A quilting pattern of holly, ivy, and graceful curls brings an elegant holiday touch to this Christmas quilt. It’s sure to brighten your home and add festive cheer all season long.
Inspired by the great outdoors, this quilt comes alive with earthy colors and vibrant stitching. The edge-to-edge design spells out “Big Sky Country” and includes mountains, pines, and bear paw prints — a breathtaking celebration of wilderness and wonder.
Ever heard of a temperature quilt? It’s like a weather diary in fabric form! Each day’s high and low temperature determines the color of the block. Stitch them together in order, and you end up with a stunning rainbow of your year—no two quilts ever look the same!
The playful lizards in the quilting echo the lizards in the fabric print. I love surprising my clients with unexpected design touches like this!
This vibrant cosmic panel called for a celestial touch! The edge-to-edge design includes crescent moons and four-pointed stars that beautifully mirror the fabric’s own starry details.
This fun Halloween quilt just begged for bats to be quilted all over it! The result is more whimsical than spooky—pure seasonal charm.
Charming stars set in a snowball layout set the stage for a delightful curls-and-stars quilting design. Pure magic from start to finish!
Bold contrasts and vibrant fabrics create a striking layout. The addition of gold thread and a circular quilting motif brings the design to a spectacular finish..
A soothing blend of soft blues and golden tans sets the tone for this Alaskan-themed quilt. The intricate layout evokes the delicate geometry of a snowflake crystal.
My client wanted a heart pattern, and was delighted to discover there were several options to choose from. This design struck just the right balance for her nephew—heartfelt without being too frilly. Variegated thread on the front and back added depth and highlighted the colors beautifully.
A blend of structure and flow—this geometric design is softened with graceful swirls inspired by the backing fabric. Quilted in gold thread, it perfectly enhances the metallic highlights throughout the panel.
What a beautiful way to frame a fabric panel! I was inspired by the triangle print in one of the fabrics and echoed it in the quilting. The textured effect adds a modern touch that perfectly complements the design.
This cheerful quilt began with bright fabrics arranged in a curved log cabin design. Swirls and bubble quilting add joyful movement—pure happiness in every stitch.
When this quilt arrived with its pieced daisy blocks and daisy print backing, I knew the quilting had to be daisy-inspired too. Best of all, this cheerful quilt is headed to a little girl named Daisy—how perfect is that?
Beautiful autumn fabrics shine in framed blocks, surrounded by perfectly coordinated prints. I quilted graceful maple leaves in shimmering gold thread and finished it just in time for fall.
The colors in this quilt aren’t quite summer, yet not quite fall—right in that in-between season where the light starts to soften. Dog Days of Summer felt like the perfect name. I matched the coral thread to the fabric and quilted aspen leaves throughout. The pieced back gives it a completely different vibe—reversible and full of personality!.
Sometimes I don’t see the quilt for the blocks until I look through the camera lens.”
As I work, I’m so focused on the small details—one section, one seam, one motif—that I forget how all those pieces come together. The grand reveal always comes when I hang the quilt on the design wall and step back. This one took my breath away—the weave pattern emerges like magic when you see it from a distance. Truly spectacular!
Oh, my Stars! Soft coral thread beautifully complements the salmon tones in this quilt. The playful stars and curls quilting design softens the boxy piecing on the front and dances across the plaid print on the back, bringing movement and charm to the entire piece.
I couldn’t be happier with the color palette I received for this little Friendship Mystery Quilt. At first, I planned to custom quilt it, but in the end I chose a swirling feather design. The flowing curves beautifully complement both the front and the back—absolutely delightful!
This quilt began with four friends and a stack of 3-yard bundles, each tucked into its own bag. We picked, swapped, and traded until everyone had their bundle of choice. When the quilt top was complete, my sweet friend wasn’t quite happy with how the lighter fabrics looked. That’s when I stepped in—using the boldest, thickest teal thread, I stitched life and energy into every section. The transformation was incredible, and when she saw it, her disappointment turned into pure joy.
Stunning colors against a black background make this quilt truly striking. Swirling paisley quilting in soft gray thread adds texture without taking away from the bold piecing. And for a hidden delight, I used a bright variegated thread in the bobbin—giving the quilt back a surprise pop of color.
Looking at this wall hanging is like peering through a cabin window into the forest beyond. I used woodgrain quilting on the frame to mimic rustic timbers, straight-line quilting on the windowpanes for a clean, structured effect, and outline quilting in the aspen grove to add depth and movement. The layering of textures turned a flat, two-dimensional piece into a three-dimensional scene full of life. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the finished result!
Created with soft colors and heart-themed quilting, this quilt was designed for my client’s granddaughter. The happiest moment was seeing her radiant smile in a photo with her new quilt—a priceless reminder of why I love what I do.
Pieced blocks and uplifting Psalm verses give this lap quilt both beauty and comfort. The heart-filled quilting design carries a special message—the recipient is surrounded by love with every stitch.
Inspired by the woodland-themed background fabric, I selected a quilting pattern filled with charming forest animals. The result is absolutely delightful—playful details that bring the whole quilt to life
The harmony of neutral nine-patch blocks and structured geometric quilting creates a quilt that feels both grounded and sophisticated—a perfect balance of classic and contemporary.
The bold use of black and white fabrics makes the colorful blocks absolutely pop! I chose a brightly colored variegated thread and stitched a simple design, letting the fabrics take center stage and shine.
Giant plaid blocks pair beautifully with the texture of pine cone quilting. The natural, woodsy design makes this quilt a perfect fit for a masculine style, classic, rugged and timeless.
This haunted house panel practically jumped out at me from across the quilt show vendor hall! It was such fun to pull the kit together with orange sashing, a moonlit backing, and those mischievous goblin blocks. I even had enough leftovers to whip up a matching pillowcase. Now the big question… is it too early to snuggle under my Creepy Halloween quilt?
Tucked inside a bag of donated fabric treasures, my girlfriend discovered an appliqué witch’s hat and a strip of pieced pumpkins. With a little imagination (and a lot of stitching magic), they came together to create this charming Halloween wall hanging. The quilting design was inspired by the whimsical print on the backing fabric, pulling the whole piece together into one spooktacular project!
This quilt is so large it nearly outgrew the design wall! Playful bubbles and swirling motifs soften the linear blocks, while adding movement and dimension to the borders and backing—perfectly finishing a bed quilt destined to take center stage.
Whimsical hand appliqué set the stage for delicate outline and echo quilting. Dense background stitching brings the floral motifs to life, adding texture and depth. A classic crosshatch in the sashing ties everything together, completing the custom design. It’s going to look fantastic as a wall hanging.
Fun and delightful to quilt, beautiful to behold.
I chose a leafy all-over design to compliment the applique work—such a perfect fit for this quilt.
When I was asked to do a water design, I was thrilled to discover this one called Kahuna. With its light and flowing movement, it makes this quilt perfect for a beachside picnic.
I’ve been having so much fun quilting with this fabric line! The pop of color in the sashing really makes each block shine. Ole!”
I love the enthusiasm of new quilters. After making a quilt for her grandson and roommate for college, she immediately set to making one for her nephew. The wavey quilting adds movement with out distracting from the star burst pattern. Spectacular.
This beautiful quilt was created as a gift for a daughter and her new husband. It came to me from one of my former beginner quilting students—and what a stunning piece of work it is! The love and care stitched into every piece make it truly special.
This beautiful hand applique quilt is exquisite. Hours of detailed outline quilting combined with a background filler is the base for reverse echo quilting. Stunning!
Can you believe that this quilt was made from a hot air balloon panel fabric. Incredible! I think the loopy quilting flight pattern of the balloon!
Bright happy greens and yellows zig zag their way up this quilt. Beautiful vine quilting brings out the print of one of the fabrics. What a fantastic quilt to donate!
I have been having so much fun quilting this New Mexico themed fabric. It’s fabulous for baby quilts especially from someone living in the southwest. Viva New Mexico!
This quilt has Southwest and New Mexico all over it. I used a quilting design with zia symbols, geckos and kokopelli in a light turquoise thread. The alphabet blocks are unique to New Mexico! Ole!
Reversible quilts are so much fun! Notice how the dragonflies cross over seamlessly from back to front! Spectacular!
An old quilt top that had been unfinished for year gets a new lease on life with quilting and binding. My client is thrilled to be able to gift it to her son as part of a family heritage.
Easy blocks with a pieced sashing gives the illusion of complicated piecing. Shining stars and falling leaf quilting pattern blend well. Stunning!
This was a king size project in every sense; from a throw size pattern that had to be redesigned, to buying the fabrics, piecing and finally custom quilting. I couldn’t be more pleased with the final quilt. Hard to take it to be shipped to the East coast.
Pretty little panel quilt. I added a quilt pattern that matched the stars printed on the fabric. The result is out of this world.
Blocks and straight lines just needed circles and bubbles in the quilting. I am always thrilled when the quilting design looks just a fabulous on the backing fabric. Win-win!
Little pops of mint green break up the end to end black and white strips. The wavy quilting add just the right texture for a fabulous finished quilt.
The turning twenty pattern is a great layout for coordinating fabrics and uses fat quarters to the greatest advantage. Flowers and paisley quilting pulls it all together.
Fun quilt featuring all the national parks of the United States. Great for the traveler in your family!
Vintage hankies are now collected in this beautiful quilt. Butterfly quilting inspired by the border adds the perfect texture. This will be treasured for years to come.
How much fun it must have been to collect these fabrics. Maybe I am gravitating toward a little more purple in my life. The feather and curl quilting design with variegated thread is perfect against the blocky layout. Spectacular!
Wonderful spooky quilt made as a surprise for the cotton anniversary. The light airy stitching looks good on front or back!
Adorable cats, trees and presents are all wrapped up and ready for Christmas. It’s never too early to get your Christmas quilts finished.
This grandmother was so excited to make a coordinating quilt for her grandson’s first roommate in college. Proof positive that quilters want to blanket the world in love.
Each quilt brings a new challenge. This quilt was out of square so the quickest solution was to remove the borders, remeasure and reapply them. It turned out fabulous. I used a variegated thread on the back and now both sides are a delight to behold.
Petals are found in the name of the quilt pattern, the floral fabrics and the dogwood quilting design. Blooming Beautiful!
This is a found and finished quilt. The piecer picked up this project which only had a handful of finished blocks and took it to completion. I added quilting with gold thread and its ready to be bound and displayed!
Beautiful fabrics with a touch of Asian flair and a quilting pattern that looks like water ripples combine for a quilt that is tranquil and serene.
When soccer has been a life long passion, there are a lot of T shirts and memories. What a fantastic project!
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Pretty paisley quilting adds an elegant texture to this charming quilt. Exquisite!
When someone asked me if I wanted an old quilt top, I couldn’t resist. It was incomplete at the edges so I trimmed it square, quilted it and added a vintage flower print binding. What a great upcycling project!
What a fun quilt to custom! I did a water design in the blue circles and a fire design in the white circles, straight lines for the gray pieces and a combination of echoing and background quilting to finish the quilt. FABULOUS!
I love how this quilt is all about baseball, from the fabrics to the themed quilting. There is going to be a happy Yankee fan when this is gifted!
Color therapy! Bright and Cheerful! Turn it to the back side for soothing swirls and tranquil blues. Amazing!
A truly reversible quilt with animals on one side and twin birds on the other. Even the color scheme is different. Magnificent!
Stunning colors, fabulous gold thread and a paisley quilting design come together for a quilt that will make a spectacular gift. I am always thankful to be part of the creative process.
Terrific fabric features a dog print that is sure to please. Swirling heart quilting in a variegated thread brings color to the black background. Incredible!
Charming little baby quilt with a rainbow border inspired me to use a rainbow quilting pattern. I love the texture!
Fussy cut birds are creatively pieced. Add an aviary quilting design and this quilt soars.
A gift of fat quarters and the addition of gold fabrics make this personal quilt of mine shine. I love how the sea of stars quilting design shows well on both the front and the back. Do I really have to wait for autumn to use it?
When this was dropped off my clients husband said that he didn’t like it because it was too plain. That’s all I needed to choose a bright variegated thread for the quilting. Spectacular!
Great alphabet quilt featuring all that makes New Mexico unique. My quilting design included geckos, Kokopellis and Zia symbols. Magnificent!
Terrific use of Oriental Fabrics and Asian quilting design. I love the tilting pagodas.
This terrific grandmother makes a T shirt quilt for each graduating grandchild. This is number 4 in the series. Fantastic.
Some quilts are so large that one picture is not enough. Soft fabric hues and bold thread are a terrific combination to showcase this organic feather quilting design.
This quilt is for a grandson who overcame many obstacles to go to college. When I said he was a superstar, it was easy to pick a quilting design.
It’s always fun to work on a graduation gift. This salmon and blue quilt is for a granddaughter going to college in the fall. I love the texture of the quilting on both the front and the back!
Beautiful, vivid purple plus white multiplied by paisley quilting equals a spectacular quilt! How is that for Quilt Mathematics?
Clever placement of pieced quilting blocks make up this Quilters Christmas Tree. The quilting also features common block patterns. Delightful.
Applique and piecework gave me a fantastic place to let my custom quilting shine! I am thrilled with the finished quilt.
If you like space travel, then this is the perfect quilt! Full of outer space fabrics and a quilting design with starts and spacemen that is out of this world. Spectacular!
Soft and subdued colors on this southwest quilt make this eye catching and calming. The quilting design reminds me of the desert breeze. I can’t wait to make one of my own.
Fun and food filled quilt blocks plus a little piggy chef. I had the perfect quilting pattern full of veggies. Anyone hungry for lunch?
That orange fabric does look like flames! And on the back of the fabric the fire is coming from above and below. This quilt project is SMOKING!
Bright red, black and white are a bold color combination. Even better is that this quilt is reversible!
I see the dawn in this quilt rather than the edge of night but it is all a matter of perspective. Just the right side to hang on the wall.
What makes this quilt fantastic is the pops of orange stripes. To contrast the straight lines and right angles, I used a curvy quilting pattern compliments rather than competes. Fabulous!
Beautiful Bold Kaffe fabrics fill this quilt. I can see both triangles or hexagons, can you?
Bold and bright southwest designs make this a vibrant quilt! Incredible!
They say “Quilting makes the Quilt” and this project is no exception. The fern pattern in an autumn gold thread adds a whole new dimension to this quilt.
A quilting pattern with both cats and paw prints was the perfect choice for this quilt. If my customer loves cats this much, I only hope that Kitty gets to sleep on this quilt!
Finally my mystery quilt to complete the set. It took a long while to decide on a background color. I didn’t want black or white or gray. The whimsical floral print on my bundle looks perfect on this fairy lavender background. I was gifted the purple backing that is the same sateen flannel as the pink quilt. I used a subtle variegated thread on the front and a bolder variegated thread on the back and just look at the fairy flowers I quilted to match the fabric. What a fun journey full of love, laughter and memories.
Nothing subtle about this quilt. Red background and a yellow border changes the look of this same pattern. I am so glad to have bold and unique friendships.
When this friend received her fat quarter bundle she said to me, “you know me so well” and when she showed the bundle to her quilting mother in law, her response was “Debbie couldn’t have picked a better set of fabrics for you.” She chose to put hers on black background and chose a plumeria theme for the quilting. I used a variegated thread in the bobbin and the backing is in full bloom!
This quilt is part of a four quilt series on friendship. I had 4 fat quarter bundles that I wanted to use and get out of my stash. I decided to “organize” a mystery quilt for my quilting buddies. I asked one to find a pattern for a fat quarter bundle without knowing what the fabrics looked like. That kept the fabrics a mystery for her. Not knowing the pattern kept it a mystery for me. I chose a bundle to gift to three quilting friends, keeping one bundle for myself. Each person was responsible for choosing their own background fabric and backing.
This quilt is vibrant and energizing. She loved the contemporary prints of the fabrics. I quilted it with variegated thread in the bobbin and a butterfly pattern. The backing is a sateen like flannel which was a beautiful backdrop for the quilting. Just wait until you see the other mystery quilts over the next few days.
What a privilege to be a part of this quilt. Designed by a grandson, pieced by the grandmother with fabrics they hand dyed together, this quilt is a stunning collaboration. The quilt top was brought to me by the daughter of the piecer to be finished as both her son and mother had passed away. There were a lot of tears when this was picked up.
Sister quilt in more ways than one to the Fishes quilt. Both were made for each of my clients sisters. What a lovely gift. This one has hearts and curls quilted with variegated thread that brings the design of the backing to the front.
My directive was to quilt “something like water”. This design had waves and fishes! What a terrific compliment to the border fabric.
What a fun quilting design. Great texture, great visibility! SUCCESS
It’s never too early to get those Christmas quilts into Ideal Stitches. The holly and curls are stunning on the back ground fabrics. Early wishes for Happy Holidays!
Cozy flannels, bold layout and textured quilting make a wonderful cuddle quilt.
Perfect little wall hanging for the Easter Season.
Charming little baby quilt for a dear boy. A little southwest and a little geometric make for a stunning combination.
Look at the texture that the quilting provides for this floral quilt. The pale yellow backing is the perfect backdrop for the flowers and leafy quilting. Charming.
This is a first quilt from a brand new quilter. The stripes were plain until I added the quilting! I think she is hooked!
Beautiful paisley quilting in gold thread adorns this quilt. I love the way it pops on the light colored blocks.
Made for a dear friend who is battling cancer, this quilt has white strips that are perfect for writing in blessings. I used a minky backing so it is cuddly and warm. What a blessing to share my quilting with others.
It was delightful to work on this quilt as a gift for a family friend expecting their first child. It’s a girl but you probably guessed that!
Bright colors and fussy cut blocks set the stage for gold thread and a quilting design with stars and moons. Magnificent!
What a magnificent ombre effect of light to dark. I can see this on a bed turned 90 degrees and it would look like day slipping into night. Incredible!
What a terrific layout to showcase memory fabrics! Add a heart quilting design and variegated thread and you have a “lovely” quilt.
Always a great feeling to get the unquilted tops finished. Loving the contrast in this quilt.
First quilt top by this client is now a charming baby quilt!
Here is the second blush quilt that my daughter designed and pieced. This one she gets to keep! Fun Halloween quilting looks incredible on both the front and back!
The borders are a fantastic place for the quilting to shine while the patchwork center showcases autumn colored fabrics. Amazing!
Charming baby quilt in vibrant yellow, blues and reds. Look closely and you can see the football quilting pattern especially on the minky backing. Go Team!
This is the third of the Summer Haze series. (check previous posts for Spring and Fall). This quilt has a snowflake border and a cardinal quilting design in the center. Looks Magnificent!
Fun and delightful way to use the Kaffe fabrics. Even more fun is the name of the quilt, inspired by the fabric pattern on the sashing.
I love seeing a quilt pattern made in different fabric palettes. This scarlet sky fabric line is just a little more bold than the lazy days from a recent post.
Vibrant and bold colors had to have quilting with a lot of movement! Swirls and hooks give it sizzling texture!
Pretty stained glass fabric inspired me to use a poppy quilting design. I can’t wait for spring flowers now.
Big floral squares alternate with nine patch blocks but what makes this quilt is the whimsical quilting.
A soft color palette, combined with a diagonal setting and delicate floral quilting, creates the perfect quilt for cuddling up in. Now I wish I would have made one for myself!
This vintage quilt top came to Ideal Stitches with tattered edges and unfinished. I trimmed the top square and turned it into a beautiful heirloom that my client can use and enjoy.
Quilt as Desired! This round quilt looks fabulous on front and back!
Cute little banner that is perfect for spring. It was a delight to custom quilt.
This quilt was designed by my daughter on graph paper. It is the first of two quilts she made, one for herself and the other for her dear friend. I absolutely love the color palette of warm pinks and blacks; it creates such a stunning contrast.
A hand pieced quilt top was brought to life on the quilt frame with a floral design. It give me great joy to turn a forgotten top into a finished quilt ready to be used and cherished.
This makes me think of opening a brand new crayon box! Add the doodle quilting and this is perfect for a budding artist!
Ovals and circles contrast the geometric lines of the triangles for a contemporary quilt that is sure to please. The avocado green palette gives it a fantastic retro vibe.
Palm leaves and jumping frogs give this quilt a tropical flair. This makes me ready for summer and reading books by the pool.
If I named this quilt pattern, I would have called it Kleenex boxes. But what ever it’s named, its a fun and whimsical quilt.
Bright colored stripes come together to form Magic Boxes for a quilt that is delightful. A paisley flower quilting design is the perfect whimsical finish.
This quilt is crafted from a collection of western shirts. They were chosen to create a memory quilt inspired by country western dancing between my client and her husband. Each shirt holds a piece of the past. They come together with denim sashing and backing and a western quilting design for a quilt that is truly memorable.
This is my shade of purple! It is double the fun to quilt when the fabrics are in your color palette!
This commissioned quilt came to Ideal Stitches as a few log cabin blocks and a bag of fabric yardage. I set to work making an extra fifty blocks to make a king size quilt. The autumn leaves quilt pattern look incredible in the cream background. Bonus is the gold bobbin thread on the rust backing. Wish I could have kept this one.
It’s fun to quilt extra fabric to make matching pillow shams. The Baptist Fan quilting design give both the shams and the quilt great definition! This is going to look fabulous on the bed!
My girlfriend and I each made an exploding heart quilt as a block of the month project together. Mine was red and hers is very pink!
Beautiful serene colors on this panel wall hanging needed no embellishment. I used a large water meander and monofilament thread. This is going to look amazing hanging in a foyer.
The black is spectacular on this quilt, giving it a stained glass effect. A subtle calm water quilting design keeps the focus on the piecing. Epic!
I watched this quilt top come together at a quilting retreat. I was excited to be part of this special gift for my client’s father. This is why I love what I do!
Just a quick note to let you know that Ideal Stitches has a new contact number! 📱
My email and web address remain the same, but I’ve dropped the landline. Besides the cost savings, the new number can receive texts—making it even easier to reach me.
For the quickest response, please reach out by email or text—I check both regularly between quilting sessions.
Ideal.Stitches@comcast.net
505 234 6808
Fun teddy bear quilt both in the piecing and the quilting. Add a stuffed teddy and this is an adorable gift.
I was thrilled to be asked to quilt this Dracula project! As someone fascinated by Bram Stoker’s Dracula and its many retellings, I couldn’t resist adding a touch of gothic flair. Spooky spiderwebs weave perfectly across the vampire-inspired blocks.
To see more of this hauntingly beautiful quilt—and even a feature on Ideal Stitches—visit Dave’s Craft Room on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxvM9XG8d48
You can almost hear the music on this notable quilt. Fantastic gift for a family of musicians.
This quilt was created because my client loved the tree fabric. Its framed to make the blocks on the front and cover the back. The quilting design has clouds and birds and coordinates well with the trees.
Calming neutrals and a razor grass quilting design reminds me of dormant grass in the winter time.
Huge undertaking to transform two large black bags of children’s clothes into a cherished memory quilt. When my client picked up the quilt, she cried! So many memories stitched into every block.
Oh what to quilt on this earthy quilt? A woodgrain all over design was the obvious choice and the result is spectacular!
Fun little zebra quilt with purples and striped fabric. The diagonal quilting pattern was inspired from the black and white fabric and looks like it was designed for this quilt!
A little custom play work on this quilt including free motion and computerized quilting. The minute I received this quilt, I could see paw prints in the cornerstones and in the border. Background quilting reminds me of long haired cats and brings out the embroidery.
Sometimes the great fun in the quilt is the research and development. I was commissioned to make an Anime baby quilt. First came the search for Anime fabric and this color palette was perfect for a baby. It also had a variety of Anime characters. Then deciding on a lay out. I chose a pattern that would feature the fabric and added quarter square triangles to set it off. Finally and search for a quilt pattern yielded a Naruto Cloud edge to edge design. Even better it was in my library! Fabulous!
Beautiful sage green and vivid dark purple are an incredible color combination. Gold thread is the perfect accent.
What fun quilts to give to young kids. I love all the novelty fabric that is available!
It is so much fun to use my novelty quilting designs. Look closely and you will see spiderman in the quilting!
Fabulous purples are graced with meandering hearts for a quilt that you are sure to love!
There are just some quilt that I wish I could keep for myself! This is definitely one of them!
This quilting pattern always reminds me of “The Jetsons”. It is perfect for this retro quilt!
Look at how the quilting pattern shows up on the minky backing but is subtle on the front. Great quilt to keep in the den for watching movies.
Beautiful snowflake quilting dances merrily across this winter star quilt. Cozy and festive!
Large cut fabric pieces are terrific for showing off the quilting design. The brick red thread is perfect on the black background and the golden backing. Stellar!
Beautiful Christmas quilt has both piece work and applique and was so much fun to custom quilt. From poinsettia motifs, background fills, continuous curves and border work, this is incredible!
Jagged blocks are both mesmerizing and electrifying. Lots of texture in the quilting for a quilt that is out of this world!
Fun southwest fabrics and bright colors set the stage for Anasazi quilting. The challenge for me was the free flowing appliqued hair. I had to wrap it up in a bun and tape it down so it wasn’t quilted. Always an adventure at Ideal Stitches.
This western quilt looks fantastic with straight line block quilting. There are so many fantastic fabrics in this quilt that I chose a texture pattern rather than a themed pattern.
There is always a challenge with every quilt that I put on the frame and that’s what makes my job fresh and exciting. This quilt has a custom center and an edge to edge pattern across the rest of the quilt. The filigree pattern was outlined by hand and then borders were ditched and customized. The rest of the quilt has a damask all over pattern. My customer was thrilled with the outcome.
Beautiful green batiks contrast with creamy white background that was plain until the spikey spiral quilting was added. The light bobbin thread shows fabulous on the backing; a fabulous bonus.
What better day to showcase this quilt than on my birthday! Twenty years in the making, this is the last of my unquilted tops to be finished. Detailed piecework and intricate applique come together in this block of the month featuring outdoor scenes. Finally custom quilting sets off each block, frames, sashing and border. I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out.
This reversible quilt looks completely different on each side. Both have great areas to showcase the jungle animal quilting.
Lots of places for this geometric design to shine. Again a reversible quilt. Magnificent!
Truly a reversible quilt! I wish I could capture the excitement of this customer when she saw her finished quilt. This is why I love what I do!
I was told this quilt is a gift for their family bishop. It is quilted with a dove of peace design and the magenta thread is spectacular.
I used a bright variegated thread that is subtle on the bright fabrics and is vibrant on the black fabrics. Great texture on the backing with light blue bobbin thread. Incredible!
Fun fabric with a map print set the stage for an airplane quilting design. Bonus is that the backing looks like sky and clouds. Soaring high with this baby quilt.
Snowflakes and curls are very subtle on this brightly printed Christmas quilt. Is it time to decorate for the holidays yet?
Vintage images in the fabric inspired me to chose a gingerbread cookie design for quilting. I can see using this quilt on a chilly winter evening and snacking on freshly baked cookies.
I used a graffiti style quilting design and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. Even more spectacular is the use of variegated thread on the front of the quilt.
I made this quilt for a dear friend recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She has two sons that are avid baseball players so I wanted a quilt that she can take with her where ever she goes and not miss a game! Play ball!
This beautiful machine embroidered wall hanging was custom quilted and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result. Why wait for the holidays to hang it up?
The piecing is simple but the fabric choices give this an elegant vibe. I chose a feather and curl pattern that makes this quilt exquisite on front and back!
Its time to pull your Halloween quilts out of storage and get ready for fall! This charming panel quilt has lots of space to show of Jack’s smiling face. Spooktacular!
This fun bright quilt is all line with the exception of one circular block. I took this shape and quilted interlocking circles. Magnificent!
I was asked whether I would custom or do an allover on this quilt. While I love custom work, the fabric prints are busy on front and back and doesn’t allow the quilting to show. I recommended an all over so the beautiful colors and piecework can be the focus of the quilt. Look closely and you can see denim blue thread on the top and khaki tan on the bottom.
Charming wall hanging with lots of movement. I love when the quilting stands out and makes the quilt come alive!
Tumbler blocks look like the retro lava lamps in this layout. Add a baby animal quilting design and you have a charming baby quilt that is sure to please.
Nothing more patriotic than seeing the US flag. Even better is the fireworks quilting, done in light blue on the front and variegated red, white and blue thread on the blue backing. Perfect for the Fourth of July!
I had this pattern in my stash and then I had valentine charm packs waiting to be transformed. My sewing girlfriend picked her own fabrics and we made this quilt into a monthly project, emailing pictures along the way. As I was putting the rows together I spent the day thinking of my high school girlfriend and found out the next morning that her mother passed away suddenly the day before. I knew I had to quilt this and give it to her as soon as possible so she could wrap her self up in her mother’s love and memories.
Scrappy quilt top is transformed by a minky backing and personalized quilting to make a treatment quilt for my very dear friend diagnosed with breast cancer. Cuddly and warm and meant to be taken to cancer appointments. Although I love to gift treatment quilts, I wish I were gifting for other reasons!
Fantastic color choices make this appear 3D. Maze like quilting brings the theme to the black backing. Magnificent!
Busy fabrics needed a distinctive texture in the quilting. Swirls show well on both the front and back for a quilt that is sure to brighten the day.
The southwest theme of this wall hanging is delightful. Subtle straight line quilting in the sashing and borders contrasts with the “aloa vera” meandering background of the squares. This could hang year round!
Flying geese are soaring over a field of daisies in this blue and white quilt! I love how it brings the daisy print from the back to the front of the quilt! Fabulouse
Shooting stars with tails on a cosmic sky are bright and colorful. Lots of custom detail in the stars, lots of custom background quilting in the sky make this spectacular!
It’s wonderful to see an unfinished quilt project be completed. The green backing was perfect for a rosey quilt design in a soft pink thread. Motivates me to finish one of my own as well!
This quilter makes a sample block for each quilt pattern before starting her project. She collected all her samples and put together this extra block quilt as a memory quilt of all her projects. I used a fun quilting design that quilted the shape of quilt patterns such as Leymonne Star or Grandma’s Flower Garden. Fantastic!
Soft pastels and custom quilting combine to make this sweet baby quilt for my newest granddaughter.
Beautiful brown and beige batiks combined with a southwest quilting design make this a spectacular quilt. I especially like how the quilting brought the theme to the back side.
What a great layout for these flower inspired blocks. Lots of blue background fabric to showcase the flower and curl quilting design. Magnificent!
Beautiful copper colored thread shines on both the deep blue border and center piece work. The quilting is of mountain pine trees inspired by the “Canyon” name of the quilt.
It warms my heart to see the art of quilting being passed to the new generation. This quilt was brought to me by a grandmother and her granddaughter as her first quilt project. I am thrilled that to be included in the project!
Darling ladybugs in the fabric print and also appliqued set the stage for quilted ladybugs. It doesn’t get any cuter than this!
Scrappy blocks and bright colors make this a happy quilt. I quilted swirls and bubbles in yellow thread for a delightful finish.
What a delight to quilt. This project has applique Santas, folded half square triangles, and all sizes of sashings. Backgrounds were quilted with gold thread while everything else has light sage green thread. I am beyond thrilled with the finished quilt.
When the light hits this quilt just right you can see the sparkle of gold thread in the quilting dancing across the quilt in a snowflake design. Great size to take the chill off a cool winter night.
Taking my inspiration from the title of this quilt, I picked a design that is a little abstract. The spikey swirls are almost sun like and the texture on the quilt is like the sunlight reflected on the water.
I knew when I saw the curved diamond element in the piece work that I had the perfect edge to edge pattern for this quilt! I can’t imagine this quilted any other way, can you?
With the exception of the backing fabric, this quilt was made entirely from the left overs from my Halloween Fig Sampler quilt. The cat in the moon quilting design is perfect. Do I have to wait until fall to start using this quilt?
What a beautiful layout for this panel of aspen trees in the morning light. I used a turquoise thread to add an all over pattern of aspen leaves and its just perfect! I wouldn’t change a thing.
Same pattern as the Summer Haze Fall but what a different quilt altogether. Bright pastels and a dense mum quilting design give this a spring look. Fabulous!
I love everything about this quilt, especially the variegated thread and autumn leaf quilting design. Look how it stands out against the black background and picks up the rich vibrant fall colors. Magnificent!
This was made for a grandson who loves outer space and pandas. I used a monofilament thread on the front so that the quilting design didn’t compete with the jungle and panda theme, and then used a sparkly silver thread on the outer space backing to showcase the UFO/spaceship quilting design. It’s two quilts in one!
Big bold flowers and swirls look incredible on this plaid quilt. The wool batting gives it so much definition. Fun and fabulous!
At first I couldn’t believe we weren’t choosing a scary pantograph, but once I got started on the custom quilting, I had a spooktacular time. Pieced blocks were ditched but the witch, cat, pumpkin and broom had detailed quilting. I have the pattern and fabrics set aside, I can’t wait to start piecing a Quilted Witch of my own.
Straight line seams and rectangular boxes needed something to contrast. All the fabrics had dots so choosing a bubble pattern was a terrific choice!
Choosing a puffy batting gives dimension to the quilting. Look at how much the wood grain design shows even on the back! Fantastic!
Vintage looking fabrics and a scrappy layout is perfect for this beige, brown and blue quilt. I added feathers, another vintage look and the result is fabulous and elegant.
Kelly greens, bright yellows and cool blues are a fantastic color combination. I added swirly quilting so you could see the Tropical Breeze.
Bright colored fishes border a quilt full of vivid colors. Add sea waves and this is a quilt to take to the beach! Surf’s Up!
Biblical wording, soft colors and rose quilting makes this wall hanging simply charming.
The pattern in this quilt reflects his love of horses, rodeos and cowboy clothes. By the time I finish a memory quilt, I feel like I have gotten to know the person. When the series of quilts are picked up, there are always tears of joy and memories. This makes my job so worthwhile!
Fun and whimsical is this steam punk throw quilt of mine. I found a geared quilting pattern that give this great texture while allowing the panel, piecework and fabrics to show through. Is this considered a Halloween quilt or can I use it right now?
When I am gathering info for the memory quilts, I ask about favorite colors; both from the person from the clothing doner and the intended recipient of the quilt. In this case, gray is the favorite color of the doner so I used gray fabric in the sashing and binding. Subtle but powerful!
Fun butterfly throw quilt in vivid orange and yellows is sure to brighten your day. Add in yellow thread and a charming butterfly quilting design and its delightful.
Sometimes I get the name for the quilt from the quilting design. If you look at the close-up picture you can see the soft and sweet edge to edge pattern. Fabulous!
The turtle quilting design was picked because the nick name of the son for this quilt was turtle. It is heartwarming that every detail is full of memories even if you and I can see them from the pictures.
My client was delighted when I told her I had a hedgehog quilting design. Just look at how cute he is on the gray backing fabric. Adorable!
This fun and delightful quilt top is made in a smaller size to be a wall hanging. Hearts and loops in a red thread break up the black background. I already have started my own Exploding Heart quilt and hope to have it finished by Valentines Day. Wish me luck!
Bright colors and cat quilting are featured on this second quilt in the denim memory quilt series. I was told that the father always wore denim so I used a denim fabric for the backing of each quilt. Combined with gray colored bobbin thread, the quilting design stands out and looks fabulous.
What started as a plain two-dimensional quilt top finished as a spectacular work of art! I started by making an 8 x 11 sketch and then started drawing in quilting ideas. I drew and erased until I had a design that I knew would be fabulous. The fun was in the free motion quilting!
This quilt is from a five quilt series of memory quilts. It is always touching when I receive clothing to make a memory quilt. In this case, the wife commissioned me to make a quilt for herself and her four children. She came with 5 bags of shirts with each persons name and explained she picked the shirts that would be meaningful to that individual. She also picked a unique quilting pattern for each quilt. While the quilts look very similar in this series, they are very unique and intentional.
The green minke backing look so soft and cuddly in the picture you can almost feel it. The front has cheerful colors and fantastic texture in the quilting. Fun and Fabulous!
You have to step back to see that the piecing in this quilt has both Mickey Mouse and the second star to the right. Delightful. I added a mouse quilting pattern with a variegated thread and wished I could keep this quilt!
Beautiful turquoise, aqua and blues make this a serene colored quilt. Splashy feather quilting enhances the watery look. Magnificent!
Beautiful paisley quilting enhances this baby quilt on front and back. The lavender thread shows well both on the light and dark fabrics. Stunning!
The inspiration for this quilt is how the baby elephant is being protected from the rainstorm by the mother. I used a pearlescent thread to add shimmer to the falling rain pattern. Sweet and Simple.
This was a challenge. The center had been layered with batting and muslin backing and the serpentine gold stitching had been done, how ever the large black border was added after the quilting. I added batting to just the black border and new backing before quilting the swirls, flowers and line work. It turned out AMAZING.
Cool turquoise and bright greens are perfect for this Caribbean quilt. Add a paisley design that looks like waves on the water and I am ready to go on vacation!
This fun collage wall hanging is full of custom quilting. I quilted over the barbed wire print which was very slow and detailed but well worth the result. The applique was quilted with invisible thread; if you look at the lighter colored legs you can see the stitch work in the picture. I am almost ready to tackle one of these projects for myself.
Another great football quilt. I am guessing this family are die hard SF fans. What is your favorite team?
It’s always fun when a customer says “quilt as desired”. I knew I wanted bumble bees but even then I had a large selection of bee patterns to choose from. There are so many bees that I can almost hear the quilt buzzing!
Only instructions were to quilt squirrels! Challenge accepted and finished. Always fun to do something different.
Fun and fabulous football quilt using novelty 49er fabric. I stitched in footballs to complete the theme. Are you ready for some football?
Cozy flannels combine with mountain and pine tree quilting for the perfect quilt to keep in the cabin over the couch. Oh the places my quilted projects go! I wish I could tag along.
I have so much fun looking for the perfect pantograph. This one has a feather and flower design that matches the print of the background/backing fabric. Fabulous!
To offset the geometric pieced pinwheels, I quilted curvy round spirals. Lots of movement in this quilt.
Another type of whole cloth quilting. This was made for a young man who wanted it very simple. Modern quilting design added interest with out being overwhelming.
Lots of area to show off the Safari animal quilting, both in the background of the quilt top and the green fuzzy backing. Fluffy batting makes the quilting dimentional!
You have to look closely at the dark purple fabric to see the quilted poppies. The picture doesn’t do justice to the shiny variegated thread that will twinkle as the light hits it.
The colors in this quilt remind me of tropical waters, so I used a quilting design that looks like splashing waves. The texture it gives the backing fabric looks like ocean water. Ready to go for a swim?
Beautiful batiks and swirly quilting make this a delightful quilt. What a great color combination.
The only instruction that I had when this quilt was dropped off was to make the star show up. I did that by utilizing ditch stitching and echo stitching followed by free motion quilting that covered the entire background. Though it doesn’t show much, I have feathers and curls in the busy printed border. Spectacular!
Beautiful and brightly colored blocks are framed with a large solid purple border, perfect for featuring the kitty quilt pattern. I used purple in the bobbin and the backing shows off a litter of kittens.
Bright colors combine with a paisley and flower quilt design that is just delightful. This is perfect as a summer quilt.
Charming nine patches, solid blocks and a falling leaf pattern make this a cozy quilt perfect for travelling in the car. Makes me ready for a road trip!
Pumpkin quilting to match the pumpkins on the backing and lavender thread to match the soft hues make this an incredible quilt.
Named because this customer tore her sewing room apart looking for the quilt top even to the point of having me go through all my incoming quilts and having her bestie go through her sewing area. It was found in a bag of of her scrap fabric and I am thrilled to be returning a fabulous finished quilt.
Once upon a time I taught a block of the month class from the Elm Creek Books. My client pulled her blocks from the class and put together a baby quilt for a friend. Fabulous way to finish well!
Nothing beats having a quilting design that matches the print of the fabric. The quilting makes this scrappy log cabin one of a kind!
This is one of my own quilts that I knew I had to custom quilt. Great texture on the front so that the piecework takes center stage, while the back is a fantastic canvas for the free motion quilting. I can’t wait to put it on my bed!
Look how different the front and back are from each other. Inspired by the birds in the print of the fabric, we choose a whirly bird pattern. It shows fabulously on the back side.
Cat fabrics, cat backing and cat quilting. Can you tell that this person love her cats?
New quilt pattern and it looks amazing, almost like cursive writing! I found a soft salmon pink thread that was just right to match the border color. Simply Stunning!
Soft colors, incredible piecing and sunshine design quilting come together in a spectacular quilt. Look at how the quilting shines on the bright yellow backing.
I am so excited to feature this first quilt made by an elementary age girl who is learning to sew and quilt. She chose both the design and thread and couldn’t wait to see her project when it was finished.
This quilt started out as a Jelly Roll Race quilt top that was cut in pieces and resewn. What started out as a throw size quilt finished as a queen size. The backing is also scrappy with larger cuts of fabric. The stars and curl quilting sets this off magnificently!
When I saw this kit, I had to buy it. My kids love the Grinch and can recite the entire movie! Can’t wait to put it out for Christmas!
Paw print quilting is perfect to continue the theme of dogs in the fabric. Looks like a loved pup ran across the quilt.
Beautiful custom quilt with spirals and double helix’s in the borders, ribbons and echoes in the center. Spectacular!
Named because this was supposed to be a 21st birthday quilt, however, the son is receiving it 10 years later. Quilts are timeless.
Which is the front of the quilt? The side with the bees, of course! Fantastic way to incorporate a panel into the backing.
This is an original layout that I designed for this Eleanor Burns Underground Railroad Sampler. I taught this class years ago because I was fascinated by the legend of using quilts to signal runaway slaves to freedom. The North Star always pointed the way.
Sometimes its fun to have small projects to work on. I made the backing so I could load it all at one time and then just drop and quilt each wall hanging and then cut them apart after unloading the frame. My term for this is a paper towel load.
Fuzzy flannels and cozy minke team up for a warm cuddle quilt. I added a southwest design inspired by one of the fabrics. Perfect for a chilly desert evening.
Fun fabrics with rainbows, animals, and birds. I used a Noah’s Arc quilting pattern and now this quilt floats your boat!
This personal quilt took years to piece. Everything was paper pieced but the nightmare was putting it all together. It hung for years in the closet unquilted. I ordered a wide back fabric that wasn’t quite the right color and then overdyed it to get the magenta purple color. After that, I was excited to finish the quilt with a windy edge to edge pattern to keep the tumbleweeds rolling!
This cute pieced dinosaur quilt will be a fun shower gift! The background fabric was perfect for showing off the dinosaur quilting pattern. Fantastic!
Great travel quilt featuring the US national parks. I used a quilting design that looks like lightening and the effect is spectacular.
Fun and unique custom quilt. I was able to use two of my quilting fonts to add lettering to the quilt. Took a while to find a block design that looked like “science”. Great wall hanging!
Beautiful paisley quilting adds visual interest to the white background fabric. Intentional color placement gives this a rainbow effect. Stunning!
I was commissioned to make this quilt as a gift from a husband to his wife. Although I didn’t get to meet her, the choices of T-shirts, fabric color and quilting design gives me a glimpse of what she is like.
Fussy cut Kaffe flowers and stunning border make this a colorful garden quilt. I added a rose quilting design that pops on the turquoise backing fabric. My favorite type of gardening is quilting!
Bold blacks and yellows set the stage for a bumble bee quilting pattern. The backing is black minke and the bees make a stunning design on the soft fuzzy fabric. BEE-utiful!
This quilting design looks like oil on water, especially with the aqua background and shimmering colors in the pieced blocks.
Red thread was the perfect choice for this quilt as it added color and design to the solid border and it was subtle in the pieced center of the quilt.
Bubbles give great texture to this bright and fun Cars quilt. Perfect for cuddling on the couch and watching TV.
Beautiful fabrics frame this orca panel! I suggested puffy batting to give dimension to the wave pattern. Spectacular.
This little six inch block quilt was my sampler from my second Sew a Row class. It been on the unquilted list for long time and this new year’s resolution was to finish this quilt. I had a delightful time custom quilting and now I can enjoy having it next to the fire place reflection the colors of the embers.
This charming table runner has spider webs; however, I was able to mask out the little witch. It’s always fun to use new techniques when I am quilting.
This fun quilt reminds me of my granddaughter who asks to watch “Ho Ho Ho” when she wants to watch a Santa Claus video. Swirling snowflakes in a silvery thread make this a perfect video watching quilt!
I was inspired for the color palette on this quilt when I was driving through southern Utah. I used the earth tone batiks to teach a paper piecing class with an advanced pieced border and then this hung unquilted for over 10 years. I am thrilled to have finished it and can’t wait to display it.
Fun little witch panel with quilted witches and full moons. I am in the mood now to get out all my Halloween quilts. Better not and focus on Valentines Day!
Here is the second half of the Steam Punk kit made into a row wall hanging. Stay tuned my Steam Punk throw quilt will be showcased in the next few weeks.
I had so much fun piecing all the forest animals in this gray and teal colored quilt. It hung unquilted for a long time (years) but I am so glad I popped it on the quilt frame and completed it.
Scrappy little quilt made from autumn-colored fabrics needed something to set it off. Pumpkins, leaves and curls in a variegated thread was just the right accent.
Although my girlfriend and I both purchased Steam Punk kits. She took hers and broke it into two wall hangings. The first utilized the steam punk panel and coordinating fabrics. Fun and delightful to hang and enjoy during the autumn months.
These family tea towels almost were donated to goodwill. This client decided to look into having them repurposed. I will thrilled to take the tea towels and her mothers favorite color, yellow and turn it into a queen size quilt. She was thrilled beyond belief with the finished project. My favorite part of my job is seeing the smiles on my clients faces!
Everyone is going to have a pandemic story! This quilt is no exception. This T Shirt Quilt was supposed to be a 2020 High School graduation gift. Instead, it is a 2024 college graduation gift. With the National Parks backing it can be reversible!
Here is the second of the graduating pine quilts. It’s fun to see the same quilt in different fabrics. I quilted the same swirling winds but this time with a golden-brown thread. Incredible!
This is one of two quilts made for graduation and will be given to cousins. The Yeti block makes me smile as it reminds me of my son in law who we affectionately refer to as “Bigfoot”. Swirling winds in a light sage thread brings the quilt to life.
I had so much fun making this quilt. Pieced pumpkin blocks, applique cats, backing that looks like it was made for this quilt and a cat’s eye edge to edge pattern make this a quilt that is truly the “cat’s meow”. I can’t wait for October!
Delightful from the pieced airplane blocks to the quilted planes! The backing even looks like sky fabric. Ready for take off!
Soft colors in black, gray, cream and orange give this sampler quilt a classic look. I used a pattern that suggest a full moon and hazy clouds. Lovely for the entire fall season.
New Mexico chili in a bright array of red, green, and yellow bring a flair of the southwest to any table. I quilted chili peppers in a red and green variegated thread so that the back of the runner is as spicy as the front!
Just the quilt to start the new year, full of color to celebrate new beginnings. I wanted a design that mimiced the vertical layout, and this wavy pattern was perfect.
Bright royal blues, crisp light blue and vibrant whites are a stunning color palette for this quilt that reminds me of the blue china from yesteryear. Feathers and curls reflect the pattern in the border for a fabulous happy quilt.
Fun and whimsical quilt blocks look like a cabinet full of quilting thread. I couldn’t wait to add an all over spool design in a bright variegated thread. This quilt would be perfect for an easy chair in the sewing room!
Look at the incredible piecework around the Spiderman panel. I added an edge-to-edge design with webs, spiders and spiderman outlines for a quilt that is truly super!
Bright and happy holiday quilt to wish you Merry Christmas. The quilting is done in a variegated metallic thread for a quilt that shines and reflects the light from the tree. Hope you have a wonderful holiday season from Ideal Stitches!
I got this contemporary southwest quilt kit and was delighted to finish the quilting. I used a quilting design that incorporated additional southwest designs and the results are spectactular. I was able to catch up with my maid of honor who was back in Albuquerque for a visit and was able to gift it to her so she could have a piece of home where ever she may be.
This quilt had a lot of negative space that just needed quilting to set off the large hexagon flower basket. What a beautiful accent for the solid purple backing!
If you scroll back to my BAQ Yellow Abstraction quilt you will be amazed to find the same pieced blocks but a completely different layout. Gentle edge to edge quilt was an excellent choice for the busy layout.
Border to border quilting is considered semi-custom because of the extra time it takes to set a design within the borders and the custom designs for each border. It was well worth the extra effort to have a dragonfly and flower design inside the borders and give special attention to each of the three borders, one with dragonflies, the second with leaves and the third with flowers. The large corners have individual dragonfly and flower motifs.
Fun and fabulous wall hanging that looks like a window view of a fiesta! I had a lot of fun seeing this quilt come to life, from the outlining of the birds and flowers, quilted vines in the windowsills and flowers in the frame.
This was years in the making. In 2014, I taught a Modern Block of the Month class featuring contemporary takes on traditional quilt blocks. I made the class samples in two color ways: one with white background and the other in royal blue. This quilt top waited nearly 10 years to go on the quilt frame for quilting. It finished beautifully and was promptly gifted to a dear friend.
This quilt was time consuming in a different way than the previous custom quilt. It came to Ideal Stitches as a large black bag of children’s clothes from newborn to 4T. Every day I would dismantle the outfits down to usable fabric pieces, shaped like an amoeba. Then hours of ironing on stabilizer before cutting to unfinished size to sew. The larger blocks were framed with gray fabric and finally I was able to go to the design wall and set up the blocks. Once sewn into a quilt top, dinosaur quilting was added and binding made the quilt complete! Yabba dabba do!
I can’t imagine the time it took to piece this king size quilt, but I know I put in almost 100 hours to quilt it. There is an incredible amount of ditch work followed by ruler work until finally free motion quilting. In order to keep the spacing consistent in the parallel lines, it was all pre marked before quilting. Spectacular!
This is my block of the month quilt. In addition to adding the two extra borders, I changed the backing to the yellow fabric in the quilt top. It’s fun that we have sister quilts together.
This was a fun block of the month that my girlfriend and I did together. She made the above quilt and opted to leave off the extra borders. Stay tuned, my quilt is coming up next.
Cute and cozy Christmas Row Quilt! I found a charming tree edge to edge pattern that is perfect! Bring on the holidays!
The fun of log cabin blocks is the variety of quilt top layouts that you can achieve. The center of this quilt has the blocks turned so that it forms a cross. The quilting just shines in the lighter areas. Simply Stunning!
Years ago I quilted this same quilt for a dear friend and customer. After she passed away, I wished I had it to remember her by. I found the same quilt top at an estate sale, bought it and quilted it for myself. Heartwarming!
About 10 years ago, I taught a block of the month class. For this quilt I chose two similar blocks and taught one in class and assigned one to do at home before the next class. The twist on this class is that we also read a book a month from the Elm Creek Quilt book series. I finally got this quilted and bound and was able to gift it to a very dear friend.
This project came to Ideal Stitches as a bag of yardage bought in 2011 to make a quilt featured in a quilting magazine. It was intended for a nephew and wife as a wedding quilt. Sadly, the piecer passed away and it was never started. Her daughter commissioned me to make and finish the quilt to gift her cousin. What an honor to be part of this fabulous gift.
These isosceles triangles reminded me of trees on the mountain tops. After that, picking a design was easy; I had to do a windy edge to edge and it looks phenomenal.
Beautiful fabric with a golden snow scene. Reminds me of the lighting right before sunset. I quilted snowflakes but instead of using a white or silver thread, I used a light gold, and it is spectacular.
This sea turtle quilt has a seaweed quilting design which gives the quilt a completely distinctive look. One of the exciting parts of my day is new discoveries and this duo of baby quilts show how different a quilt can be depending on the quilt pattern.
One of two similar baby quilts. This one has a sea turtle quilting pattern, and it looks like it is underwater on the soft blue green backing. Incredible.
Imagine my delight when one of my students called and asked me to quilt her Zia quilt from a class I taught a while ago. I have custom quilted other Zia quilts but using an edge to edge pattern on this project was a first. It came out incredible!
The minute I saw this quilt, I knew I had the perfect quilting pattern. I always appreciate fabrics that show off the quilting, as the yellow fabric does here!
Fun Christmas quilt finished just in time to bind and enjoy for the holidays. I love how the holly and ivy edge to edge design stands out on the creamy white background. Magnificent!
A hint of circles in the fabric print was enough to prompt me to quilt circles and the result is incredible.
What a fantastic contemporary round robin quilt. I added lines and circles with my quilt to complement the triangles, plus signs and blocks. Who knew geometry could be this much fun?
This quilt was made for a woman who has been recently diagnosed with cancer. I am thankful to be part of the blessing.
Cute novelty fabrics, bright pinks and bubbles are perfect for a baby girl! I added a bold variegated thread in the bobbin to add pizzazz to the solid colored backing and it looks incredible.
It is rare that I come in the middle of the project, however, the creater of this baby quilt wanted to add the applique moon and embroidered star constellations after the quilting was complete. This was made for a special baby in her family. She took the time and date of the birth and created the quilt to show the night sky at the moment the baby was born.
Beautiful batiks in a rainbow of colors just begged for variegated thread on front and back. The results are magnificent!
I just love the piecing style from this client. The wavy quilt pattern is subtle and relaxing against the chaos of color. Stunning!
This quilt got it’s name because it was the last of the left over fabrics. My favorite is the puzzle piece quilting design. I can’t wait to use that on one of my own quilts.
Love the browns in this quilt; perfect for cuddling up with a cup of hot chocolate. I quilted swirls in a dark khaki colored thread, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the result.
Contemporary piecing calls for a design that is also contemporary. When I found out that the recipient’s favorite color is hot pink, I just had to use my hot pink thread! Magnificent!
A loving gift from a mom to her son. Because he enjoys both soccer and cycling, a circle quilting design is a great compliment. Each of the T shirt blocks is framed with either navy or gray to add some pizzazz. This is a quilt to treasure for years to come.
Made by a new young piecer for her daughter that loves both cats (quilting on the front) and dogs (backing). I love the texture that the quilting gives to the solid fabrics. Bravo!
Applique bunnies are delightful on this custom quilt. I had so much fun free motion quilting, but I had to put one computerized bunny border to surprise my client. The large outer border is bold and busy, so it is not noticeable from the front but packs a charming wow factor on the backing. Magnificent!
The ribbon print in the fabric is repeated in the ribbon quilting design for a quilt that is well coordinated and full of texture. Simply incredible!
Points in the quilting complement the points of the piecing for a quilt that is sure to warm your bed. Always a bonus when the back of the quilt is as amazing as the front.
Flying geese and floral fabric look amazing with a scalloped swirl. Quilting adds terrific texture to two-dimensional fabric art.
This intricately pieced wall hanging reminds me of a theme park attraction. I added windy stitches, and it looks incredible.
Newsprint fabric combines with a soft dusty pink for a pleasing color combination. Subtle swirls and leaves bring out the floral theme of the center fabric. So much to enjoy in this fabulous little quilt.
The pop of spring green is perfect for this little Day in May quilt. I used the palest of pinks for the thread color and it looks incredible.
Warm brushed cotton fabrics on front and back make this a cozy quilt. In fact, this was going to be a gift for this clients husband but when she picked it up she said she is going to keep it for her recliner.
My girlfriend and I each bought this kit at the Houston Quilt Show and then worked on them together at quilt retreat. Her quilt pictured here has pumpkin and swirl quilting, a black border and fabulous black kitty backing fabric. Stay tuned for my quilt in the next few weeks.
This fun machine embroidered wall hanging was a delight to custom quilt. If it were me, I would hang it now and enjoy it all the rest of the year!
Beautiful Asian fabrics in two layouts make this an incredible reversible quilt. I added an elegant floral swirl design in gold thread and is magnificent!
Little pinwheels with a lot of negative space called for bright variegated thread! I am so glad we went bold instead of using a white colored thread! Don’t you agree?
Wool batting accentuates the southwest quilting design. I love the texture it gives to the turquoise backing. Magnificent!
This triple leaf design is one of my favorites. Look closely and you will see two fabrics in this quilt with the triple leaf. Beautiful.
On the front of this quilt, you can’t see the quilting for the jungle! I used an invisible thread to custom quilt and let the bright and beautiful fabrics show. But when you turn the quilt to the green backing, you can see all the stitches in black thread! Talk about muscle memory, I was quilting blind!
Tinker Bell fabric pairs up with a fairy quilting design that is simply magical. Made for my second granddaughter while I was awaiting her arrival. Can you tell that I am an excited Nona?
Curls and swirls in the quilting mimic the curvy piecing around this golden cat panel. Rich and luxurious, this is the “Cat’s Meow”.
Black, white and green are a stunning combination. The Celtic inspired quilting design is a perfect choice for this lucky quilt.
In a quilt with pieced tulip blocks, what kind of quilting do you put on it? Why more tulips of course. Red thread is stunning and shows well on the white background.
Bubble and swirls compliment this gently curving log cabin quilt. What a difference the quilting makes compared to the plain background fabric.
Fun swirly design for this golden star quilt. I love the dark yellow thread color and the texture on the backing! True Art!
Gold thread is the perfect accent for this elegant quilt. Just look at where it pops on the black piece work on the front and the black center strip on the back. Delightful!
Halloween quilts have to be one of my favorite quilting projects. This quilt has fussy cut haunted houses in the center of each block. What goes with haunted houses? Ghosts, of course. I used a pale yellow thread for the front of the quilt and a variegated orange and yellow thread on the black backing. Spooktacular!
This holiday block of the month quilt is one of my own quilts. I love wrapped present layout. I had enough fabric to make a reversible pillowcase. I am ready to have visions of sugar plums during the Christmas season.
Mint green thread and whimsical flowers dance their way across this quilt. What a cheerful quilt; better than fresh cut flowers!
My only instructions when I recieved this quilt top was to “have fun”. I couldn’t wait to use this grafitti style design. What fabulous and exciting texture!
There is a lot of quilting in this little round table topper. I started by stitching in the ditch around all the white blocks, added continuous curve piecing in the colored diamond blocks, and then free motion swirls to fill in the background. Fantastic.
Bright red Kaffe fabrics look fabulous in this double star pattern. Green quilting thread gave this just enough contrast so that the quilting would show on the reds piecing fabrics, blue border fabric and the white background fabric. Spectacular.
What a spectacular quilt. The applique work is phenomenal. I wanted my quilting to be subtle, so I used a monofilament thread on the top. I hope she can hang this one and not put it in a closet!
What a great way to repurpose a family tablecloth. This will be cherished for years to come as a cozy quilt.
Bright colorful scraps are set against an aqua border. Swirls and starts add interest to both the front and the back. Fun and fabulous.
I used a bright yellow thread to quilt interlocking blocks on this quilt to bring out the pops of yellow in the quilt top. The backing is hand dyed fabric and the perfect palete for the stitching. Cozy and warm.
All the fabrics in this quilt are the colors of burning embers. I chose a quilting design with diagonal lines and triangles to contrast the straight lines and blocks. I can see this quilt draped over a couch near a fireplace, can’t you?
Remember the I Spy game? Because the fabrics are so busy; you must look for the quilting. It’s there, in a beautiful paisley design.
The quilting is subtle on the front and vivid on the back. The piecing pattern is a recreation from a quilt that this client’s mother made. She is so excited to get this bound and on her bed. Sweet dreams!
Vivid colors contrast with the dark shadow box and white sashing for a quilt that is bright and cheerful. Add spikey swirls and its sure to please.
You can’t go wrong choosing black as a background color. I added bright variegated thread and a spikey quilt design and the colors look spectacular. As an added bonus for me, my client let’s me shop for the backing fabrics.
I love how the shadowbox looks 3D. Great layout for a layer cake fabric bundle. I quilted swirls and bubbles to add a flowing texture and it is amazing.
Like I said, identical quilts. I was able to tell them apart because I wrote each of their names on the extra backing with a water soluble pen, Probably the most challenging was the curved stitch in the ditch quilting. Now I wish I would have taken the class with them so I could have one of my own!
I had so much fun with this project. Two best friends took the curve class together and made matching quilt tops. I was able to load them side by side on the quilt frame and work on them simultaneously. This was all free motion and ruler work. Spectacular!
What an amazing project. I alternated quilting motifs in the diamonds of the lone star to further the spiral design and matched the color of the thread to the fabrics. I used a flint gray thread in the background to quilt radiating flames. This quilt is phenomenal.
This quilt is truly reversible with an extra wide binding pulling it all together. Large pieces of fabric are terrific for showcasing the seashell quilting design. Reminds me of a picnic on the beach!
This quilt was tied in the corners, but the client wanted it quilted. I wish I had a before photo to show what a difference the quilting made on both the front and back.
Heartwarming story. I taught this class over 10 years ago and was approached by a student’s daughter to finish this quilt as her mother had passed away before it was completed. She had the fabric for the flip flops and the turquoise blocks but nothing else. It was a sweet process to visit with the daughter about her mom and I was able to bring in the sashing and border fabrics that would remind her of her mom.
This quilt reminds me of a bookcase full of books stacked every which way. There is great texture with the quilting design and cohesiveness with the magenta purple and soft pink throughout the quilt top. Outstanding!
The comment made when this one was dropped of was that this was all the left over pieces from previous quilts. I was thrilled to use the puzzle piece quilting design and loved how it turned out on front and back.
Fuzzy flannel fabric, plaids and stars make this a cozy quilt for winter. I am ready for a good book and a cup of hot chocolate.
Organic leaves and floral fabrics called for a wild grass quilting motif on this fun keyhole quilt top. Love the dark green thread across the fabrics.
This is the last of a series of scrappy memory quilts made by a mom for her three adult daughters. Each quilt has memory fabrics as well as quilting designs unique to each person. So much fun for me as I know the mom and daughters and I am so touch to be part of the heartfelt gifts.
The straight line grid quilting looks amazing on this star quilt. I need to remember to use grids and lines more often!
I had this charming panel in my stash for years, saving it for my Peter Pan loving daughter. Imagine my delight when she told me the theme of her nursery is Peter Pan. The pieced backing and gold thread make this a reversible quilt. Second star to the right and straight on until morning!
As quilters, we try so hard to be sure that we don’t cut off our points during the piecing process. Here is a pattern that purposely cuts off the star points. I love the title, Pointless! When I saw the three leaf print of the border fabric, I just had to pull a sage green thread and use my Trillium pattern.
My directions for this quilt were to quilt a meander or whatever I thought would look good. With all the white blocks to show the quilting, I knew this called for more than a meander. Because it is supposed to look vintage, I used an ecru colored thread even though a little part of me wanted a bright variegated thread in the bobbin,
These chicken blocks are just too cute, and the chicken wire quilting is perfect for this quilt. This is how I would have a chicken farm, however, I can’t see these chickens laying eggs!
While this is not a rug, it does remind me of Navajo rugs made by the Native Americans. With a double layer of wool batting, all the stitching really stands out. I am thrilled with the finished product!
This T Shirt quilt came to Ideal Stitches just needing the quilting. For this animal loving daughter, a paw print design was chosen. She was thrilled with the bright pink thread on the back side. So, a win-win in my book!
Charming little quilted ghosts haunt this Jack quilt. Made with minky and two layers of batting, this will surely keep the chills away. Spooktacular!!!
Stripped pieced diagonal blocks feature memory fabrics. What are memory fabrics? They are cut from clothing or fabric mementos and have sentimental memories attached. I quilted a jagged spiral to contrast the linear appearance of the quilt and the effect is incredible. What a priceless gift!
This charming quilt is baby size and just the perfect palette for flowers and curls. The background squares give plenty of space for the peach thread to show. All it needs is a binding and some gift wrap!
Fun and fabulous pieced pumpkins set the stage for a jack o lantern quilting design. Got this one back to my client in plenty of time to have it bound and ready for fall. Happy Haunting.
A beautiful color palette and amazing piece work made this a project that I was sure disappointed to see leave my studio. I used a deep teal thread, and it was just enough to break up the black background. I am so thankful for a career in beauty and creativity.
This quilt brings terrific piecing and magical Mickey for a gift that is sure to delight. I could envision Mickey waving his wand and it inspired me to quilt swirls. Enchanting!
Here is the second of the memory quilts made from the tropical shirts from the previous quilt post. To bring the print of the dragonflies to the front, I have a swirl and dragonfly quilting design. I am sure this will be utterly heartwarming.
This tropical quilt top is made from the shirts of a loved one. I quilted palm leaves to continue the theme. This is going to make a fantastic gift!
Novelty Peanuts fabrics in all the colors of the rainbow are the beginning of this Snoopy quilt. I added a quilting pattern that features Snoopy and Woodstock in variegated threads and the result is spectacular! I can almost hear the Peanuts theme music.
Charming blacks and yellows come together for a cheerful quilt. Add paisley quilting and you have a quilt that is sure to please!
Every quilt has a story! This quilter was on a holiday in France, when her husband had a sudden death. A French woman stepped in to help her with translations, arrangements and even opened up her house to her until she could come back to the states. This is an appreciation quilt to show her gratitude to the French Angel who helped her. I am honored to be a part of the project.
Fun quilt to show case the first blocks this quilter made. The ebb and flow pattern gives great texture to the background and continues to let the learning blocks shine!
Bright blues are the color palette for this quilt. I used a double bubble quilting design to mimic the circles in the fabric print. What a fantastic layout.
If you are familiar with Kaffe fabrics, you know there is nothing subtle about them! Stay tuned for another Gathering No Moss quilt that is anything but subtle!
This quilt is full of bright sunshine quilting. Lots of background fabric lets the rays come through.
Big white crosses are full of quilted lightning bolts. The gray thread also toned down the starkness of the white fabric. This is a great quilt for summer storms!
The quilting is a little denser and it is fabulous. Even the camera picked up the texture on the busy front side. It’s true what they say; Quilting makes the Quilt!
Delightful strawberries add a new dimension to this charming little baby quilt. Good enough to eat!
Bright quilted pumpkins in bold orange thread dance their way across this second log cabin quilt. I have October fever now!
This is what happens when two quilting buddies get together, cut up all their Halloween fabric and make matching quilts. Stay tuned for log cabin number two.
I am thrilled when a brand-new quilter brings their first top. Their excitement is contagious and I can’t wait to see their reaction when the quilting is finished.
Incredible original design to celebrate space travel. I quilted planets and stars and the results are heavenly!
This must be one of my favorite Kaffe color combinations. I used a bright lime green thread inspired by the outside triangles and it is just amazing.
This mystery quilt project has lots of background space for the quilting to shine. I picked a design with lots of curves to compliment the curved piecing. Look how incredible it looks on the minky backing!
Swirly marble fabric just had to have a quilting design that matched. This accents the fabric but doesn’t distract from the stained-glass blocks.
This queen size quilt is made from baby clothes; from newborn to 3T. Newborn baby clothes make itty bitty blocks. This layout, although time consuming, incorporates large, medium, and small size blocks. I nailed it and captured all the memories!
When I quilted the red and the blue enchantment quilts, I did them in tandem. When I ditched, I zipped one of and then zipped on the other quilt to do the ditch stitching. Same with background quilting or border quilting. That way when I set up the machine and the threads, it worked for both. It was fun and a novel way to work; best of all, I finished them both on the same day!
This is one of two quilts that came to Ideal Stitches to be custom quilted. One primary difference is the color of the backing, but there are subtle differences as well. Be sure to look for them when I post the Land of Enchantment Blue quilt. I had so much fun with all the elements in this quilt; cornerstones, pieced blocks, applique blocks, multiple borders, zia rays, and diamond blocks. Truly enchanting!
Delightful flower pattern on a dark blue background. I added green thread and swirls and this quilt is sure to grow on you!
This was a pretty plain quilt top when it arrived at Ideal Stitches. I added a feather and curl design with contrasting thread and the result is spectacular!
Scalloped paisleys soften the harsh straight-line piecing but best of all, look fabulous on the plain backing. Very contemporary.
Stunning strip piecing in bold blues combine with a tropical floral backing. I took my inspiration from the flowers and quilted a similar design.
I see tic-tac-toe but to others it may look like hashtags. Variegated pink, orange and yellow thread in a loop de loop design mimics the white background fabric and keeps this quilt lighthearted.
When I made a “Faithful Friend” quilt for Father’s Day, my granddaughter fell in love with it. Because we are a family of labs, I had two more dog panels in my stash that were gifted to me by quilting friends. I designed a similar quilt pattern and was able to give my granddaughter and upcoming grandchild a dog quilt like Grandpa’s.
Charming little thank you gift from a patient to her surgeon. The sunflowers were outlined, and the centers spiraled while background quilting filled the rest of the quilt. I am grateful to be part of the project.
This little whole cloth quilt was an exercise to learn custom robotic functions on my Mach 3 software. It turned out well and I decided to serge the edges and keep it as an inspiration.
This was made for a special serviceman. Quilts of Valor are the coolest! I should start collecting patriotic fabrics so I can make one myself!
Some of my favorite projects are the quilt tops found in an old cedar chest that “grandma” never finished. I found a yellow backing that was a great match to the front and added a floral quilting design. Now this can be both cherished and used.
Bright and beautiful colors combine with cheerful swirly quilting to create a one-of-a-kind gift. It’s so much fun seeing my client’s face when they see their completed project.
The quilting is subtle but if you look closely, you can see the twinkling tulips! I especially like the texture it brings to the back of the quilt. Add a binding and this is ready for a king size bed.
From a bag of T-shirts to a memorable quilt, this is going to make a great college gift. I used a monofilament thread on top so that the stitching shows but doesn’t compete with the graphics, however, I made sure the thread showed on the backing. Magnificent!
Look at how the edge-to-edge design breaks up the straight geometric lines. Wool batting and minky backing gives incredible definition to the quilted spirals on both sides and definitely chase the chills away.
Large colored triangles alternate with plain white fabric that is perfect so showing off the star and swirls quilting design. This quilt is perfect for a picnic on the beach and having your toes in the sand.
This line of fabric is actually 100% cotton, but it looks and feels like wool. How cool is that? I used variegated threads and a fall leaf design, and this quilt is ready to take the chill off during the early autumn months.
Frequently I look for quilt patterns that are similar to the print of one of the fabrics. Because the top is so busy, I chose a simple pattern with leaves and curls, and it turned out fantastic.
Cute little alphabet quilt designed especially for New Mexico. With hot air balloons, red and green chili and road runners, I may have to make one for myself.
Fantastic colors combine with a terrific layout for a king size plum fusion quilt. Add paisley quilting and it’s spectacular.
Fabrics in this quilt were created from the photos that astronaut Karen Nyberg took of the earth from outer space. What a creative layout of the port hole windows to display the fabrics. I was challenged to recreate the layout to continue the outline quilting in the black space fabric. While the actual stitching was very straight forward, drawing and marking the design was more difficult than it appears. Simple and stunning!
Little quilted poppies are the perfect complement for this flower and lattice quilt. Add poppy fabric to the back and this is a gardener’s delight.
You can almost hear the train whistle! Novelty fabrics, fussy cutting and piecing created a delightful quilt top. I added some textured quilt and its ready to leave the station. It went to the 2023 New Mexico State Fair and won a blue ribbon!
Bright colors, black background and variegated thread is always a winning combination! Stars in the quilting reflect the pieced stars in the quilt top. Spectacular!
The gold in the title gets its name from the gold thread in the bobbin! The front was a blue and lavender variegated thread with just shines in the dark background fabric. What a great quilt to bring in the Spring!
Bright Kaffe fabrics contrast boldly with the black fabric. I just knew I had to use a vivid varigated thread and the results are incredible. What a great diamond in a diamond pattern!
I can’t decide whether I like the color combination of mint green and purple or the floral lavender border better. All together this makes for a spectacular quilt.
Instead of an edge to edge, I quilted a border-to-border floral design and set off the white border with a vine in green thread. I think this counts as having a green thumb, don’t you agree?
Fun novelty fabrics and bold colors make this a bright beautiful baby quilt. With circles in the quilting, it mimics the background quilting without taking over the quilt.
Get ready for a spooktacular Halloween. This quilt has a fantastic center panel and incredible coordinating fabrics. Add spider and web quilting and this quilt is set for scaring away the chill of Autumn.
Are you ready for some football? This quilt is a great companion for a cozy game at the stadium or home on the big screen.
This quilt is full of the luck of the Irish. With its bright green fabrics and shamrock quilting, this is sure to brighten your day. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
This Blitz quilt was a blast to quilt. Lots of ruler work and pebbles but well worth it. Wish I could have convinced my client to donate it to Ideal Stitches!
The solid lines of fabric remind me of ribbons which inspired me to quilt it with a “ribbon rose” quilting pattern. Fun and bright, this quilt is sure to delight!
Second in a trilogy of quilts for three daughters, this one has daisies to celebrate the favorite flower of this customer’s daughter. The blocks are pieced with pieces of fabric saved from children’s clothes. I am so pleased to be a part of this legacy.
It’s always a privilege to quilt a project for a service person. I used a stars and wave pattern that is one of my favorites for patriotic quilts. Please thank the service people in your life for me.
Same block of the month, different background fabric for the layout. Again, the quilting just jumps right out of the photograph. I almost wish I would have made one for myself.
Look closely and you will see that each block has a negative counterpart. The first of the two has a white background and the second of the two the colored fabrics become the background. I quilted bubbles and swirls which gave texture to the blocks and dimension to the navy fabric. Incredible.
Just like a kaleidoscope, these blocks have the same effect. Some look like stars and some look like spinning windmills but you must admit it is mesmerizing. I used an all over curl pattern to stay in theme. How beautiful it looks on the blue minky backing.
This incredible king size quilt is reversible. I love that each side is a fabulous quilt all on its own. Really the only thing they have in common is the quilting. Even then it is subtle on one side and bold on the other. Amazing.
This was made for a granddaughter who just loves hippos. I searched the internet for an incredible hippo pattern, and I was thrilled that the backing was clean, fresh, and white. I used a brown thread so that the hippo fun would show up. I bet she was surprised and thrilled to have her very own hippo quilt.
What is more cozy than flannel? What is more autumn than pumpkins? This quilt of course! Just look at the pumpkin quilting on the minky backing!
There is nothing like the International Balloon Fiesta held in Albuquerque every October. This beautiful panel is a balloonist’s view of the Rio Grande. Using invisible thread, I quilted in all the balloons that have flown over the river through the years.
Taking my inspiration from the spiral of bubbles on the hummingbird panel, I quilted spirals/bubbles across this quilt. I love how the quilting echos the panel. Turns out the spirals were also a great choice for the wildflower backing. I love it when that happens.
A companion quilt, a companion horse stitched so that one can be given as a gift and one can be kept. I used similar quilting designs and sketched the horse much like the Beauty in Motion horse. It was delightful to do these two quilts back-to-back. I wish I had a picture of my client’s face when she saw the horses! This is why I love my job.
What’s the best thing to quilt on diagonal piecing? A bold maze pattern with vertical and horizontal lines. This striking pattern looks amazing on the backing but subtle on the front, letting the piecework shine through.
Can you think of a more fitting name for this quilt than “Beauty in Motion”? I combined custom free motion quilting, thread sketching and computerized borders of ropes and barbed wire. The top and bottom borders have the horses individually outlined to make them stand out and trees sketched in to create a background. The side borders were so much fun to do with the horseshoes and ruler work. But my favorite is the panel in the center with radiating lines and a thread sketched horse. Beautiful!
I love how the left and right vertical areas are not symmetrical, but complimentary. Superb! Straight line, boxy quilting contrasts the diagonal piecing for an out of this world quilting collaboration.
I taught this modern block of the month class about ten years ago. It was finally time to get it off the unquilted list and complete this bright and cheery quilt and I am so glad I did. I love the vibrant hot pink backing and the custom quilting. Why did I wait so long to finish it?
When I found out that my aunt was going to have cancer treatment, I wanted to make her a comfort quilt. First off lots of fabrics to see and enjoy, a border of her favorite teal color and warm fuzzy minke backing. I quilted it in a horse edge to edge pattern so that she can enjoy her horses on the days she can’t be out with them. I am grateful to be able to share my gifts and talents.
Brick red and yellow are a cheerful combination for this poinsettia quilt. Large quilted flowers stand out on the gray backing so that you can see this holiday garden from either side.
This quilt was so big that I had to fold it in half to hang it on my design wall. At 120 inches wide it has plenty of drape for the tallest of a king size bed. Cozy colors and snowflake quilting make this perfect for a winter quilt.
Sometimes I don’t see the whole of the quilt until I hang it for pictures. I was delighted to with the asymmetrical layout. Add twinkle quilting and this quilt really shines.
Fussy cut bird fabrics and colorful frames look like photos on a wall. Subtle quilting keeps up the diagonal theme. Delightful.
Beautiful purples and magentas contrast creams in this diagonal log cabin quilt. I added charming flowers and leaves to the quilting and now this is an inviting, summer garden quilt. Delightful!
This football quilt is a gift for another son-in-law who is a faithful fan of the Detroit Lions. Shopping for themed fabric was challenging and when I discovered a pillowcase panel, I seized it and set to work designing a quilt top layout. I used the remainder of the Lions fabric for the backing. Fun football quilting motif wins extra points on the front and back of the quilt. I just might qualify for mother in law of the year.
Recently I was commissioned to make a Spiderman quilt and I knew I had to make another for my son-in-law. When I did my shopping for the spiderman themed fabrics, I ordered double the amount. It was delightful to surprise him with his own quilt.
I remember when I first started quilting for the public in 2009, when a customer told me to pick the design, it would make me anxious. Now my favorite directions are “quilt as desired”. I’ve come a long way!
I watched this quilt come together at a quilt retreat. I was thrilled to bring it home and add elegant, quilted swirls in a deep plum thread. I wish I could have kept this one!
Curly cues give this quilt great texture. Love the solid fabrics throughout.
Charming row quilt on a deep navy background. I used a whimsical flower design and matching thread and it looks incredible.
This contemporary quilt was made as a 20-year anniversary present for a son and daughter in law. Trying to find a quilting design was more challenging than usual, however, the voltage pattern looks spectacular.
It is terrific that this grandmother makes a T shirt quilt for each of her high school graduates. Which reminds me, I should ask how many grandkids she has.
Pieced birds, bird backing and feather quilting come together for a quilt that is ready to fly! What a great gift for a dear friend.
Commissioned quilt from scratch. I had so much fun shopping for fabrics and creating a pattern for this superhero quilt. Check out the spiderman quilting motif on the back of the quilt! Marvel-ous.
Knowing this quilt is going to be gifted to a grandson helped me to choose this geometric quilting design. It looks incredible on the solid backing and give just the right touch of definition to the front of the quilt.
Pretty in pink and paisley designs are just the beginning of what makes this quilt fabulous. Pops of teal are an amazing accent color. This is going to be a great gift for this client’s granddaughter.
Every type of rose is represented here, from a pieced grandma’s flower garden block, cross stitch, printed fabric, and a quilted rose border. Best of all, no thorns!
Taking my queue from the background print, I chose a quilting design that almost resembles avocados. It turns out to be the perfect complement to this linear and geometric quilt top.
This quilt went from plain to fabulous when I matched the thread to the sage green fabric and quilted grape leaves. I still get amazed at how the quilting makes the quilt!
This beautiful wall hanging left Ideal Stitches and was shipped to Kentucky where it then was put in a craft fair. It’s incredible to think about where it is now.
This fantastic quilt was made from a stack of fat eights fabric which is 9 x 22 inches. Just incredible.
Charming oranges and blacks are set on a creamy background. This quilt can be put out in early autumn and stay out until Thanksgiving!
This quirky, quacky duck panel and a rubber duck quilting design combine to make a baby quilt that is sure to bring a smile. Minky fabric on the back of the quilt shows off the quilting and is so cuddly!
Brightly colored blocks on a dark night sky! Windy quilting in a splash of blue on the front of the quilt and a vividly colored variegated thread on the back. Ready to plan a camp out and look at the stars.
Using the dotted red fabric as inspiration, I quilted large meandering bubbles. I auditioned gray, black, and red thread and I am thrilled with the red stitching!
When this quilt top arrived, the customer said that I could name this batik quilt. I started calling it the No Name Batik and the name stuck. I searched for a quilting pattern that matched the print of the dark blue fabric and the result is fantastic.
What fun it was to quilt this project with feathers in the black background as well as the border and my own digitized design in the bright colored diamonds.
Bright Kaffe fabrics with a twist of lime make up this cheerful quilt. I added oval chains and swirls for a delightful quilted finish.
When my son in law brought his favorite quilt from his grandmother and asked me to fix it, I couldn’t say no. Originally it was tied and there were numerous holes at the seams where it was coming apart. After fixing the tears, I added a woodgrain border to border design to give it more stability. I did leave Grandma’s ties. He was thrilled to be able to use it again.
This came as a whole cloth fabric. By adding batting and a solid backing it is now a cozy quilt. The quilting design is a terrific complement to the print on the front and has incredible texture on the back.
Here are the companion quilts for the sailboat. I can’t wait to see what they look like on the bunks!
The pop of turquoise gives this table topper a southwest feel. I used a wavy pattern to mimic the bargello piecing and the texture and dimension is fabulous! Even better than sitting on a table, this quilt would make a fantastic wall hanging.
The braid pattern must be one of my favorites whether the fabrics are scrappy or coordinated. I love the reds in this quilt, and I enjoyed quilting the big chunky swirls. Now I am excited to make my own red braid quilt!
Sometimes my projects come as just a quilt top with directions for me to find a backing. What fun I have shopping for complimentary fabrics. On this quilt I chose to bring out the coral colors and then using the backing fabric for inspiration, I quilted a lovely daisy design. I just wish gardening was this easy.
What a great quilt for that special someone who loves trains. I grew up near the railroad tracks and when I hear the sound of the train whistle it takes me back to my youth! I found a great all over design that stays in theme! All Aboard!
This quilt is part of a trio of scrappy memory quilts made as gifts for three daughters. Some of the fabrics are from childhood clothing items while some are fabric prints that represent times or events during their childhood such as the soccer fabric. What a wonderful way to celebrate the past.
I love tessellations in quilting patterns. I can see crosses in the colored fabric blocks as well as in the light background. Smart choice of complimentary fabrics for the piano key border. Stunning!
Subtle curved piecing and muted southwest colors make this a beautiful quilt. I searched and searched for a quilting design that would complement the curves and finally found the perfect all over pattern. I was disappointed that I had to give this one back to my client, it would have been terrific to keep it for myself.
This is the first in a series of quilts that are being made for a sailboat destined to travel up the Western coastline to Alaska. The minute I heard the story of this quilt, I knew I had the perfect quilting design full of anchors, oars, stars, ship wheels and sailboats. I am excited to be part of this adventure.
After making a memory quilt for this client’s father, she asked me to make one for herself. It was exciting to hear her talk about her relationship with her mother and I was able to create a memory quilt that was unique and different from her father’s project. Teal fabrics and whimsical quilting are the basis for her cherished memories. I am so glad to do what I love and have the ability to bring joy through quilting to my customers.
This is a preprinted panel used to practice free motion quilting. I had so much fun stitching on this project for myself. It is always great to have play time on the machine. Now I have a sampler to show clients.
In order to keep my custom quilting southwest, I did a lot of research and sketching. I looked at petroglyph drawings, Native American pottery and Indian rugs. I draw motifs on a plexi glass sheet for inspiration. I am thrilled with the finished quilting on this Navajo quilt.
What fun it was to piece and quilt this playmat for my niece. The fabrics were pulled together from my stash and I had plenty left over to also piece the backing. My daughter immediately saw the intentional placement of the two backing stars; think second star to the right. I used two layers of batting, and a fabulous star swirl design. I can’t wait to meet my great nephew.
Soft muted neutrals mix with denim blues in this flannel patchwork quilt. Zig zag quilting adds texture and interest. Bring on the winter storms because this quilt is sure to keep you warm.
Fuzzy and warm flannels make up this cozy plaid quilt. I used a swirl and curl design to break up the straight lines. Ready for winter!
Bright batiks and variegated thread give a lot of color to this quilt. The white background fabric is a fabulous area for the quilting to stand out!
Bright and bold colors! Thick cotton Thread! Swirls and curls quilting design! It doesn’t get any better than this!
Stunning color combination between the solid black and the floral reds, oranges, and hot pinks. I added a variegated thread to bring the color into the black and the result is striking!
Red, purple, and black are stunning together. I chose a curl design to break up all the straight lines of the front and give movement to the solid areas of the back. I am ready to raid my stash and make one for myself.
This charming baby quilt combines patchwork and applique. I added quilted baby elephants in a light aqua thread and the result is adorable!
The repetitiveness and curves of the Baptist fan pattern add character and dimension to this linear quilt. Subtle and striking.
Just the right balance of color to the black and white of this stunning quilt. To contrast the zigs and the zags, a meander quilting stitch adds just a touch of curves. Outstanding!
Electric centipede is a fantastic name for the zig zag piecing pattern on this quilt. I added a geometric pattern that complements the diagonal seams and shows well on the solid backing. The result is striking and eye catching.
I just love the vibrant, colorful sashings. Flowers and animal blocks combine to make a beautiful animal garden. While the quilting is subtle on the front, just look at the stitching on the ombre backing. Makes my green thumb happy!
This brings out the Irish in me! I loved all the greens in this quilt, and I had to add a variegated green thread when I was quilting this chunky spiral and star design. May the luck of the Irish be with this quilt!
All hand guided quilting on this sewing inspired quilt. I had so much fun doing background fills and feathers. I was sorry to see this one leave the studio, however, the excitement of my customer when she came to pick it up more than made up for it.
Bright pastels and vivid white sets the stage for a springtime quilting design with feathers and flowers. I love the backing fabric both is color and print so much that I used a matching thread for quilting.
Diamond quilting gives straight line texture to this jelly roll quilt. I especially like the dimension of the quilting on the backing.
Lots of glitter and shine in this quilt. Not to be outdone, I used a shimmery gold thread to quilt butterflies across the quilt. I am glad they have a place to show on the yellow border.
This fun, bright and bold quilt is a gift for a grandson. No ribbons or flowers for this one, instead I quilted bold geometrics. Just look at the design in the bright yellow minke backing.
A football team inspired quilt for a loyal fan. How fun is that? Novelty fabric comes together with bold colors in this magnificent layout. Add quilted footballs and its ready for kickoff!
When the daughter brought her father’s clothes to Ideal Stitches, she talked about his love of sailing. This quilt is full of sailing motifs, his red bandanas, and his khaki and navy pants. She was moved to tears when she picked this up. This is why I love my job!
This is my first time to use this cable quilting design and I love the texture. Even on the backing the cable quilting stands out. Definitely a new favorite.
Pretty little daisies are quilted across this scrappy batik quilt. Just looking at this quilt inspires me to add more color and flowers to my garden in the spring.
Pops of red on this scrappy quilt inspired me to back this in a cherry red fabric. Sweet flowers and curls reflect the floral fabrics for a quilt that just blossoms with color.
I can’t get enough of this exploding heart quilt pattern. Stunning blues, purples and pinks look like light facets on a white background. My only direction was, “don’t quilt hearts”. Swirls and bubbles look great on the front and magnificent on the hot pink minke backing. Love it!
There are so many unique features on this T-shirt quilt. One is the checkerboard layout of lights and darks, the other is the rounded corners. The southwest quilting motif stands out on both the front and the minke backing. Definitely a winner all around!
I am excited to share one of my own quilts. In 2016, I posted pictures of a similar quilt that I had quilted for a customer and knew I had to make one for myself. Made from Kaffe striped fabric that was cut into strips and sewn back together to add variety, then separated into groups of light and dark colors before starting the piecing. The intentionality and prep work were well worth it. I spent two days doing the ditch stitching which does show on the back of the quilt before I added the variegated thread and added free motion back and forth lines. Simple but spectacular!
Fun little wall hanging featuring New Mexico. I love the texture and dimension that the wood grain quilting gives to this project, especially on the chestnut brown border.
When I saw this quilt top, I knew I had the perfect quilting design for it. The fiesta skulls are quilted in a light gray thread and are the perfect companion to the pieced skull. Spooktacular!!
This quilt took quite a bit of planning and creativity. I used a piece of plexiglass to audition ideas as I quilted my way through the project. Lots to delight the eye, from applique to pieced blocks and quilted motifs. Enchanting!
The fabric is fabulous for both color combination and featuring the quilting. Pumpkin leaves dance their way across the quilt in a rich gold thread. I chose an autumn variegated thread for the backing which is much more stunning in reality than in the photograph. I am ready for a fall harvest picnic or a hayride with this quilt!
One of my own quilts, finished and fabulous! I used a light teal aqua thread and loved every minute of custom quilting this block of the month. One of my favorite techniques is negative quilting. Note the frames around the blocks and the thin border frame that has no quilting except stitch in the ditch and how puffy it is compared to the swirly background quilting. While blues are not typically my color, the light turquoise and gray combination is incredible. This is definitely a keeper!
Just the pieced center came into Ideal Stitches with a request to make it larger. I added a thin turquoise and larger navy border that just sets off the colors in the quilt. The top was quilted with turquoise thread while the back was quilted in a bright variegated thread to bring all the colors to both sides. Truly spectacular.
I had so much fun working on this quilt, from the tight quilting around the eggs, background quilting around the quail to the line quilting in the border. Eggs-cellent!
Fantastic use of lights and darks. Because this is going to a bachelor’s home, I chose a green backing and an all over leaf pattern rather than purples and flowers. The result is incredible. He is going to love it!
Brilliant! One side is a Christmas quilt, and the other side is a Halloween quilt. Which is the front and which is the back side? Let the calendar decide. The stars on the Christmas side were quilted with blue and gold metallic thread while the Halloween side showcases blue and silver thread.
What a bright spring green color for the background. Best of all it shows the quilting. The texture is just what this quilt needed to make it magnificent!
What is more difficult than custom quilting is when you are asked to keep it simple. I used echos and circles to create a focus for the applique and a boundary for the background quilting. Magnificent!
Scrappy quilts remind me of the beginning of quilts before the quilt tops were coordinated. I am glad for the black fabric so that the quilt has a place to shine on the front of the quilt. I chose a dark blue bobbin thread so it would show on the backing and match the binding. Fun and spectacular!
Soft and muted color in salmon and lime are a beautiful color combination for this sampler quilt. I chose a floral pattern that looks like the flowers in the print of the fabric and the lightest salmon thread color in my studio so that the quilting would not overpower the piecing. Stunning!
If you want the quilting to show, be sure and use a puffy batting. Just look at the dimension of the quilting on both the backing and the light-colored blocks. Simply charming.
I wish I had a “before” picture to show how flat and uninteresting the black colored blocks appeared. I added brightly colored variegated thread and now the blocks complement the brightly printed colored blocks in the quilt. Stunning!
This scrappy patchwork had an extra helping of hot pinks and oranges, so it inspired me to use a bright blazing variegated thread. The curls, feathers and flowers in the quilting design softened the harsh line and added a whimsical touch.
Precision piecing and a rainbow of colors made this quilt top a delight to quilt. Taking my queue from the polka dots on the backing, I quilted interlocking circles. Great texture but not distracting makes this quilt a pleasure to behold.
It is always fun to see the same quilt done with a different palette of fabrics. This block of the month has cheery summer fabrics. My favorite block is the three sunflowers but summer calls for a rose garden of quilting.
I couldn’t wait to get my needle into this beautiful quilt, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out. The appliqué work is exquisite, and I wanted it to shine! Each applique is carefully outlined before the background is stitched, while the borders have curls and feathers just to accent!
I really got to know this mom through the stories of her when she brought me her clothes for a memory quilt. She loved to fish so I was sure to use a fishing pattern. Her favorite colors were teal and purple, and I found a terrific purple fabric for the border and backing. Her favorite piece of clothing was a flowered dress, so I used it for the large center block, scattered smaller blocks and the inner border.
Below is a quote from the daughter after she picked up the quilt. This makes all the work of making a memory quilt worth it.
“My dad LOVES his quilt. We all did. Thank you for the thoughtfulness you put into the quilt capturing the precious memories of my mom. ❤️ “
Delightful T-shirt quilt for this college age daughter which celebrates her high school memories in band and her long history with the Girl Scouts. She loves cats and I was sure to include felines in the quilting!
Flying geese and Ohio stars come together for a snowy woodsy scene. Add quilted poinsettias and you have a cozy Christmas quilt that is sure to brighten up the holiday season.
Fall would not be complete without sunflowers, and I have a whole garden quilted across this quilt. This block of the month was from a local quilt store and my friend made two this year. Stay tuned for the spring/summer color palette coming soon.
Look closely and you will see hoof prints running across this quilt. Of course, I have a family full of hunters so they would be tracking this quilt. Here is to Bambi getting away!
The brighter the better is what I was told with this quilt. So, I found a vivid backing to complement the colors from the front and used the brightest variegated thread I had in the studio. It is bright and beautiful.
I have had an unused pink and brown variegated thread on my shelf for the longest time. I knew one day a quilt would come into Ideal Stitches that would be perfect for it. This is the quilt and it came out amazing!
I was told that this pattern was published in response to the COVID lock down in 2020. A block a day for two weeks until the country reopened. Looking back, we know that the shutdown was much longer than that, however, my client had the time to rise to the challenge and make a quilt top in two weeks.
This holiday quilt hangs in place of putting up a traditional Christmas tree. Gifts are placed beneath the quilt. What a charming idea. I just wish I had a wall for which I could make a Christmas tree quilt.
What a memory! Photo quilts for two families. They are going to love them! I quilted the brown frames separate from the background and the results are stunning.
Blue and white with a touch of gray, until you see the back of the quilt. The feather and spiral pattern is just right for softening all the straight geometric lines. I had a touch of sadness when this one left the studio.
This is really two quilts in one. The yellow side is quilted with dark blue thread while the blue side is quilted with yellow thread. The groovy pattern is whimsical and delightful.
I almost couldn’t get the whole quilt in the photograph as it measures 114 x 114. Spirals and leaves fill the gold areas, while a fern motif covers the blue areas. This is an incredible wedding gift from a mom to her son and new wife.
Right now, autumn quilts must be my favorite! Until next month when I am quilting Halloween quilts followed by Christmas quilts. This quilt is no exception. Old Gold thread stitches falling leaves across this super-sized quilt. I know it is a gift for this client’s brother and he is going to love it!
Check out how the variegated thread adds so much color and interest to the charcoal background. The quilting pattern is full of fall leaves and acorns and is a splendid choice to complement the pieced design of the quilt. What a cozy autumn quilt.
There is just something about a scrap quilt that clinches the idea of making a quilt. And to have one that is scrappy on both the front and the back takes it to a new level of scrappy! I quilted a whimsical curl that breaks up both the horizontal lines of the back and the diagonal lines from the front. Delightful!
While I knew that most of the quilting would be muted on the front, I decided to make sure it showed on the backing by using a contrasting thread. The result adds a terrific design element to an otherwise plain backing for a quilt project that is magnificent.
Sweet roses grace this antique quilt. This was a set of blocks found in an attic that was transformed into a charming quilt top. Add a solid back to show off the quilting and you have a finished project that can be enjoyed for years to come.
Look closely and you will see llamas in the fabrics and in the quilting! Add some cactus and you have a pickly llama!
Out of six customer quilts that were entered into the State Fair this year, five won ribbons including Best of Show! I am thrilled and so proud of our collaborative efforts.
This is an original design by my client. Imagine my delight when she said, “Quilt as Desired”. I used variegated threads throughout, from the blues of the water and sky, browns on the mountains and beiges of the cornfields. Interpretive quilting complements the scenic view. Spectacular.
Shades of the Southwest! The colors and scenery remind me of Arizona and the Painted Desert. The quilting reminds me of Native Americans. Ya-te-hey!
Chilly and Charming! Blowing snowflakes quilt across this delightful patchwork quilt. Just the thing to keep you warm on a winter night!
I am thrilled to have this off my unfinished pile and quilted. I made this little Albuquerque wall hanging years ago and just never got around to quilting it. It looks wonderful hanging in my studio!
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch! Fun novelty grinch fabrics come together for a quilt that will warm your holiday evenings. Look closely and the quilting pattern is also grinchy!
I was delighted to find an edge-to-edge pattern with Snoopy and Woodstock for this novelty quilt. I used a bright yellow thread in the bobbin so the pattern would show on the red backing and the result is fantastic.
I have so much fun picking threads, especially variegated threads for my quilting projects. It’s even more exciting when they stand out on both the front and the back of the quilt. Stunning Success with this quilt.
The flannel backing is perfect for displaying the paisley quilting. By using a thicker red thread on top, the quilting takes this quilt top from scrappy to spectacular!
This adorable, pieced puppy needed more dog bones, so I quilted in a huge supply. You can almost see his tail wagging.
Charming tulips and swirls dance their way across this little table topper and will look fabulous adorning a dining table this fall.
Sometimes there is no place for the quilting to show and that’s okay! The fabrics work magnificently in this quilt and although the quilting pattern does have cats, the quilting is more functional than visual.
There is just enough color in the thread to show on the white background of the quilt top and the gray backing. Blues and magentas from the quilt top are brought out in the variegated colors in the thread. Picking thread colors is one of my favorite parts of my job!
Bright red and royal blue are a cheerful combination. I added more birds in the quilting and this project just soars to new heights!
Old Gold colored thread must be my most used colors when choosing a thread for a quilt. It’s perfect to bring out the golds in the print of this charming lap quilt.
Could those triangles be dragon teeth? The dragon’s breath swirly quilt pattern looks fabulous on the front and back of this graduation gift for a dear nephew. Yes, I do think they are teeth!
To break up this brick pattern, I used a swirly quilting design. The texture that it gives both the front, and the back is fabulous. Now I can’t imagine any other pattern on this project!
It’s so fun when I can find a quilting pattern that matches the print of the fabric. By using contrasting bobbin for the backing, I brought the flowers to the back. Everything is coming up daisies with this one!
Someday I want to make a red and white quilt for myself. But for now, I thoroughly enjoyed working on this one. Red thread in the bobbin gives great texture to the backing, while the red thread on top shows up beautifully in the white border.
If I don’t know the back story on the quilt, sometimes I make up a story to go with it. Two almost identical baby quilts make me think of twins. I don’t know if that is true in this case but it’s fun to imagine these quilts with little quilted paw prints for twins. If not, I am sure two precious babies in separate households will have animal quilts to cherish.
I added a spikey quilt design to this jagged pieced quilt and the result is edgy and rugged. The dark thread adds interest to the plain white squares for a quilt that is serrated and incredible.
This quilt reminds me of looking at an aquarium, so I was inspired to quilt vertical wavy lines and bubbles. I added swimming angel fish to the border and outlined the fish and seaweed for a quilt that captures the beauty of the deep blue sea.
I just love it when the quilts are reversible. One side is a huge, pieced octagon while the other is a framed square in a square. Then to add more variety, I used two different variegated threads. Incredible!
I never tire of making Fireman T Shirt quilts. I was excited to quilt a new fire fighter quilt pattern. While I like the t shirts to be the focus on the front, I make sure the quilting takes the stage on the back of the quilt by using a contrasting color of thread. Magnificent!
I will admit that I was a little daunted when I received a bag of newborn onesies and was asked to make a quilt out of them. After removing seams, zippers and snaps, I cut all the remaining fabric into four and a half inch blocks. The blue border adds just the right touch.
Put your shades on because the colors in this quilt are really that bright and vibrant. And if that were not enough, I used a colorful variegated thread for the quilting. Did you catch the sun shaped circle in the center of the quilt before it sets?
I have been wanting to use this flag quilting pattern for some time and I am excited to find the perfect backdrop for the flags and stars. I think I need to make a patriotic quilt of my own soon.
This quilt makes me think of catch and release trout on the San Juan River. The top is machine appliqued and embroidered and I added the custom quilting. Fabulous gift for this client’s hubby who is an avid fisherman.
What a pumpkin delight! Instead of quilting pumpkins, I chose to quilt pumpkin leaves in a dark orange thread. The backing is light gray, and I chose an autumn color variegated thread, and it is stunning. Welcome to the pumpkin patch!
There are so many things that make this quilt unique. One is the extra wide binding and look at how it is the same size as the fabrics that make up the framed piecing. Another is the use of very dark contrasting thread so that the quilting design is more than just texture. And finally, how the quilt has a pieced back making it reversible. Stupendous!
When you have every color imaginable in the quilt top, what color do you choose to quilt with? Yellow was my choice and it turned out incredible. Subtle but distinctive, the yellow daisies mimic the daisy print for a beautiful floral quilt.
When I saw the backing, I just knew I had to quilt paisleys on this quilt. I used a burgundy thread so it would show and then I matched the color of the binding adding a touch of elegance making this a unique patchwork quilt.
Patriotic quilts just look better when they are quilted with stars! I used white thread, so the design really pops on the red backing. What fun it must have been to collect all the red, white and blue fabrics.
The hardest part of this quilt was trying to decide whether to use a sloth quilting pattern or a star pattern. After much consideration, a swirly star design was chosen and quilted and the results are spectacular.
What fun! My girlfriend and I did this pattern together. Hers has glow in the dark ghostly backing and a delightful collection of Halloween fabrics which differ from the ones that I put on my quilt. She chose a bat quilting design and although the photo doesn’t show it, I used a flame-colored orange in the bobbin so that the back is equally fantastic in the light!
The first question that I get asked when someone sees a quilt that I have custom quilted is, “is that computerized”. I rarely use robotics when I am custom quilting. I find it faster and more enjoyable to free motion quilt it. The answer for this quilt is, “there were no robotics used in the execution of the quilting process”. It is much more labor intensive to get the fills to fit in the unique curves spaces than it is to just drive the machine myself. I did however use straight and curved rulers to set the lines/curves and then free motion to fill the spaces.
Surf’s Up! Everything about this quilt reminds me of ocean waves from the print of the backing, colors and the quilting. I am ready to head to the beach with this quilt!
It’s always fantastic when I get to load one of my own quilts. I was able to use a variety of techniques on this vibrant wall hanging, including ruler work, free motion quilting, thread sketching and robotics. I like this one so much, it is hanging in my studio.
What’s exciting about this quilt is not the dragons, but the fact that it was pieced by one of my client’s daughters. It is always exciting to welcome a new quilter into the fold. I was able to quilt swirling dragons to complete this fantasy quilt and now it resides in her college dorm room.
Take strips and cut them into tumbling blocks and you have a quilt filled with candy corn. I added witches and full moons for a quilt that is sweet and bewitching.
The spooky swirl quilting pattern looks like a chilling fog across this haunted house panel. Look closely and there are mysterious bats in the gloomy pattern.
Fun quilted skeletons dance across this orange Halloween quilt making this quilt truly spooktacular!
Everytime I have seen this style of collage applique, I have seen it quilted in a half inch grid. So, when I was asked to custom quilt this wall hanging I wasn’t sure how it would look. I couldn’t be more delighted with the result. Thread sketching with both salmon and white thread gives realism to the flowered fox, while the background is all about floral quitling. Truly spectacular.
There is plenty of solid space in this quilt to let the quilting shine. I took advantage and used a light blue thread and a delightful flower and feather motif that really pops on the solids. I was told this is a surprise gift for my client’s sister and I know she will be thrilled.
An amazing color combination, together with a terrific layout for sampler blocks and an elegant quilting motif makes this quilt fantastic. It would look fabulous in a guess bedroom
I was requested to take the center pieced top and add borders. The dark red brings out the colors while the black border reflects the black in the quilt. I brought the red and black color scheme to the back by using dark red thread on the black backing and I love how the quilting stands out!
Na-na-na-na BATMAN! Check out the Batman quilting on this themed quilt. Great use of novelty fabrics and solids so that the main panel is the focus.
What a perfect gift for a spiderman fan! I was thrilled to find a spiderman quilting motif and add my superhero touch to this quilt.
This started as a photograph of a man with the road to Jericho in the background. It was then sketched out before the fusible applique work was done. It came to Ideal Stitches only fused. I was challenged to secure all the fabrics as well as thread paint. I used black thread to stitch in the sand dunes, and invisible thread to appli-quilt. Notice all the line work and directionality in the denim jacket. Finally, I finished with a silvery gray embroidery thread to paint in his facial hair. I am so proud of the work here.
Made for a third born baby this quilt is sure to delight. It has the cutest creatures from the sea. I need to get this pattern!
Third in a series of three, this quilt features turquoise fabric and a children’s toy quilting design. I looked for days for the perfect turquoise fabric to coordinate with the blocks. I felt like Goldilocks; this one too blue and that one too green but my perserverance paid off. What a privilege to be part of this project.
Second in the series of Rachel’s Courtyard, this stellar quilt has a star quilting design and navy fabrics. When driving on I-25 in Albuquerque, one can see the courtyard off the sixth floor on the West side of the hospital.
This is the first of three T-shirt quilts that I was commissioned to make. Rachel’s Courtyard is a play area for pediatric patients at an Albuquerque Hospital. This quilt features red sashing and a quilting design full of hearts.
This has been a popular piecing pattern this year, however, this is the first time I have seen it in the bright orange-reds and greens. The fabric is so busy the quilting hardly shows but if you look closely, you can see the hooks and the swirls.
Feathers are also a favorite of mine. Just look at how these feathers dance across the background fabric. The offset layout creates visual interest and keeps your eyes moving.
Fun hexagon shapes just needed contrasting lines. This pattern keeps the quilt looking contemporary and modern. I couldn’t be more pleased with how it turned out.
Swirls must be one of my favorite quilting designs, especially for busy fabrics. This quilt has so much movement and texture now and would be perfect to cuddle up in and read a book with a beachy/ocean setting.
Gentle swirls provide a swirling contrast to the patchwork blocks. It also adds texture to the vivid backing. This quilt is sure to brighten any room!
Fun variegated thread dances across the front of this quilt in a jagged curls. Using a lavender thread for the bobbin, the same design gives fantastic texture to the back. Incredible!
What a great quilt to show off the quilting design. The diagonal triangles look great on both the stripes and the plaid backing. Finished just in time for the mom to gift it to her son as he goes off to college.
To break up the squareness of this quilt, I chose a curve and hook pattern; not too feminine and not too masculine but simply perfect to give movement and texture to the quilt.
Diagonal diamonds just sparkle on this striped quilt. The gold in the thread picks up the gold in the fabric for a stunning combination.
This quilt started as just three little antique handkerchiefs that I was asked to turn into a quilt. Look at how the border fabric picks up all the colors in the handkerchiefs. I saved the bright variegated thread for the back of the quilt and it sure packs a wow factor. I could not be happier with the finished product.
One of my favorite quilt designs is paisley and I am always thrilled when I can use a paisley pattern on a quilt. Matching purple thread in the bobbin looks magnificent on the blue backing. Fabulous and fun, definitely a winner!
I love the layout of the offset diamond on this quilt. I used a rose and heart quilting motif in a light salmon thread and the results are incredible! See for yourself.
If you know me, you know I love the color burgundy, so I fell in love with this quilt the moment it came into Ideal Stitches. I quilted an edgy spiral in a light gray thread. Maybe someday I will make one for myself.
It’s always fun to play with thread choices! For this quilt, I chose a golden thread for the front and a brightly colored variegated thread for the back. Now it’s hard to decide which side of the quilt I like better.
Retirement quilt for a very much-loved colleague. I masked out his face in the photos and quilted a fern pattern inspired by the border fabric. Wish I could have seen his face when he received this quilt.
Fun fabrics, delightful layout and loopy quilt design make this a quilt that is sure to please.
This fun patchwork quilt needed a quilt design to break up the square boxes. The spikey design gives this movement and texture and looks fabulous in the white background fabric.
Here is the final quilt in the series. It’s fun that each side has its own theme from Ghastly line fabrics to Mr. Chillingsworth on a previous quilt. I can wait to get started on my own Halloween quilt project now.
Here is the second in the series of reversible Halloween window quilts. I have so many fun Halloween quilting designs, however, I chose to use the same cobweb design on all three quilts, so they looked like a coordinating set.
First in a series of three quilts that are designed to be reversible and intended for a front window space so they can be hung and enjoyed from both sides. What a clever idea.
Two sisters decided to buy a quilt kit so they could have matching Christmas quilts. Now years later both are addicted to quilting! I am always thrilled to see where it all began. Quilting is a journey, and each quilt marks a spot along the path of creativity.
Look at the shelves of jars and bowls. What a charming collection. I searched for a quilting pattern that would be similar to the border print. I would love to see this hanging in a bright dining room.
My instructions were to do “airy” custom quilting. I knocked this one out of the ballpark. Still very custom but not micro quilted. My client was thrilled.
I just love this pattern. I have one to make myself out of reds, blacks, and off-white fabrics. I just had to quilt hearts and I am thrilled with how the quilting design shows in the background!
Sometimes simple is more! This checkerboard layout is perfect for all the charm squares and the white background highlights the quilting. Simply Charming!
Soft yellow backing inspired me to quilt ruffled roses. Hard to see but I used a yellow thread that just looks great in the white background. This rose garden quilt will be blooming all year long.
This scrappy quilt just begged for bubbles, and they are perfect for adding texture to this blocky quilt. This large quilt is sure to chase away the cold on winter evenings.
Black, white, and pink are an award-winning color combination in my book. What a terrific layout, almost modern southwest but definitely contemporary! I added a triangle geometric quilting pattern that compliments the front and adds dimension to the back! Magnificent!
If you know me, you know I love PINK! Terrific accents and a magnificent pink backing make this a delight to work on!
X marks the spot on this treasure map quilt! Add some maze-like quilting and you can enjoy your treasure hunt for a good long while! What a fun quilt to use up the scraps from previous projects.
Look at the color combination on this quilt. Reds, pinks and purple with a dot of turquoise could have been inspired by a New Mexico sunset. Because the piecework is set diagonally, I chose a pattern that contrasted in vertical and horizontal stitching. Incredible!
Halloween quilts must be one of my favorites to quilt. Grinning pumpkins are quilted with a bright orange thread making this quilt spooktacular!
This client always makes reversible quilts. The front has checkerboard block layout, while the back is set in a striped pattern. The seashell design is quilted in a dark blue thread and the result is incredible. Add an extra wide binding and the quilt is truly one of a kind.
The center of the sunflowers is a beautiful gold swirl fabric. Not only did I use the swirl pattern for the quilting design, but I also masked the fabric out to draw attention to it. It’s the attention to the tiny details that makes a quilt spectacular.
Out of all the quilts that I have finished for this client, this is her very first quilt top. I am so glad she chose to have it quilted. The burgundy thread is perfect for displaying the flower and swirl quilting pattern.
This quilt was so much fun to work on. I quilted quarter, half and whole sunflowers in the background and then added leaves and swirls. Pebbles, loops, and vines decorate the pieced sunflowers. For the yellow border I finally gave up the handles and let the robotics shine. I wish I could have kept this one!
There is so much motion in the piecing that you can feel the winds! Taking my inspiration from the backing, I quilted doves and swirls. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Golden sunflowers make this a great Autumn quilt. If you look closely, you can also see pumpkins. Perfect for going on a picnic at the Corn Maize or Pumpkin Patch!
Quilting makes the quilt! The gold-colored quilting adds so much interest and dimension to the cream background.
This baby sized quilt almost looks like a mosaic made from colored glass. The circle within circle quilting design is both subtle and distinctive. What a great gift for the new baby in any family.
Sometimes the quilting just must be subtle. Beautiful stitching shows up on the blue fabrics but melts away on the colorful prints. Great combination for an incredible quilt.
Reds and blacks make up this festive quilt. There is just enough cream fabric to show the quilting texture and enough black fabric to show the quilting stitches. Let’s celebrate!
More complex than the basic nine patch this quilt is stunning. Again, I brought the design from the backing to the front of the quilt in the quilting design. Lavender thread was the perfect accent.
Stunning hot pink applique flowers on a vivid black background. Another quilt in my color palette. Add subtle quilting and this quilt is ready to bloom!
What a delight to quilt this incredible medallion quilt. I chose a flower pattern that brings the print of the backing to the front but used an invisible thread so that the piecing stays center stage. If I could have kept this quilt, I would have, as the colors are in my palette.
From plain to electrifying, this wall hanging is spectacular. The secret is wool batting to give it dimension and a thread color that blends with the main feature but lights up on the plain background. Incredible what a little quilting can do.
Whimsical floral quilting design shows well on this black background. Fun use of a wide variety of colored fabrics. Which is your favorite block?
This quilt has double batting and a minky backing and it is excellent for giving great definition to the custom stitching. I used a pale teal thread and it looks amazing on the white background. I know this is a gift for a special sister that is much appreciated. I love being a part of such personal gifts.
Wonderful memory quilts made for two sisters. One with red and the other with orange. Both with cuddly gray minky backing. I quilted a heart around the picture of their dad to that it is the feature of the quilt.
This quilt has all the colors of the rainbow! The contrast of neutral grays and blacks is striking. I added texture and movement with a stacked wavy quilting design. I would love to see this in a bedroom; the design possibilities are endless.
This delightful baby quilt is exciting to look at on both the front and the back! I quilted two jungle animal pantographs and now there are also plenty of animals to look for in the quilting.
Careful placement of light and dark fabrics make an elongated hexagon shape. How cool is that? Add a curl and a wave quilting design and this quilt top is out of the cedar chest and ready to be used.
This project came as a dismantled duvet cover, and I was asked to turn this into a quilt. Deep vibrant colored backing was added and then an amazing array of hummingbirds were chosen to be quilted. From plain duvet to an incredible garden of hummingbirds, this project turned out spectacular.
This is such a great quilt top pattern to feature large scale floral fabrics. This is the fourth variation that I have quilted, and I have been entranced with all of them. This quilt is full of bright red poppies and if you look closely, I have used a poppy design to create a stunning flower garden.
And here we have it, a matching table runner to the red, white and blue quilt. Add a summer picnic and fireworks and we are ready for the Fourth of July. Happy Independence Day!
Red, white and blue fabrics come together to make this patriotic quilt. I added quilted stars and a bright red binding and this is ready for summer. All we need now is a matching tablerunner.
Fussy cut unicorns are at the heart of the shooting star blocks. I added a windy, swirly quilting pattern to add even more movement. Time to make a wish!
Soft and soothing color palette of yellows, greens and lavenders are the basis for this charming pieced and applique quilt. Add quilted dragonflies and you have a beautiful garden.
I am almost sorry that winter is over. This fuzzy quilt looks simply perfect for hot chocolate and reading novels. The fabrics are a combination of flannels and chenille. Oh, and please add marshmallows to my hot chocolate.
This has been in the making since the 70’s. Hand cross stitch in separate panels finally came together as a queen size quilt top. Very thin quilting thread gives texture without taking away from the cross-stitch design. A finished quilt to cherish!
Pretty gold thread to bring out the gold in the sashing was perfect for showing the quilting pattern in the solid black fabrics. Gray silver thread blends on the backing so that the fabric print can shine. One of my favorite things to do is choose threads for a quilt!
Fun quilt designed by a local artist and a dear quilting friend. I just had to do this project. The quilting is dense so that the design shows in the “night sky”, curls and stars. I have just enough leftovers to make a coordinating pillowcase. Now if I can just find the time.
Living in the landing zone of the International Balloon Fiesta, I just had to make this quilt. Bright and vivid colors are just like the October skies in Albuquerque. My next door “daughter” loves everything Balloon Fiesta! This was the perfect gift for her wedding.
Two block wonder layout! Quick and easy for making a baby quilt! The tonal fabrics have subtle dragonflies, so I chose a similar quilting pattern to bring the design to the back of the quilt. Almost ready for gifting.
Fun novelty fabric, brightly colored pieced blocks and variegated thread make this a quilt that is sure to please. My close up shot has needle holes from a spot on the quilt that didn’t pass Ideal Stitches quality control. Stitches removed and redone. Needle holes will relax and disappear. I am always striving for the highest quality workmanship.
Bright colored bow tie blocks in a fabulous diagonal setting make this a vibrant quilt. I took my inspiration from the print on the background fabric and quilted this project with a coordinating quilt design.
Quilted ferns dance their way across this brightly colored quilt that is sure to be a summer pleaser! It’s like taking a vacation in your own home.
During the 2021 block of the month, I did an additional block each month: this time with solid batiks from my stash and pastel colored background fabric. I couldn’t wait to quilt it with custom blocks and doodle quilting in the background. Glad this is my quilt and it didn’t have to go back to a customer.
Charming wall hanging made from recycled silk ties! Add snowflakes in a silvery metallic thread and it’s perfect for the holidays.
Spinning windmill blocks inspired me to quilt spirals and bubbles across this quilt. The texture is incredible and it added amazing dimension.
This was a block of the month from a local quilt shoppe. It’s fun for me to get the same quilt made in different color and fabric schemes. Love the browns and the teals in this one.
This piecer was gifted with having her quilt top professionally custom quilted by her husband. He was as excited as she was to see the quilt when it was finished!
This quilt has a wide variety of fabrics from quilting cottons, lightweight upholstery fabric to the mauve bedspread used for the backing. While I knew my Innova could handle the stitching, I was a little worried about the backing. It handled well and surpassed my expectations. Glad I could bring this project to completion.
When I received this scrappy log cabin, I was asked to bring it to life. I added a golden border and a feather curl quilting pattern in bright yellow thread. Quilting CPR in action!
Taking my queue from the backing fabric, I quilted a damask all over pattern. The result is lovely and adds just the right touch of old world charm.
This quilt is not planned for a baby, YET. However, my client wanted it quilted and ready to gift. The backing is a soft white minky, oh, so cuddly.
Almost too pretty to use as a baby quilt. I had a delightful time custom quilting on this project.
Signal flags, sharks and a skull and crossbones set the stage for this Murder Mystery Quilt. Add a pirate themed quilting design and you have a killer quilt.
Sometimes a block of the month is just that, but not this one! Fantastic layout with beautiful blues and grays. Swirls makes it spectacular.
Just amazing what a little variegated thread can do! This quilt went from fine to fabulous!
Holly leaves and berries in a shiny gold thread brings Christmas to the back of the quilt while complimenting the jolly holiday fabrics on the front. This quilt almost gets me in the mood for early Christmas shopping, almost!
Swirling snowflakes blow across this embroidered quilt. This makes me almost sorry that the winter weather is almost over.
The dark brown fabric is the perfect background for the whimsical daisy quilting design Almost as delicious as a box of chocolates.
Everything about this quilt is spectacular; from the pops of turquoise against the orange to the modern quilt design. What a great way to use scrappy blocks!!
This quilt came as a bag of fabric as I was asked to piece it before quilting it. To be honest, the quilting was the easiest part of this quilt. I love the way it turned out.
Red and blue checkerboard blocks, handkerchief four patches and a Buffalo Bills backing make a great football quilt. Add a football quilting design and you have a real winner.
Antique Lace (close up 1)
Antique Lace (close up 2)
Antique Lace (close up 3)
Antique Lace (front)
Antique Lace (back)
What a fantastic way to showcase antique lace doilies, handkerchiefs and linen napkins. The white napkins were the perfect place to do featherwork, otherwise the key features were outlined to feature the lace. The background fill is an allover ground cover that brings out the antique lace. The quilt work is amazing when seen on the backing.
Handkerchief Dancers (close up)
Handkerchief Dancers (back)
Handkerchief Dancers (close up #2)
Handkerchief Dancers (front)
Festive wall hanging features both machine embroidery and antique handkerchiefs. The background quilting was inspired by the border fabric! I love the extra detail of quilting a skirt outline underneath the handkerchief skirts. So creative.
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