Jan 21, 20232 min read

Traditional Meets Modern

I feel like quilters are generally a group of people who like to challenge themselves. We take classes and go to retreats. We follow our favorite quilty friends on Instagram, looking for tips, tricks, or inspiration for our next project. Purchasing a longarm and opening my own business makes me feel like there are a hundred new skills I have to learn. Like, how do you use a computer?? I was so used to my phone and tablet that using a computer felt like a foreign concept. But my desire to create and help others pushes me to keep learning!

For my next quilt, I decided to make a quilt that would really show off my stiches. I chose an Ohio Star block and designed my own layout. When you choose a traditional block, there are tons of tutorials available because they have been around forever. Yellow is my daughter's favorite color, so I chose Kona Yarrow as my main color. This was also my first two-color quilt, and I really like the simplicity. I picked the Chunky Knit panto from Tawny Oland because it looks like you are wrapped up in a sweater. The modern texture mixed with the traditional block makes my heart smile. Quilters Dream wool is my very favorite batting to use in my quilts. It has a good weight and is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The puffiness creates an amazing texture that was absolutely perfect for this quilt.

I learned so much from my first two quilts, both from what went well and the errors I made, including the 4,000 stitches I had to rip out because of a mistake. So I was excited to apply my new skills to this quilt. I spent a lot of time getting the tension just right so I could do white stiches on the back and gold on the front. It was time well-spent. I am very proud of how this quilt turned out! It gave me confidence in my machine and the new skills I am learning. With each quilt I will learn new skills and continue to grow.