Jun 20, 2020

Vintage Lace: The Spark Quilt

by Jordan Willis

Vintage Lace by Lo & Behold Stitchery introduced me to the modern quilting phenomenon. While browsing Pinterest, I happened upon Brittany’s pin and subsequently her website, story and thoughtful array of patterns.

Before this discovery, I spent a few years in a serious sewing funk. Cured by a tiny, blue-eyed blonde, my sewing machine suddenly found purpose again.

The idea to construct a quilt for her came to me easily. Caroline was born in early Springtime and when the weather warmed just enough, I would wrap her in small, pink blankets and we’d rock quietly on our side porch. We’d listen to the birds chirping and I’d tell her of the passersby. When a cool breeze whisked through, I’d imagine both of us wrapped in a blanket of my own – something carefully assembled by my own stitches. A modern quilt.

Naively, I gathered Caroline’s newborn clothes, purchased a paper pattern from Brittany and started planning. If you’re a quilter, then you already know which turn this story takes. Most of the tiny outfits, if not all, were made of knit or jersey blend fabrics. I very quickly learned that I would need loads of stabilizer to even attempt matching of points. If I only knew then what I know now.

Putting my original plan on hold, I resolved to first sew a few practice quilts with actual quilting cotton, ha! I put Caroline’s clothes and the rotary cutter away, visited my local library to check out a few quilting resources and immersed myself in YouTube tutorials. Let’s walk before we run, eh?

So, when I learned of Brittany’s second annual Vintage Lace quilt along, I knew it was my chance to make good on this pattern, to learn directly from the designer and to perhaps make a few friends along the way.

I spent the weeks sharing my progress on Instagram, engaging with other participants and thoroughly enjoying every stitch. I delighted in the sense of community and the feeling as though I’d found my kind of people. At last!

To finish, I’d initially planned to quilt on my domestic machine with a simple design that would allow imperfections. As my love for this quilt grew, I began exploring long arm designs. She simply deserved more than the skill level I possessed. Enter Melody.

Melody and I both participated in the quilt-a-long. We chatted and found that we both not only lived in Georgia, we lived in neighboring counties. When she offered her long arm services, I immediately knew she was the perfect person. Her stitches truly made this quilt shine!

Thanks to a clever pattern designer, my first quilt along, and a talented neighbor, I have an heirloom quilt to pass down to Caroline. And when I do, I’ll tell her how this quilt represents that little spark – that wild idea I had when the wind picked up as I hugged my newborn close.

With Joy,