09/19/2024
I’ve never posted this quilt, but it’s one of my favorites and deserves a spot on the grid. It was a pandemic make, and the inspiration was actually a cheesy 80s pastel photo backdrop. I just wanted low contrast, lots of solids, and texture. There are little bits of metallic and Swiss dot fabrics scattered throughout, and I quilted it with a simple, all-over motif. It’s similar to the first thing I ever learned on a longarm quilting machine—“E’s and L’s”. I’ve tweaked it a bit and I now think of it as “pretend cursive” because that’s what the movements feel like. It has such an easy rhythm and is still one of my favorite ways to quickly quilt something when I just want lots of crinkly texture. (Swipe to zoom out on the quilt.)
Pretend Cursive will be one of the first of several textural designs we’ll practice in my upcoming Free-Motion Hacks class, before we build up to creating custom designs. This class is basically everything I wish I’d known when I started free-motion quilting, and helps you build a library of designs you can use. It’s designed for both domestic machine users and longarmers. And students can bring quilts to class for help in deciding how to quilt them! You can join me either in person or online via Zoom. Deets at supposeco.com.
