The studio · Process & techniques
Where it all gets made
Most of the quilting on this site was done free-motion on my Innova long-arm. Here's a look at the machine, how a quilt comes together and the techniques I keep coming back to.
The machine
The Innova long-arm
A long-arm holds the whole quilt flat on a frame, with the top, batting and backing rolled together. I move the machine instead of the quilt. That's what makes the dense free-motion backgrounds possible.
Metro Waves, on the frame
From top to finished quilt
1. Piece the top
Cut the fabric and sew the design together. For curved quilts like Solace, that takes a lot of pins.
2. Load the frame
Backing, batting and top go onto the long-arm frame, layered and smoothed flat.
3. Quilt it free-motion
I guide the machine by hand and fill the background with swirls, feathers and lines.
4. Bind and finish
Trim, sew on the binding and add a label. Then it gets its photo taken for this site.
