How Long Have You Been Quilting, Rebecca?
I have been quilting in every spare moment of my free time for for over 20 years while raising two sons, running an interior design firm, and occasionally freelance writing. I bought my first long arm quilting machine in 2017 and launched my quilting business in 2020 after adding computer robotics to vastly expand my design possibilities. I love that I can now leverage technology along with free motion quilting and ruler work to bring my wildest creative visions to life.
Which Machines and Equipment Do You Use?
I design original quilts on my computer using EQ8 software, and then I piece them with one of my Berninas (my B475QE "Goldilocks" or my B790 Plus Crystal Edition "Sparkle Barbie Princess"), or with my vintage 1935 Singer Featherweight "Bette" machine. My quilts that were made prior to 2017 were either hand quilted or machine quilted on one of my domestic Bernina machines. My machine embroidered quilt labels are digitized in Bernina's V9 Designer Plus embroidery software and stitched out on either my 790 Plus or my B700E embroidery-only Bernina. My long arm machine is a Bernina Q24 with Q-Matic "The Q". I love the superior stitch quality, total control and endless possibilities I get from my Berninas.
So, Are You a Modern Quilter or a Traditional Quilter?
One of the skills that transfers directly from my interior design background to long arm quilting is the ability to appreciate and design within a wide range of styles, whether the client's quilt is traditional and ornate or streamlined and modern. I'm comfortable working at either end of that spectrum, but what really excites me in my own work is what happens when those categories are blurred and a traditional quilt design is updated and extrapolated into the 21st century in a way that feels fresh and new. I love EVERY kind of quilting -- seriously! -- from traditional to modern, hand stitching as well as long arm quilting, computerized as well as free motion, needle turn appliqué to collage quilting to machine embroidery... It is such an exciting time to be a quilt maker, with so many tools, techniques, and materials available for expressing our creativity through fabric!