have a fun quilt coming up next, with one of my digital designs quilted on it. Excited to share with you!! Thanks for being here. • Leisha
Simple Quilt + Ruby Loops
Hello there,
I took a few days off from blogging, as I spent time with my family camping. We had so much fun together!! Summer is going by too quickly. School starts in a little over 2 weeks, and we have some fun things planned between now and then.
Maria made this beautiful simple patchwork quilt. 5” squares sewn together in a random layout.
She requested orange peels in the center section, which I love!! Then to tie in the fabrics I did freehand ribbon candy in the thin inner border and my swirly feather freehand in the outer border. I think it turned out beautifully!!
I used a golden tan thread, and my favorite 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline.
To get a perfect sized curve, I used my 6” Circle2™ ruler. I love these rulers!! The design of the ruler, makes it easy to rotate the rulers depending on the angle I’m quilting.
My Circle2™ machine quilting circle rulers come in a set of 6 rulers. They come in clear or green, 1/4” high quality acrylic and have a 3/4th of a circle design so that you can have 2 circles per ruler and for the ease of using the inside/outside of the ruler. The rulers range in size from 2”-13”. There are 1/4” lines on the ruler to help you measure as you quilt. I also designed these rulers to give you a true sized circle. The hopping foot adds a 1/4” on each side. So…when you use the 4” Circle2™ ruler to quilt a circle, you’ll get a 4” circle. I couldn’t find that with any other circle rulers. Check out the #circle2rulers hashtag on Instagram to see some beautiful quilting ideas, using these rulers. (Sorry it wouldn’t let me link it.)
- Design Patent D875,574 -
I love the measurements along the straight edges of the Circle2™ rulers. Sometimes I even use that straight side of the ruler to quilt in the ditch or quilt a quick little straight line.
It’s fun to quilt some more traditional designs again. These fabrics are gorgeous!!
The classic orange peel!! Simple yet exactly what this quilt needed.
It’s been fun for me to do a quick little feature of my quilting designs at the end of these blog posts…and this design is one of my favorites!! Ruby Loops is one of 4 variations of my Ruby designs. I can’t wait to have a client quilt to quilt it on. I’m starting to see the Ruby designs on some quilts quilted by other longarm quilters…I love them!! Such a fun quilty texture. Ruby Loops is 20% off until my next blog post, no code necessary.
Top left to bottom right… Ruby, Ruby Crosshatch, Ruby Loops, and Ruby Twist. They are all available in my shop. Would you be interested in a Ruby design bundle?
Thanks for stopping by!! Have a great Tuesday! Happy quilting.
• Leisha
Ramona’s “Dresden Neighborhood Haunted Houses” + Grove
Hello,
Hope all is well for each one of you!! Are you looking for a fun Halloween wall hanging? My dear friend Ramona made this fun “Dresden Neighborhood Haunted Houses” wall hanging. Pattern is by Persimon Dreams. Ramona added a few more things, like the bats, witches, and moon…which she found on her cricket, I believe. I think they are such a cute addition to the quilt. Ramona is so creative, and it’s fun to see her create things, as she is sewing.
I did a crackle background freehand, with no ruler. I also added a lot of lines in the houses, some with an Edge ruler from Linda at The Quilted Pineapple.
I used natural white Omni thread from Superior Threads. I also used 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline.
You can see the cauldron has a 1/2” horizontal line? And the witches are quilted with a pinstripe. It works great to have a variety of different lines, because the scales are all a little different.
Now…for my favorite!!! The borders…they are seriously so so good! My favorite part of quilting on this quilt. This overlapping line design is one I came up with back in February 2019, inspired by a quilt pattern. It’s been such a fun design to quilt in borders. I have a fun addition to my shop coming soon…if you’re a longarm quilter, you’ll want to stay tuned!!
I used an Edge ruler, linked above, to quilt the lines 1/2” apart. Love it so much!!!
Here is a close up on the houses, and rooftops. I do want to point out, quilting this crackle design is great as a background for areas that are tight to quilt a design in between…like all the spaces next to the rooftops.
Okay…another favorite…that MOON! Seriously, love it. I tried to keep the quilting inside the moon simple, yet reflect the fun design of the moon itself.
I’m excited to keep sharing quilts with you!! But first…
Today’s design is Grove, and it is also 20% off, like the others have been. Follow the link or go to: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/grove
Thanks for all your kindness and support over the years!! Happy Quilting! - Leisha
Barbara’s Country Haven Quilt + Beaded Orange Peel
Hello,
I’m on a roll!!! Being accountable is going to help me get caught up. It’s going to feel so good, too.
Remember to scroll to the bottom to see the design of the day…which is 20% off!! No code necessary.
This incredible quilt was made by Barbara!! She makes such beautiful quilts. The pattern is by Kim Diehl and is called Country Haven. She said it was in a magazine, but I’m not sure which one. Barbara did a beautiful job with all the appliqué, which if I remember right, is needle turned.
*if anyone knows which magazine the pattern is in, please comment below, and I’ll edit the post. Thank you!!
I used 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline and a cream Omni thread from Superior Threads. Such great companies to work with!
I suggested a handful of designs to Barbara, and I was excited when she chose Patricia Ritter and my Canary quilting design. The swirls add some fun interest to the feathery design. Canary is available at Urban Elementz.
This looks like the perfect quilt to use your stash and make it scrappy.
Below is a closer look at some of the appliqué in the borders. So pretty!!
I think that the quilt design pairs so well with Canary. So classy and beautiful.
I’m loving the black and white contrast, it’s so striking.
I’m so blessed to get to quilt such beautiful quilts!! Thank you, Barbara!
Beaded Orange Peel is the design of the day!! It’s already marked down 20%. It’s such a fun versatile design, too. There are so many fun quilting designs in my shop. You can head over to Instagram and see the pillow that The Felted Pear made, which has Beaded Orange Peel quilted on it!!
Thanks for coming by!! • Leisha
I ♡︎ America Pillow + Fort Design
Hello,
I hope your day is going well!!
Just a quick reminder, there will be one quilting design each day, discounted 20%. Scroll to the bottom to see today’s design.
I love it when my clients make multiple of the same thing, and it’s small enough to quilt them all on the same backing. And, yes…you can see I just quilted continuously between the pillows as well. It was just faster.
These super cute “I Heart America” pillows were made by Barbara. The pattern is free and available on Pretty Little Quilts blog from back in 2016.
I gave Barbara a few quilting options, and she chose Rock 'n Roll Starz - Petite, by Patricia Ritter at Urban Elementz. I think they turned out super cute!!
I used a natural white Omni thread from Superior Threads, and 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline.
This would be an excellent gift, plus you could use some fabrics from your stash.
These colors and patterns like this, just feel like summer to me! I heart this pillow!
Today’s design…. Fort! It is 20% off until my next blog post. No code necessary, check it and my others designs out in my shop. Go to: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/fort
Thanks for stopping by! Happy quilting. • Leisha
I Spy Quilt + Fun Surprise!
Hello there,
It has been too long!! Summer has been flying by, and I haven’t blogged a handful of quilts…sooo…I thought it would be fun to offer 20% off one design each day, until I catch up and blog the quilt I quilted a few days ago. Scroll to the bottom of each post to find out which design I chose. Sometimes emails don’t always send, like they should, so please check here each day. I figure this is a fun way to keep me accountable, and for you to get a design or two along the way at a great deal.
First up, Sydney’s fun I Spy quilt!! Simple, yet sooo much fun for her grandson. These are the quilts where fun and sometimes funky fabrics fit perfectly.
Sydney appliquéd Ford’s name, and then zig zagged along the edges, which helps the name pop a little more. The royal blue Minky backing adds a lot of puffiness to it as well.
Sydney asked for custom behind his name, and then edge to edge on the rest of the quilt. She chose my Double Squared quilting design, for the edge to edge part of the quilt, and I think it turned out great!! Double Squared is such a fun design. Then I took one of the longer Edge rulers from Linda at The Quilted Pineapple and quilted my overlapping line design. I quilted the lines 1/2” apart. I actually have something fun coming your way sooon, with this design. So excited to share!
I used natural white Omni thread from Superior Threads, and if I remember right 8020 cotton poly blend batting from Winline.
Look at all of those fun fabrics!! Any kid would love searching for all his favorite characters.
A peak at the minky!!! Loving this texture!!
So…the design of the day is Spinner!!! I have marked it down 20%, and it will stay that price until I blog again. Keep checking back and see what design is next. You can find Spinner here: https://www.quiltingit.com/shop/spinner
I’ve seen a few longarm quilters use Spinner recently, and it quilts out beautifully. Note: Spinner does require a 50% offset.
Thank you for being here!! Check back soon for another quilt, and another design deal!!
• Leisha
Maria’s Pink Peonies Quilt
Hello there,
I’m very behind in blogging, because I’ve had some fun things I’ve been working on, that I’ll share with you soon. I first want to thank each one of you who bought designs during my birthday sale!! It was the best sale I’ve had! Thank you!! Also, thanks for all the birthday wishes.
I quilted this beautiful quilt back in the middle of April. It was such a fun one to quilt. It was made by Maria. The pattern is by Teri Christopherson from her book called Mulberry Lane and the pattern is called Pink Peonies.
The medallion block pieces are all needle turned, so there aren’t any raw edges. They also seem to have a dresden look to them.
I used 2 layers of batting, Winline’s bamboo on the bottom and Hobbs wool on the top. I also used two pink threads as well as a natural white for the background, all Superior Threads Omni thread.
When I first saw this quilt, I knew I wanted to quilt those curves in the background to highlight or frame the block, while also doing something pretty in all the negative space. I used my 11” Circle2™ machine quilting circle ruler to quilt the arcs, with a 1/2” space between each arc.
These are the clear versions of my Circle2™ rulers. They come in a set of 6…two sizes of circles per ruler, with circle sizes ranging from 2” to 13”. They also come in green acrylic, too. (Scroll down) They come in 1/4” thick high quality acrylic and are made in America. Here is a link to learn more about this set of rulers. https://www.quiltingit.com/blog/2018/10/10/introducing-my-circle2-longarm-circle-ruler-set
My Circle2™ machine quilting ruler sets are available in my shop.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
I used the 3” Circle2™ ruler to quilt the 4 petals inside the center of the arcs. The combination of the arcs and petals, beautifully frame around the medallions.
For the medallions themselves, I tried to highlight the shape. I went around the center circle several times to help the center pop even more, especially with the double batting. In the star portion of the block I simply quilted a circle with a 1/2” line, which adds some variety to the overall design. I added a few petals in each of the scallop petals, and then finished off the dresden pieces with some simple pinstripe lines, using the 8” Edge rulers from Linda at The Quilted Pineapple. Then to enhance the pink pinstripes, I just quilted a line along the edge or in the ditch. It helped the batting pop even more.
I love the overall look of this quilt. And…I may be a little bit biased but I think the quilting makes this quilt shine!! Thread, rulers, and a little bit of creativity can work wonders.
This is why investing in some great quilting rulers is so important to increasing your freemotion quilting. I was very particular when I created my Circle2™ rulers. I wanted you to have 2 rulers per ruler, so you only need 6 rulers to get 12 sizes of circles. I also took into consideration the 1/4” hopping foot on your machine. If you quilt a circle with the 3” circle, it will be 3”…not 3” like all the other circle rulers I’ve come across. Which is something that frustrated me with the previous set I used. My Circle2™ rulers are 2.5” wide which fits nicely in our hands. There are also some very helpful 1/4” lines to use as you quilt, and measurements along the straight edges. Here is a look at me using one of them on a table runner… https://youtu.be/GWyDTymyzoE
See that scalloped diamond design in the inner border? I used the 8” Circle2™ ruler to create those beautiful curves, which also frames the quilt beautifully.
This is the 2”/8” Circle2™ ruler. The previous rulers, pictured above are the 3”/9” and the 5”/11” sizes of circles.
I finished off the outer border with my freehand swirly feather design. If you’d love to learn this design, stay tuned. I have something coming very soon to help you do just that!
Thank you for coming on by!! Happy July and I hope you’re getting some sewing done. Take care, • Leisha
40% off All Digital Quilting Designs
Hello,
It’s me, Leisha. In case you missed it I’m turning 40, and so I thought it would be great to do a 40% off sale on all Digital Machine Quilting Designs in my shop. All you need to do is enter “HAPPY40” during checkout. The sale started at midnight and ends at 11:59 pm. (Mountain standard time) my website is: www.quilting.com/shop
Here are a few of my new favorite quilting designs….Trellis, Skipper, and Smitten…all are available in my shop. There are several others as well!!
Which designs are your favorite? I would certainly have a hard time choosing. Have a great Monday!!!!!
Thank you for coming by!!
• Leisha
40% off Sale!
Hello,
I hope you’re all doing well!! I just wanted to quickly share….
I’m turning 40 on Monday July 5th…so, I thought it would be great day to have our best sale ever on digital quilting designs!! 40% off!! Enter code: “ HAPPY40 ” at checkout. The sale will only last for 24 hours, it starts at midnight on the 5th and goes until 11:59 pm (mountain standard time). Be sure to get the designs that you’ve had your eye on for awhile. Head over to my shop. My Circle2™ rulers will also be $10 off that day as well!
Thanks for being here!!
• Leisha
Chris’ Flamingo Quilt
Hello,
I have another fun quilt to share with you, but first, I want to mention I have something big for you happening on the 5th of July!!!! Watch for an email a couple days before, because if you’re a longarm quilter you will not want to miss it!!
My sweet friend Chris made this adorable quilt for her granddaughter! It the Easy Grid “Flamingo Sisters” pattern by Ten Sisters Handicraft. It’s actually on sale right now, and FREE!!
Chris’ 6 year old granddaughter Fiona, loves when Chris sends her videos of things she’s making, and even let her pick the pattern and fabrics for this quilt. She did a great job!! Hopefully someday she will sew along with her grandma. To add to the fun, I videoed the machine quilting her quilt and sent it to her. Which she loved seeing.
I love the variety of blues that Chris used! She’s an expert at intermixing the blue fabrics.
I used 8020 cotton poly blend batting, and an aqua thread.
We decided on Cupid, one of Patricia Ritter and my quilting designs for the quilting. It’s available at Urban Elementz. I think it turned out cute!! I love how the swirls and heart like feather soften the overall look of the quilt.
That quilty texture is just soooo good!!!
Hope you’re enjoying summer!! It will be over before we know it. Take care and happy quilting!
• Leisha
Trellis + 20% off
Hi there,
I hope your summer (or winter) is off to a great start. We are loving all the sunshine over here. I have some fun quilts to share with you soon, but first I wanted to share my newest machine quilting design with you first. Meet Trellis! Naming this one took me awhile. I typically think of a few names until something clicks. Nothing was coming to me so did a little search and saw the word Trellis, and it just instantly felt right. Naming designs can be a fun part of the designing process.
Trellis is 20% off until midnight tonight. (Friday). Trellis is available in my shop. Do you have a quilt this would be beautiful on?
This design requires a 50% offset to achieve the layouts in the first and third image. I like offering other layout options, when there is an offset, it shows the versatility of the design. This is my favorite layout…I like the spacing just like this!!
This is how the design will look without an offset, which is great if you want to do something else in the negative space or size the design down.
In the image above, the design is almost touching, but not quite… which makes it easier when machine quilting. This layout is also offset 50%.
Trellis reminds me of some of the free motion designs I custom quilt on quilt blocks using my Circle2™ rulers. It’s so fun to have it as an edge to edge design.
Here is a look of all 6 green Circle2™ machine quilting circle rulers stacked on one another. I use them nearly every single time I custom quilt. It’s the best circle ruler set I’ve ever used.
- Design Patent D875,574 -
OOOOhhhh! Also, I have a couple big things coming soon…I can’t wait to share. I’ll announce one of them on the 4th of July, so stay tuned!!
Have a great weekend!! • Leisha