When new doors open...

You know when you have those times in your life when your just going about doing what you usually do and then a new opportunity to better your self or your craft just kind of drops right in your lap?!?!  Well, I've been very lucky in the last few years to have a few opportunities like those.  I'm super duper lucky, and very blessed!  That's for sure.  Recently I had one of those very opportunities given to me.  It all started with me just doing my thing, and quilting away. 

 

I had a client come and drop of a quilt her daughter had made her for her birthday, pictured below...cute right!!  She had been looking at some recent pictures or seen some quilts that I had quilted for her friends, and came requesting the swirly feather design I've done many a times.  But, she wanted me to add some flowers..."sure I thought, I've added other things before that should be no problem and would look great with these fabrics" from Bonnie and Camille, by Moda.  So, I hung her quilt up and didn't think much of it until I was ready to quilt it. 

 After getting it all pinned on, I started to quilt.  Just like with any all over pattern things can change up a little bit, especially when its all free hand.  So with the added flowers came the added stem, pointy leaves, mini feathers and long swirly stems.  After I quilted this flower I LOVED it!! (pictured below)  I took a picture and decided to post it on instagram, my favorite quilty place of inspiration.  I often refer back to other quilts I've quilted for ideas, and I follow some pretty amazing machine quilters of all kinds who inspire me each day.  Well...I quickly got a response from a quilter named Abby, asking if I wouldn't mind digitizing this flower for her and those quilters who don't free hand, into a pantograph.  I didn't know where to start, and neither did she.  Haha!  I did remember seeing a few pictures that the very talented Natalia Bonner had posted, of some designs that she had digitized.  So, I asked her if she could help point me in the right direction.  She offered to email me and was the perfect person to ask!  She shared with me a couple of different options, but ultimately said I would have the best experience working with the incredible Patricia Ritter at Urban Elementz.  I found an email from the website and the next thing I knew I was working with Patricia on our very first design, all inspired by this flower.  Which will be available in a club set in the coming months.  

This opportunity is all the more amazing because I have never used a pantograph, every design I do is free motion.  Meaning I completely control the designs the machine is doing.  There are times when I've used rulers for the straight lines, but everything else is completely free hand.  No computer added to my machine.  So, for those of you who have no clue what a pantograph is...and I myself have learned a lot from Patricia and Natalie in the past couple months, here is a brief explanation.  A pantograph is a design that has been digitized to be available in paper and digital form.  A paper pantograph can be used by laying it on the table that is underneath the longarm quilting machine, then the quilter will position the design where it is best centered in either the block, if its a block design, or center it for an edge to edge design.  Then after lowering the needle the quilter will start quilting using a laser light and trace the lines on the paper of the design.  This is rather amazing to me, because the quilter can't see/and or isn't paying attention to the quilt top, because they are quilting from the backside of the machine.  Awesome huh!  After finishing the block or edge to edge design (similar to an all over design), the quilter will make sure their machine needle is down and ready to start a new row and using one of the outside rows figures out the spacing.  They roll the quilt and then they are ready to start the next row.  They do this until a quilt is finished.  With the digital/computerized quilting they get to play with the size of the pattern to fit the quilt perfectly.  It is my understanding, and I could be completely wrong, they type in the measurements the size of the pattern they desire and push start.  The machine quilts away.  I've heard it can be super tricky to master the spacing between the rows, but quilters like Abby and Natalia have mastered it. 

 

That brings me to what I've had the opportunity to do over the past few months, with Patricia.  Patricia is a master at what she does!  She has made my designs beautiful, unique and more importantly function for those who use them in their quilting.  When I get those happy emails with a new design ready for naming...I'm thrilled.  Its such a blessing to work with a talented group of women who work so well together.  Natalie and her team are masters at naming, which can be the hardest part.  They are so patient with my suggestions and its been super fun to share ideas.  Along the way both Patricia and Natalie have been awesome to share the ins and outs of the panto design business.  I recently received a bunch of Patricia and my designs on paper, and even turned on the laser light (not the machine...just yet) and tried to trace one of the designs.  It was super FUN, and I'm so excited to give it a try on some fabric soon.

 

So, lets talk designs now, shall we!  

Each of the following designs are offered in a paper and digital pantograph.  

 This is called, "Blush"!  I've heard a few people say it looks like strawberries, sweet huh!  The curve and flow of each design amazes me.  Truly one of the many gifts that Patricia brings to each detail.
 

 This lovely flower is called, "Floret" and can be purchased as part of a 3 piece set or individually.  I've seen pictures of this design stitched out by a computerized machine from a quilty friend, Tiffany, and it is stunning!  Check my facebook page.
 

 This is the "Floret Motif Block", also apart of the set or sold individually.
 

 The "Floret Block", set or individually sold.
 

 Here is the edge to edge seen at a smaller scale.  Here is a link to the "Floret Set".
 

 This is one of our newest designs, "Marigold"! 
Those swirls and feathers fit perfectly together with the flower.
 

 This is one of my most favorites, name and all!  Meet, "Meadowlark"!
Super excited to see it stitched out and to give it a try myself.
 

 The name for this one fits it perfect, "Oleander".
 

 This happy flower is named, "Sweet Indigo"...love that name!
 

 To accompany it is a hexi, "Sweet Indigo" Block.
Not sold as part of a set.
 

 Next we have the lovely, "Venice"!  This is inspired by the all over

swirly feather design I freehand often.  This also comes in a 3 piece set or is sold individually.
 

 This Venice corner or border block is so pretty!  Sold in a set or individually.
 

 This "Venice" wreath block is also part of the set, or sold individually.
 

 A smaller scale view of the edge to edge Venice, find the set here.
 

 When I saw this the first time, I was beyond thrilled! 

This is a second "Venice" block, not available in the set.
 

 This is a lovely variation of the Venice design, and we are calling it "Venice Too". 

We traded the wavy leaf for more feathers. 
 

And, lastly...one of my fav's, "Veranda"!

 

There are also links to each of these in the column on the right, under the google plus followers.  Click on the picture and you'll be directed to the Urban Elementz website.

 

DON'T miss it!  Right now Urban Elementz is having their bi-annual sale, 25% off everything!

 

I want to thank Abby for encouraging me to give this a go, and Natalia for answering my many questions.  A huge thanks to Patricia, Natalie, and their team.  They are truly the BEST!  To each of my clients who've supported and encouraged me over the years, thanks so so much.  To my wonderfully supportive and inspired mom who bought us longarm machine so we could just quilt our quilts, for teaching me how to stipple...where it all starts (am I right, haha!  Yes!),  and for encouraging me and being my biggest cheerleader.  There have been so many times when I thought there is no way I can do that, and you always have told me I could.  Lastly to my Heavenly Father who blessed me with this gift in the first place.

I am blessed.

 

~ leisha  

Mega Client Sharing Day!

Quilting lately for my clients has been super fun, and I have oodles of pictures I'd like to share with you.  This will be the first post of a few that I'll do.  You may have seen some

of these on instagram or facebook, but I'd like to share a little detail about them as well.

 

- Barbara -

 You may have seen these super cute bench pillow fronts,

designed by Kim @ Kimberbell Designs.  Love that this one includes the jumbo ric rac.

 I wanted to quilt a all over dense pattern on this to make the words, umbrella, and boots POP! 

 Adding textures to the boots here, adds to the play of the whimsical design.

 With a fun border loop design nestled in each of the inside dips of the ric rac,

its finished off perfectly.  I used a cream perma core thread on a majority of the pillow,

and a coordinating thread on the looped border.  I used an 8020 batting. 

 

- Connie -

 If my clients let me, I love to add a little detail to even a baby quilt. 

I used a cream Perma Core A&E thread, and a soft 8020 batting. 

 I didn't want to over quilt this quilt, but it certainly needed something in each of the on point squares.  To add a little more dimension and to help the flowers pop, I added a line about a 1/4" outside the square.  To add to the line effect and to not over quilt the 9 patches, I did a simple cross hatched X.  To finish it off I played with the border design.  I feel that borders can have more quilting because we are using the center of the quilts to wrap up in, plus it is a great way to anchor any quilt.

 

- Debbie -

 This fun quilt was made for Debbie for a recent important birthday she was having, by her daughter.  The back has several blocks drawn and written on by her family, wish I would have gotten a picture of it!  When I quilt quilts like this I usually like to do something free hand and all over.  It is just difficult to figure out anything really custom.  And, lucky me, Debbie wanted something all over.  She requested a feather swirl free hand pattern that I've been doing for awhile, but she wanted flowers added.  I love to add things to this design to change it up a bit.  Flowers were just what this happy quilt needed.  I used a 8020 batting and a white Perma Core A&E thread.

 As I was quilting along and adding this beautiful flower, this happened! 

Happy accident for sure.  I love it!  So I posted a picture of it and soon had a request from another quilter to have it digitized so she could use it on her longarm quilting machine. 

I will talk more about that opportunity in an upcoming blog post.  I sure love what I do!!

 

- Elaine -

 Elaine is one of the sweetest people that you'll ever meet!  And, this fun bright cheerful quilt was made for her very first grandson.  She was so excited to have this custom quilted, and I was happy to quilt for her again.  I sure hope grandma and baby enjoy snuggling in it.

 This quilt has two blocks, and I wanted to play with the quilting to enhance the blocks.  Little did I know the star design on the blocks would add a diagonal chain effect, which I LOVE!  The stars also do a great job at framing the opposite block that has the cool vertical line design.

 I used a white Perma Core thread and a 8020 batting.

This is a view of the back, using a throw blanket, which is just as soft as minky. 

(sorry the picture is sideways, blogger isn't cooperating.)

- Joleene -

 Joleene is one of the dearest quilty friends that I have!  She is awesome to boot!!  She is the creative mind behind "Sew Red Glasses".  I've been quilting for her for almost 2 years now, and she always has fun new things that she is making.  This particular quilt she made to demonstrate color values with her glasses, and its been a hit with those who've seen it.  

 She told me to quilt it however I would like.  I really wanted the chevron to pop, so I kept that simple and added the dense feather swirl design in the background.  I love the combo of the hard straight lines, with the soft curvy design in the feathers.  This quilt just makes me happy!

Another view!  I used a white thread and a 8020 batting.

  

- Julia -

This is a gorgeous quilt made as a shop sample for My Girlfriends Quilt Shoppe, here in Logan Utah.  This pattern is called, "Orange Marmalade" by Bonnie Olaveson. 

The fabrics are from Moda and called Printemps by 3 Sisters.

I love the scalloped edged border and was thrilled to add some detail. 

 There were two things that Julia requested when she dropped her quilt off, feather circles inside the blocks and lots of quilting.  After doing the feathers I wanted to add something to the scalloped edges on each block and thought the lines would add a fun detail and also break up all the feathery design that was happening everywhere else.  I love the end result!

 That is a lot of lines, but the nice thing is I have an awesome ruler and was able to do a lot of it in a continuous pattern.  I would start on a bottom left side working my way up vertically, then do across the top vertically and then down the right side, using the sides of the block to quilt about an inch until I reached the next line.  I figured out a way to do nearly an entire section of two rows at a time, that same way.  Which saved me oodles of time.  Its been too long to remember how exactly I did it continuous, but I remember it being super slick! 

 I just love a straight on view of the quilting and quilt blocks, on quilts!

 Another straight on view of the border. 

I used a cream Perma Core 30 tex, and a 8020 cotton/poly batting.

 

- Kim -

 Kim is one of my most favorite people to visit with, we always have the best time laughing! 

This is a mini table runner that she made with her left overs from her friendship star strip exchange quilt.  The strips and stars are so small, its just too cute.

I was able to quilt the stars in a continuous line pattern because the points of the stars are touching.  Its kind of awesome how easy it was.  Then to add to the background I pebbled and it made the stars pop that much more!  I used a cream Perma Core A&E thread 30 tex, and a 8020 batting.

 - Kristen -

 Kristen is my very first new customer via Instagram.  She made this fun modern quilt and asked that I quilt it for her.  We tossed around a few ideas and then we decided on a swirl, pebble, and rain drop design.  She wanted the white to be unquilted and to pop, which is exactly what the densely quilted background does.  She provided a batting, which might have been hobbs.  I used a white Perma Core thread from A&E.  Thanks for being so great to work, Kristen.

 A close up!

 I just love the scrappy colored background. 

(click on the background to view the details in the pictures better.)

 

 - Kristin -

 This is a quilt made by my wonderful aunt Kristin!  She is co-owner of Sisters and Quilters.  You should check out their store, they have over 2100 items listed in their store.  She made this lovely triangle quilt with all the fun big bold prints that she's been collecting for awhile.  I love how it turned out.  She gave me complete creative control.  I wanted to do something to play with the diamond shape and add dimension, which helped break up the all over design.

 A close up front view.

 Don't you just love those colors?!?!

 She had me add a cuddle dot to the back, which picks up all the fun quilting.

 

- LeAnn -

 LeAnn made this adorable tumbler quilt for, if I remember right, one of her daughters friends who was just having her first baby.  She wanted some fun detail, so I broke up the rows by quilting a large chevron following the points of the tumblers, a up and down line design in a row, and a horizontal figure eight in a row, and then I repeated it.  The combo of the three is fun! 

 A front view of the quilt.  I used a white Perma Core A&E thread 30 tex, and a 8020 batting.

Here is the back, a soft cuddle with a tiny printed dot.  Love it!

 

 This is a table runner that LeAnn made.  She learned how to make a block in one of the classes she took at My Girlfriends Quilt shoppe, decided to make two more blocks and make it a runner. It is super fun for me to see my clients learning how to make different things and the joy it brings to them.

 I used a 8020 batting and a grey perma core A&E thread.  I wanted to play with the angles of the triangles and add a softer touch with the feather motifs.  The pebbled border finishes it off just right.

 

- Can't say who made this, she asked me not to -

 This retro flowers quilt is made using all of those fun 30 prints that I know a lot of us have.  I was asked to not over quilt it, but to add some detail to the flowers.  This was super fun design to quilt!

 Love this!

No matter which petal I was quilting I always started at the inside point of the flower and when right to do the first loop, up and around to the next loop, onto the next loop and finished back at the inside petal point with the last loop.  I did a back and forth figure eight design in the mini inside border and an all over leaf echo in the extra large outer border.

 Love the back on quilts like this!

 

- Nancy -

 This is another bench pillow front from Kimberbell Designs.

Right before I quilted it I was looking on Instagram and another quilter I follow, Elizabeth Karnes, had just quilted this same swirl in I think a winter quilt....for me it clicked and I knew this is how I wanted to quilt this.  I'm looking forward to quilting the next swirly windy pattern on something.

One thing that I absolutely LOVE is the texture that quilting can add to quilts, and this design definitely added some awesome texture.  I did a star shape design inside the larger kite and loops on each stripe of the smaller kite.  The flying geese got a feathered design and the navy border I did a figure 8 design.  I used white thread everywhere but the navy border, which I used navy thread...both perma core.  Batting for this is 8020.

- Penny -

 Penny is just one of those people you just love to be around, her happiness is contagious!

She is a master at choosing fabrics and always has the most gorgeous quilts.

This star quilt is no different.  I used the same line design that I mentioned above in Kim's runner.

Look how awesome that back turned out.  There are times when I'm in awe when I see the back of quilts.  This one is gorgeous because the points of the stars are touching to create a star chain effect. 

 A couple of closer looks.  So beautiful, Penny!  I used a cream thread from A&E and a 8020 batting.

 Once again the feather motif really helps soften up the lines from the stars and the quilting.

Because the background was a little different on the edges, I decided to add the swirls and feathers.  I did three feather sections every other one in the green border and a large swirly feather design in the outside border.  This quilt like all the others is just gorgeous!

 

I'm hoping to share more soon, these are just some of my favorites from the last little while.  I also have some quilt market quilt pictures to share, once quilt market starts this week I should be able to.  And, I'm excited to share with you what I've been doing with Patricia, Natalie and the very hard working team at Urban Elementz.  Speaking of Urban Elementz, right now they are having their bi-annual 25% off sale, click on the link and go check it out.

 

thanks for reading, happy quilting!

~ leisha