In the latest edition of Quilt Sampler magazine (available here soon), a quilt designed and made by my local quilt store owner – Kate Laskowski of Main Street Quilt Company – and quilted by ME, is not only featured in the magazine, but is also on the COVER!  Yes, the cover of the magazine!  Isn’t that just awesome!  I feel so honored to have been a small part of this great accomplishment by Kate.  I’ve known for a while now that the quilt was to be one of 10 featured in the magazine, but only recently found out it was chosen for the magazine cover.

Quilt Sampler is a magazine that features 10 shops from around the nation.  Quilt shops submit a detailed application on their history, business promotions, charitable work, teaching schedules and design philosophies. A panel of quilt experts, led by Linda Augsburg, editorial content chief of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, narrows down the applications to 10 featured shops for each issue.  To be chosen as one of the featured shops is quite an honor. You can read more about Kate’s story here.

My name in print!! Cool!

So, here’s how I came to be a small part of this story.

Last October 14 – it was a Tuesday during my lunch hour at my day job – I got a message from Kate asking if I could possibly quilt a quilt for her.  And have it done by the weekend.  Intrigued, as Kate is a great longarm quilter too, I asked “how big is it?”  When she replied it was a queen size, I chuckled and asked her to call me as I knew there had to be more to the story.  She told me what I was about to hear was confidential, and explained that she had been chosen to be a featured quilt shop in the next issue of Quilt Sampler magazine. As part of that process, each quilt shop is to create their own original pattern which would be available as a kit once the magazine was published.  When I asked why she didn’t quilt it herself, she replied she was just a little stressed as the fabrics for the quilt had been delayed and she had spent many late hours to get the quilt put together. If I remember correctly, she made this quilt in just a few days.  OMG!  Seriously!!  The quilt had to be bound and in the mail to the editors on Monday.   And, to top it off, her family had booked a mini vacation to Chicago for her birthday the coming weekend.  Of course, I said I would quilt it.  I met her at her shop after hours that evening and brought it home.

I had a quilt loaded on the frame and just basted across the top border, so I took it off and got this one loaded by about 7 p.m. Tuesday.  As any longarm quilter knows, part of the quilting job is trying to figure out how to quilt a quilt.  It will sometimes take me days to figure that out. I have also been known to rip out an entire row of quilting because it just didn’t fit my idea of what the quilt needed.  But in order to get this quilt done on time, I didn’t have the luxury of time in designing the quilting.

Kate’s top had this cool diamond border, and the quilt featured round appliqued wedged circles.  I called them pies and nicknamed the quilt American Pie.  (The quilt name is In Perfect Harmony.)  Kate had mentioned that she thought about quilting a circle in those diamonds; but that she didn’t want to influence me and wanted me to come up with whatever design I thought suited it. I liked the circle idea and incorporated it into my design.  I chose to use Quilters Dream wool over Quilters Dream 80/20 as I knew I wanted the design to pop for the photographers.

3D printed template rulers

The outer border was a busy print, so I knew I was going to do something quick that gave good texture – Beadboard quilting.  In the diamond border, I knew I wanted to mimic the circles from the rest of the quilt. I auditioned a few circle templates I had, but none of them were the correct size and I didn’t have anything else in the house that would work. I knew I couldn’t get one ordered and delivered in time.  My day job is in marketing, graphic design and technical applications at a CAD reseller, targeting manufacturers, architects and civil engineers.  One of the products we sell is a 3D printer.  So, I printed out several circles in varying sizes and was able to use one of them for this design.  How cool is that!

So Fine thread – almost two whole cones!

Using the printed circle template, I did the circles in the diamond border.  I then went back and freehanded the arcs on either side of that design. The rest of the quilt got feathers in one form or another, continuous curves and stitching in the ditch.  I used two cones of Superior So Fine in different shades of brown on top and a brown Bottom Line in the bobbin.  I timed myself as I went and I knew I had to spend a minimum of two solid hours each evening.  I took a vacation day from work on Friday and managed to finish it at noon on Sunday.  Kate picked it up and spent the rest of the day binding it and preparing it for shipping the next day.  Whew! What a whirlwind she had been on!

If you want a kit, contact Kate Laskowski at Main Street Quilt Company at  (217) 774-3484. The shop is on Facebook here.  The queen size kit will be $190.95+tax and the smaller wall hanging kit will be $83.80+tax (prices may be subject to change).

If you’re able to make the trip to Shelbyville, there will be a magazine signing party and Open House at the shop on Friday and Saturday. Make sure you ask her just how many flying geese are in this quilt!

Oh, and here are a bunch of pics!

Loaded and about to start

Border design started on top border

Quilt was turned to do side borders

At the end with the 2nd color of thread – just before turning it to do the side borders.

closeup shot of cornerstone pies.

Off the frame and trying to take pics in the light I had at noon on Sunday.

Backing

Corner shot – trying to get detail in the light

Entire quilt on the floor

Photographer shot from the magazine

Detail shot from the magazine