By Diane Harris, HQ Stitch Brand Ambassador

I have a few dozen Christmas and holiday quilts that make up the Jingle Bells Trunk Show. This time of year, I give it regularly for quilt guilds around the country. I’m always adding to it, and last week I picked up a quilt from my extraordinary longarm quilter Julie Lechner.

It’s a lovely design from Joanna Figueroa at Fig Tree Quilts, but when Julie added her brand of elegant quilting, it really went over the top. I’m so excited to take it on the road with me.

My biggest problem when it comes to machine quilting is that I look at the quilt top and my mind is a blank. I haven’t any idea what to quilt! I learn so much by looking at Julie’s quilting. Her mind seems to be full of ideas on what to quilt.

This square-in-a-square at the center of a block is a good example. I love the long, skinny triangles in the green patches. And the curlicues in the center patch add interest and character.

Four little Christmas cottages delight me with their scalloped-shingle roofs and brick chimneys.

Outlining the doors and windows was enough because of the details elsewhere.

These scrappy peppermints make my heart sing. Isn’t the quilting pretty?

Flying Geese in scrappy reds and yellow-greens are another favorite block. Those curved lines in the background are a simple idea but they do a lot to enhance the piecework.

It’s harder to see what’s inside each goose but look closely to see three loops that do the trick.

The Rolling Stone block has always been a favorite of mine, and when you size it down and repeat it four times it’s dynamite. I wouldn’t mind making a whole quilt of these.

Do you see how Julie’s curved lines in the red patches suggest a circle within the block? That’s what you want quilting to do: Give the idea of new shapes and fresh lines. The quilting should be an additional design element, and in this case it is!

You can find Julie on Instagram: @beenquiltin

More blocks and a finishing flourish on this quilt in the next post. Until then, let me know in the comments: Do you have trouble deciding what to quilt on your tops? How have you solved the problem? Let’s talk about this some more. Have a great week!

~Diane~