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free motion quilting

Longarm Quilting

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Colorful patchwork pillows and quilts on backseat

by kustomkwilts

Free Quilt Pattern Alert! Super easy I Spy Quilt pattern to ease your pain on long road trips with the kids

How many times have you been in the car, loaded up the kids to go to grandma's house, and heard that horrible, awful question...(queue the Jaws music)..."Are we there yet?"  or better yet..."I'm Boooooooored."   I Spy Quilt loaded up and ready to go! I know we're all super busy in the summer, and it makes finding time to sew pretty difficult.  But now you have a great reason to bust out the sewing machine--you're going to cure the kids of their road trip boredom by making them an I Spy Quilt!  All you really need are some random novelty prints or scraps--even seasonal fabrics are great for this.  The great thing about this quilt is that NONE of the fabrics need to be cohesive for this to work.  You have a print with elephants?  Elves?  Pirates?  Cactus?  Ballerinas?  They're all perfect!  The more random the assortment of your fabrics, the longer the kids will be staring at this quilt, absolutely stumped.   Your layout can be totally random, too!  I tried to lay my squares out from dark to light,but you can try grouping them by color, theme, etc.   I had the privilege of teaming up with Janome to write this tutorial for American Quilter's Society.  So follow this pretty little LINK and head over to get the skinny on how to put this awesome little lifesaver together!   I quilted mine with some sweet little swirls that were fast and easy!   Okay, so in all honesty, making this quilt won't be the end of you ever hearing those two comments from the back seat again, but what the heck!  It's worth a shot isn't it?  ;)

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A book cover with different designs on it.

by kustomkwilts

Free-Motion Framework book - Giveaway!

I am delighted to announce that I had the honor of contributing to Jen Eskridge's new book from CT Publishing called Free-Motion Framework. It's an amazing book that offers tips and tricks for really building your free motion quilting skills. There are so many amazing contributors (17, in fact!) in Jen's book, you've really gotta check it out! Keep on reading to the bottom for two separate chances to win![caption id="attachment_934" align="aligncenter" width="240"] Free-Motion Framework Book[/caption]Head over HERE to leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway! Jen will be announcing the winner on June 19th (entry closes June 18). Prizes include: Clover marking tools, Clover Wonderclips, HandiQuilter machine quilting rulers, and a couple of copies of the book! AND...For a second chance to win, I'm giving away a copy as well, courtesy of C&T Publishing! Head over to Instagram @kustomkwilts and enter for your chance to win a copy of the book by: Following my instagram account @kustomkwilts Liking the giveaway post Tag a friend! You must do all three to be entered to win! My giveaway will close Sunday, July 10 and I'll announce the winner Monday July 11, 2018. The giveaway hosted by me is closed. Congratulations to Marnie Anderson on winning a copy of the book!Free-Motion Framework launched at Spring Quilt Market this past May, and is available on Amazon now. Check it out here! The book includes ten designs that can be transferred to a whole cloth or a single piece of fabric as your quilting guide. I quilted two of the samples included in the book, and really loved how simple the process was for transferring the design to the fabric and then starting to plan your quilting ideas.[caption id="attachment_935" align="aligncenter" width="300"] One of my samples in Free-Motion Framework[/caption]Jen gives lovely suggestions for how to create your own designs and fill the area creatively. This book is a wonderful exercise in working out your quilting muscles and trying something new. The skills to be gained from this are limitless, but I found that it really helped me plan block based quilting designs much more efficiently and gave me some new ideas I hadn't tried before. I really like the idea of using hand guided free motion quilting in conjunction with some simple ruler work and straight lines.[caption id="attachment_939" align="aligncenter" width="300"] A peek at the corner of my other sample in the book[/caption]The picture above is the corner of another of my samples in the book. The designs provided in the book are so simple to use and provide a great study on symmetry in your whole cloth work. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy so I can quilt up some more of these quilts. Don't forget to follow the link in the second paragraph to comment for a chance to win some great prizes in this blog tour of Free-Motion Framework!Stop by each blog this week for a possible chance to win a copy ofFree-Motion Framework. (International winners, outside the USA, will receive a digital copy.) Monday | June 4 ReannaLily Designs (here!) C & T Publishing Tuesday | June 5 Joey's Quilting Co Helen Ernst Longarm Quilting Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC The Blog Thursday | June 7 Wise Craft Handmade Friday | June 8 Kustom Kwilts Living Water Quilter Seamingly Slawson Quilts – Susan Lawson

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Colorful geometric star and flower patchwork quilt

by kustomkwilts

Gems in the Night Sky Quilt (Dear Jane-ISH Quilt)

I played with the quilt design for the Gems in the Night Sky Quilt in EQ7 for probably a week straight before I had my final layout the way I wanted it.  I changed the background fabric, moved blocks around, completely deleted blocks, changed color arrangement, the list goes on and on.  It's funny how after you're done with something, all the time you spent on it just kind of vanishes, and you don't think about the labor of love you put into it.  This quilt.  All the hearts.  I had the awesome chance to design and make this quilt for Janome's brand new machine launch--the 9400.  I'm not going to lie, this quilt took FOREVER.  But packing it in a shipping box and saying goodbye forever was nearly as difficult as giving away your first born. And then I saw the picture of it on the Janome website once the machine was released, and it was like seeing photos of a long lost friend.  And I might have squealed out loud at the top of my lungs :)So there were 81 blocks- with 9 different block constructions.  At first glance it kind of looks like someone took a Dear Jane quilt and dumped a bucket of modern over it (which is fine with me!), but if you look a little closer, you will see the blocks are just made with alternating colors and arranged in a way that it deceives you into thinking there are a lot of different blocks in this quilt.  This was pieced with the Michael Miller Cotton Couture bundle that's available at Janome dealers, and the background fabric is Anna Maria Horner's True colors- filigree in dusk.  I think the combination is just dreamy.  Sometimes I love the backs of quilts more than the front.  I like to press my seams open to eliminate a lot of bulk when I quilt.  And then it was quilted with Stitch in the ditch around the bright colors and heavily quilted on all of the AMH fabric.  I had to keep this a secret for so long, that I nearly forgot about it once the machine was finally released.  So I'm finally able to share and show my little labor of love.  

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Two women standing next to each other in front of a wall.

by kustomkwilts

Get your Graffiti Quilting on!

more https://youtu.be/vXTB15Hm_EU If you're ready to add another tool to your quilting arsenal, graffiti quilting is an awesome one to have. A few years ago (when I was prego with Gemma), Karlee Porter visited our guild to teach her Graffiti Quilting workshop. Also, I love Guns N Roses. I just saw them in concert a few days before this, so the shirt I bought there was getting some heavy use! Ever since I found Karlee, I've been a serious fan girl--so I jumped at the chance to take the class. I learned so much from that workshop and the techniques Karlee taught stuck with me and influence my personal quilting style. Karlee Porter and me in 2016 at her Graffiti Quilting workshop for SAMQG A SWEET DEAL Since COVID has busted into the room and ruined everyone's in person plans, now is the perfect time to sign up for Karlee's Graffiti Quilting Master Class ONLINE! July 1 registration opens, and the class is the cheapest you'll be able to get it for. So it's best to sign up early! Karlee has given me a coupon code to share with you for an additional $50 off KKGQ50 (good through Sep. 11, 2020). Seriously, this is the best deal ever. No travel expenses, you get to learn in your pajamas if you want, you don't even have to brush your hair--it's basically heaven on earth! Class starts September 12, 2020--keep reading for the full class details. I took some time out yesterday to play around and grabbed my favorite Glide Threads and some grey Kona cotton to do some Graffiti Quilting. I took some time lapse videos and combined them into a short little youtube video (top of the post). This video will give you a tiny glimpse into what you'll learn from Karlee. There is no instruction in my video--you'll get all of that from the Masterclass (and so much more). My fun Graffiti quilting practice from yesterday :) Graffiti Quilting Masterclass Details *EARLY BIRD TIERED PRICING! SAVE UP TO $75!!!*July: $325August: $350September: $375 In this class you'll receive:-Graffiti Quilting Vol. 2 Book-Graffiti Quilting Coloring Book-Zinger lapel scissor holder-Mini snip scissors courtesy of Famore Cutlery-A printed syllabus and schedule, list of supplies and recommendations-A comprehensive coupon book containing discounts and promotions from our amazing sponsors (see list below)-Homemade Caramels from Karlee's kitchen-Access to Private Facebook Group for the duration of the class, as well as at least 3 months after the 8 weeks have ended-First priority social media correspondence from Karlee for the duration of the class Sign up for the Class I can't say enough good things about Karlee and her teaching style. You can read all the details and sign up for her class here. Even though I quilt mostly on my longarm, I took this class using my domestic sewing machine. Here's part of what I created in class that day, with Karlee's expert guidance: My first Graffiti quilting in 2016 on my domestic sewing machine in Karlee's class This type of quilting is so freeing and fun--I know you'll love it. If you'd like to see some of the ways I've used graffiti quilting, you can check out these posts below: Graffiti Quilting Honest Fabric When I went to Karlee's workshop Charity Quilts for Pulse Have fun and go get your Graffiti Quilt on!!

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Signature patchwork quilt featuring boat blocks

by kustomkwilts

How to quilt feathered swirls

Have you ever wanted to combine a couple of different quilting motifs, but didn't know where to start? In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to use feathers and swirls together to quilt feathered swirls! Learning how to quilt feathered swirls will give you another great tool for your quilting tool box and you'll be able to tackle that negative space in your quilt in no time at all! Video tutorial - how to quilt feathered swirls https://youtu.be/MBSbQyV8BPE more Using feathered swirls in you quilt Here are some examples of quilts I've used feathered swirls in. I'm showing my successes and not so successes in these, so you can see how these look in different quilts. Example quilts Antique quilt with feathered swirls This first quilt is an antique quilt that my lovely friend Amy picked up at an estate sale. It was in relatively good condition for being around 80 years old, and it needed a fairly dense all over. The feathered swirls work really well in this top because you can see the quilting, but you also see the quilt first and foremost. Modern quilt with feathered swirls This second quilt is a good example of a pattern that is pretty complex and has lots of prints. If I'd had more time, I would have custom quilted this one and used some straight lines and ruler work. You can see the quilting, but it tends to try to compete a little with the fabric and quilt pattern--and that's not usually the outcome I like to have. Live and learn, right!? Also, I used hot pink thread on this, and a blending thread--maybe a silver would have been a little more subtle. Now this third quilt is the jackpot. The background is a nice light solid, and the quilting motif does a good job of adding texture, but not overdoing it so much that you don't see the piecing work. My sweet friend Loretta pieced this darling elephant quilt as a baby gift. You can also scale up the design and make it larger so the quilts are more luscious and soft. And this fourth example is kind of a mix to me...the pattern is really busy and the fabrics are too. Straight lines would have been superb on this to help the quilt pattern stand out, but the client opted for this motif--which is okay!! She loved the look of it, and it does add a bit of a feminine touch to the quilt. The quilting can't really be seen in the center, but it is seen on the outer borders where the fabric is more low volume. Putting it into practice I hope you'll take a look at these quilts I've used feathered swirls on and take them into consideration when deciding to use feathered swirls. Think about the end product and what the complete quilt will look like. It is a really great fill when using solid fabrics, or filling the space in the background of a block. And it's perfect for an easy all over that you want to use to add texture. Have fun with it and go practice those feathered swirls! Other free motion quilting tutorials If you like feathered swirls, take a look at the basic components. I did some video tutorials of feathers and swirls separately that you might be interested in before trying this one out. You can see more videos at my youtube channel. Until next time, happy sewing!! -Joanna

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A quilt with different colored triangles on it.

by kustomkwilts

How to quilt stacked swirls

Good Monday morning! I'm so excited to share a new video tutorial with you this morning. I just LOVE to quilt stacked swirls in the background of quilt blocks and in negative space. They create amazing texture and fill up a space without a lot of thought and concentration. This video will show you how to quilt stacked swirls and how to navigate to the spaces you want to quilt. more Quilting it I used Kona Cotton Splash (the Kona color of the year) and white Glide thread by Hab+Dash for high visibility quilting. Typically, I would use a blending thread color when quilting this in the background of a block. I like to use blending threads because I want the quilting to show, but not compete with the design and piecing of the quilt. Contrasting thread colors definitely have their place, and should be used with discretion. After all, this is YOUR quilt, and YOU should get to decide the thread colors, right!? Check it out :) I hope you'll take a quick look at this tutorial and see how easy it is to quilt this fill. Quilting round motifs is very simple and repetitive. These are easy to perfect with just a little practice, and you will probably find that you won't even have to doodle for very long before your swirls look great! How to quilt swirls video tutorial https://youtu.be/RYTFxdpWBis Quilts that I've used this fill on I thought I'd show some practical examples of quilts I've used this fill on so you can see it in context. Stacked swirls are a great way to add texture without drawing the viewers eye away from the focal point of the piecing on the quilt. Check out some of these quilts I quilted with stacked swirls: Cheeky Churn Dash This first quilt is my Cheeky Churn Dash quilt. It's a great quilt for using layer cakes or 10" precuts. If you want to really show off a fabric line, this is the perfect pattern for it! You can see that I really love to pair stacked swirls with simple ruler work. You can see the quilting but it doesn't stand there shouting, "HEY!!! Look at me and not the fabulous quilt!" As a pattern designer, I would hate for the actual quilt to not be seen for the quilting on it. We spend so much time piecing our quilts that time and thought really needs to go into planning the quilting motifs used. And as a longarm quilter, I love for my quilting to be seen, but not at the expense of the maker's work. It needs to be an equal relationship where both parts can be valued and appreciated. Cheeky Churn Dash Katelen's Applique Now below are a couple of pics of my dear friend Katelen P.'s quilt. Katelen is SO talented and creates these amazing appliqued animals. Quilting the stacked swirls behind her applique really makes the animals pop and helps them stay the focal point of the quilt. It's really important when picking quilt designs that you don't upstage the maker's work on the quilt. Quilting is there to help the quilt shine and not overpower it (that's just MY opinion ;). Dreamer's Star This is my Dreamer's Star quilt that I quilted stacked swirls in the background of. The swirls pair so nicely with a little ruler work to really show off the quilt design and the gorgeous fabrics used. Dreamer's Star Above is a close up of the stacked swirls. You can see how much texture it adds without taking away from the quilt design. One of my favorites!!! I hope you'll give this motif a try. Quilting stacked swirls is just a breeze, and I know you'll get in the groove of them in no time! Happy sewing!

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A cake stand with cupcakes on it and a microphone

by kustomkwilts

Ice Cream, You Scream Quilt FREE PATTERN

Who wants a free Ice Cream, You Scream Quilt Pattern? Well today is your lucky day!!!You have to check out this adorable fabric line Michael Miller Fabrics just released. The line is called Ice Cream, You Scream and the colors are everything! Also, there's this border print that is just dying to be put in a quilt (or made into a little girl's skirt!!), and nearly makes me swoon! I got a chance to get my hands on this fabric to design a quilt for the release, and I'm not gonna lie...I spent a few hours just playing with the fabric and coordinating Cotton Couture. It features sweet ice cream cones, sundaes, and the best stripes. It reminded me of the 4th of July and ice cream socials and everything pure in the world. The best part is, Michael Miller Fabrics is offering this pattern as a freebie--you can get your own PDF pattern download from their website.[caption id="attachment_944" align="aligncenter" width="881"] Ice Cream, You Scream Quilt - Picture from Michael Miller Fabrics website[/caption]The pattern is for "confident beginners", which just means you need a general knowledge of foundation paper piecing and fussy cutting. I fussy cut the border pieces so the ice cream sundaes were centered along the center of the borders, and the cornerstones in the border were fussy cut to showcase the cute little ice cream phrases on the fabric.I had a blast designing and piecing the quilt. I had even more fun quilting it! I used Glide thread (from Hab+Dash) and Quilter's Dream batting in the quilt. I used a few different colors of thread and matched them to the different fabrics. Most of the quilting was handguided free motion quilting, with the assistance of straight rulers for the grids.[caption id="attachment_946" align="aligncenter" width="348"] Ice Cream Cone Quilting[/caption][caption id="attachment_952" align="aligncenter" width="669"] Cornerstone block quilting[/caption]I'd love to see what you do with the pattern--the foundation paper piecing blocks are pretty quick to sew up. Just remember to shorten your stitch length (I like to use 1.5) so the paper is perforated enough to tear away easily and print your paper piecing templates at 100%. Then add your sashing and borders and voila! Don't forget to grab your free copy, and check out the pattern (pictured below). Happy sewing!!![caption id="attachment_953" align="aligncenter" width="232"] Ice Cream, You Scream Quilt[/caption]

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A close up of a yellow quilt with blue stitching

by kustomkwilts

Inspired Free-Motion Quilting (and giveaway!)

This has been such a busy and exciting week for me! I had a little time away from sewing celebrating the Christmas season with our family (and our daycare was closed for almost two weeks--insert the screaming face emoji here ;). All joking aside, it was wonderful to get to spend so much time with the family and remember what's important in life! I hope you were able to rest, recharge, and be around the people you love. Photo courtesy of C&T Publishing One thing I'm super pumped about is Amanda Leins and Bill Volckening's new book Inspired Free-Motion Quilting. The book is described as "90 Antique designs reinterpreted for today's quilter". I do a lot of custom quilting, and this book is really inspirational, as far as brainstorming designs goes. There are pages of antique quilts with really amazing quilting designs, along with step-by-step instructions on how to execute and master each design. It's a great reference for seasoned quilters and beginners alike. I'm so excited to be a part of the Inspired Free-Motion Quilting blog hop and team up with Mandy Leins and C&T Publishing to give away one free PDF copy (that means the giveaway is open internationally!!!) of this awesome book! Read to the end for details on how to enter. As soon as I was able to flip through Inspired Free-Motion Quilting, two designs immediately caught my eye that I knew exactly what I wanted to use them for. My two favorite motifs from the book are "Double lines and orange peel" and "Echoed Crosshatch". I really enjoy making bags (in addition to the quilting I do), and I like to add a bit of decorative quilting to the exterior of the bag, if I'm able to. I had a new pattern I was really excited to try--The Gloss Cosmetic Bag by Sew Sweetness (Sara Lawson). The pattern is available with purchase of the Minikins Season 2 pattern bundle on Sara's site. This is a really great way to spice up some solid fabric--and solid colors show off the quilting with less distractions than prints. I cut the green linen-canvas fabric I had slightly larger than the pattern called for and quilted it prior to assembling the pattern. I loved the instructions and diagrams that are included with the book--they really leave no room for error, even if you're just starting out. I'm really thrilled with how impactful the design is that I selected from the book. I chose "Double Lines and Orange Peel" for a classic motif that would really look great on a cosmetic bag. I love the definition and texture it gives the solid--in what would otherwise be a really boring cosmetic bag. It's not as easy to see in the picture, but I opted to skip the orange peels on the patterned fabric on the bottom of the case, and only quilted the echoed crosshatch. I quilted the bag components on my longarm, but it would be easy to do this sort of quilting on a domestic. Just pop on a walking foot and measure out your straight lines, and follow the simple instructions for free-motion quilting the orange peels between the lines to finish up. I used a slightly contrasting thread color for a little pop, but I'm dying to make another in black canvas with black thread for subtle texture and style. Amanda and Bill do a fantastic job of sharing some amazing antique quilts and their in depth knowledge of how to reproduce the motifs, and I highly recommend Inspired Free-Motion Quilting as a must have reference for quilters! Make sure you read below to enter the giveaway, and check out the other blog hop participants' posts for more chances to win! January 7: C&T Publishing, Bill Volckening January 8: Amanda Murphy of Amanda Murphy Design, Kim Lapacek of Persimmon Dreams January 9: Teri Lucas, Lynn Harris, Debby Brown of Debby Brown Quilts January 10: Robin Koehler of NESTLINGS by Robin, Mary Abreu ofConfessions of a Craft Addict , Patty Murphy of Patty Murphy Handmade January 11: Joanna Marsh of Kustom Kwilts, and Amanda Leins of Mandalei Quilts Giveaway Details Here's what you came for!! C&T Publishing has so generously allowed me to give away one PDF copy of Inspired Free-Motion Quilting. All you need to do to enter is like my Instagram post and tag a friend in the comments OR leave a comment on THIS blog post telling me why you're excited to get a copy of this book! The giveaway is open internationally and will close Sunday, January 13, 2019 at 6:00 PM, CST. The winner will be notified by me soon thereafter. Good luck!!!  

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Sewing projects: pillows and fabric storage basket

by kustomkwilts

Lemon Slice Picnic Blanket

This may seem a little redundant, seeing as how I already participated in Erin's blog hop for SewHome, BUT I had to talk about the really unique Picnic Blanket (Quilt) that I also had the opportunity to work on for the book. SewHome by Erin Schlosser, photo by C&T Publishing I can't stop thinking about how unique and practical the projects are in Erin Schlosser's new book.  For real, y'all.  I've bought fabric and supplies to make my top 6 favorite projects in the book (who knows when I'll have time to do it!!!). Lemon Slice Picnic Blanket, photo by C&T Publishing So, this is the Lemon Slice Picnic Blanket, and it is too cool for school!  The ingenious part is that the backing is with laminated cotton--so you don't have to worry about getting grass stains on the back of it.  Erin asked me to quilt this for the book, and it was so much fun to do.  I just had to share this and, if I'm being honest, don't be surprised if there are more posts from Erin's book in the future.

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Quilt with colorful animal silhouettes

by kustomkwilts

Quilting applique and some modern maples

I just love some good free motion quilting! Last month, I quilted some amazing client quilts. One quilt was a BOM from a local quilt shop - Sew Special in San Antonio, TX, and another was pieced by Kasandra Lee from the SAMQG. The first quilt I mentioned was a quilt pieced by Katelen Postert that started as a traditional BOM using Moda's Grunge line. Katelen added her own special touch and added some amazing animal appliques to really make this quilt special. Katelen is so talented, and that mini-parade of wildlife strolling down the center of the quilt is just perfection![caption id="attachment_1035" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Katelen's Quilt[/caption]When I met with Katelen for her quilting consultation, we decided on some clean straight line quilting (not too dense), and outline the appliques with some stitch in the ditch and surround them with medium-sized swirls. I used Glide thread in a 50 wt. light teal color that matched the duck (along with a lighter cream color for the swirls), and used a single layer of Quilter's Dream Wool batting.[caption id="attachment_1034" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Duck Applique[/caption][caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Longarm View[/caption]I was so in love with Katelen's color choices and her addition of the applique was such an awesome touch. Here's a portion of the finished quilt with the applique. Bravo Katelen!!![caption id="attachment_1033" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Katelen's quilt[/caption]Kasandra's quilt was just as exciting for me to quilt. She did a great modern maple quilt with lots of negative space in a cool color palette.[caption id="attachment_1038" align="aligncenter" width="251"] Kasandra's Quilt[/caption]I did some diagonal straight line quilting within the maple leaves to follow the lines of the piecing, and then added some free flowing swirls to the background. The batting used was Quilter's Dream Orient for a functional, soft, and drapey quilt that will be useful in a hot climate.[caption id="attachment_1037" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Longarm View[/caption]And these are the free-flowing swirls I did in the negative space. This is truly one of my favorite fills to do, and so relaxing to get lost in![caption id="attachment_1036" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Swirls![/caption]I'm so happy I can share these quilts made by some very talented women. I love mixing a little free motion quilting with ruler work and I think it makes the quilt really stand out without being overly done. Hope you're getting to do some lovely sewing this week!

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