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| Rebecca Grace |
Hello, there! My name is Rebecca Grace, and I'm responsible for all of the creative shenanigans happening here at Rebecca Grace Quilting. I have been quilting in every spare moment of my free time for for the past 20 years(!!) while raising two sons, two furbabies, running an interior design firm, and doing occasional freelance writing. I love EVERY kind of quilting -- seriously! -- from hand quilting to long arm quilting, computerized to 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 techniques available to express our creativity through fabric!
How Long Have You Been Quilting, Rebecca?
I bought my APQS Millennium long arm quilting machine in 2017 and spent the next few years learning the ins and outs of the machine, taking classes and workshops with quilting rock stars like Lisa Calle and Judi Madsen. I was feeling burned out creatively with interior design after two decades in the business, but there is just something magical about cutting up fabric, sewing it back together again, and then enhancing the pieced or appliquéd design with delicious quilty texture! I'd done a few quilting commissions on the side here and there, and found it so rewarding to collaborate with other quilters to bring their creative vision to life (and cross it off their UFO lists!). With my youngest son ready to leave my nest and head to college in 2020, I decided to officially switch my professional focus from interior design to long arm quilting. I added IntelliQuilter computer robotics to my long arm machine in 2020 to vastly expand the design possibilities for my own quilts as well as for clients' quilts. I've been using computer graphics programs in my design business for years, and I love that I can now leverage technology to bring my wildest creative visions to life in my quilting.
Which Machines and Equipment Do You Use?
I design all of my original quilts on the computer using EQ8 software, and then I piece them with one of my Berninas (475QE or 750QEE) or with my vintage 1935 Singer Featherweight 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 v8 Designer Plus embroidery software and stitched out on my 750QEE.
So, Are You a Modern Quilter or a Traditional Quilter?
One of the skills that transfers directly from interior design 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.
One more fun fact: As much as I love modern quilts and my high-tech computerized quilting goodies, I majored in history and I absolutely adore antique and vintage quilts. I am a sucker for those unfinished quilts that your great grandma started, or those family heirloom quilts that need repair that no one else is willing to look at. I know these projects are often a can of worms, but if you have a treasured family quilt that needs saving or finishing, please give me a call.
