In an effort to build resources for computerized quilters, I've been looking for tutorials that explain how to set up extended-width designs with the various software options available today. Since I couldn't quite find the one I was looking for with Quilt Path, Danelle Howard of Cottage Path Quilting created this video at my request. We've heard from Quilter's Creative Touch users that the screens and steps are similar enough that this tutorial will help them, too. Thanks so much, Danelle! We both hope it's helpful to you if you'd like to explore extended-width designs. 

We created a cheat sheet for you here. But if you need additional support or to get official Quilt Path resources, we suggest requesting to join the Quilt Path Central Facebook group.

The design Danelle uses in the demonstration video above is Driftwood. 

All of my designs come with a PDF that provides the default dimensions. If I use a size different from the default in my examples, they will be noted in the design's bl...

This is Royal, the newest extended-width digital quilting design from your friends (me) at Longarm League! 
 



Royal, as an extended-width design, operates like this:
• The first trip across the quilt will quilt the "crown elements" (aka the spiky shapes) with the circles up.
• Then, it'll quilt a straight line right to left, then stitch two more lines left to right and then right to left.
• Next, it'll stitch the same spikey shapes (circles down this time) left to right.
• This is followed by three more straight lines, ending on the left edge and ready for another repeat unless you need to stop to advance the quilt. 

This edge-to-edge quilting design would look super cute on a princess's quilt (I'm assuming you know one)! But it could also work for a Crown Royal quilt. Have you come across one? They incorporate fabric from the pouches included with Crown Royal Whiskey bottles - it's a thing. Or perhaps you get a Kansas City Royals baseball quilt? Boom! This design would be per...

This month in the Longarm League, we published a coaching call featuring Emi Takagi Stapler of Emi and Ko Studio. I sat down with her to talk about balancing her quilting business, which consists of pattern design and longarm quilting, with being a mother of four, teaching piano lessons, and adapting to military relocations. We talked about her experience at Quilt Market in Houston, thoughts on potentially starting a podcast, and how to best leverage social media for her business.

While League members have full access to the recording of the call, we asked Emi to share a little more about herself and her business with our blog readers.

Without further ado, let's meet Emi...

Emi Takagi Stapler, Emi and Ko Studio.

Located: Colorado Springs, CO
In business: Since 2018
Machine and software: Bernina Q24 and Bernina Qmatic
In the Longarm League: Since 2022

Where to find Emi
Website: https://www.emiandkostudio.com/
Instagram: @emiandkostudio
Facebook: Emi and Ko Studio
Best way for someone to...

My inspiration for this design came from the "ribbon candy" motif that—for whatever reason—always seems so effective in adding great quilting texture.

Ribbon candy is often used in custom quilting to add oomph to certain areas of a quilt top, whether it be in the patchwork or in a thin border or sashing. 



I wanted to translate that ribbon candy idea into an edge-to-edge design that would be effective regardless of the quilt pattern. 

I couldn't help but see the shape of an S in the ribbon candy, and the name Ess-Dog (from the song Jenny and the Ess-Dog by Stephen Malkmus) kept coming to mind when I was trying to name the design. But luckily, during the Christmas holiday break, Josh and I watched the entire series of the BBC show called Gavin and Stacey, and a lot of the show is set in Essex. I thought this was a much more grown-up name than Ess-Dog. :) 

I wanted to keep the repeats somewhat "contained" and also wanted a nice continuous shape with no backtracking, so I p...

Today, I'm featuring an alternate use for the Rumble edge-to-edge design we released three years ago.

Back then, when a new design came out, I didn't have the bandwidth to do anything but email the Longarm League membership and maybe post it to Instagram. In other words, Rumble never got the blog treatment that it deserves.



I've seen Rumble used many times over the years, much more commonly without the offset. Here's an example of a time I used it with my Fierce Feathered Star quilt:

Rumble used the default way makes a great alternative to straight-line quilting. It's awesome on modern quilts! 

But as I was sewing this Christmas-y quilt together, I thought Rumble this alternate way—with a 50% offset— would be a great way to finish the lap quilt. I'm very happy with the result!

I am NOT big on decorating for any holiday, so I feel especially festive right about now, a whole two weeks before December 25th. I'm throwing this on my couch and calling it good. 

We have a ragg...

I've always wanted to make my own version of "hand-guided" spirals to join the ranks of Feathered Spirals, Fancy Feathers, Echoed Swirls, Fossilized—designs I used to free-motion quilt before I had my computerized machine.

This was the first design that I drew on my iPad (using the Graphic app), then imported into Art and Stitch to "clean up". The most difficult part of that process was getting the rows to nest the way I wanted them to. After many, many iterations, I'm happy with the design that's meant to look "perfectly imperfect," like free-motion quilting. 

I think that the larger and more varied the single repeat is, the more a design looks organic. For these kinds of designs, my goal is that the design repeats and rows are difficult to find. :) 

I named it Perm because the spirals reminded of the curly hair look in the late 80s and early 90s! The one and only perm I got was a "spiral perm" at a local beauty school when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old. My mom took my ...

Fizz is so simple and versatile, it'll work on anything!



This is an extended-width pantograph design, which means one squiggly line will travel the whole width of the quilt and then will travel back right-to-left to complete the bubbles, baubles...? Melon shapes? What are we calling these? Chainlink, but cuter? ;)

The advantages of using this design:
1) No backtracking.
2) Stitches smoothly (no corners or pivots) and quickly.
3) Looks great in either direction — loading a quilt on its side can increase efficiency by not having to advance the quilt as much.

Potential disadvantages of using this design (hey, just being honest):
1) If your machine doesn't do well traveling right-to-left, you'll want to load the L to R version of the design which is included in the purchase. This means manually moving the machine head back to the left edge of the quilt for each line, like you would for straight-line quilting. Kind of a pain. But, even so - no backtracking is still an advantage.
2...

This month in the Longarm League, we published a coaching call featuring Katelin Craven of Red Rock Quilt Co. I sat down with her to talk about recently leaving her travel-heavy job as a bat biologist to have a better work/life balance and focus on her quilting career full-time. We talked about changing from slowly building a business to quickly ramping up, ways to apply her science skills and strengths to her new business, and living and quilting in a remote area full of amazing wildlife - check out the spectacular view from her studio window below!

While League members have full access to the recording of the call, we asked Katelin to share a little more about herself and her business with our blog readers.

Without further ado, let's meet Katelin...

Katelin Craven, Red Rock Quilt Co.

Located: Roxborough Park, Colorado
In business: 9 months
Machine and software: Babylock Regalia with Pro-stitcher
In the Longarm League: 1 year

Where to find Katelin
Website: https://www.redrockquiltc...

This month in the Longarm League, our Business Spotlight is featuring Starla Landis of Guided Star Quilting. I sat down with her to talk about how her business has grown over the last few years and what's working for her now. Starla ran an in-home drapery business for 20 years before starting her longarm quilting business and she shared so many great tips around the tools and processes she's brought over from her drapery days and now uses in her longarm business. We're so excited to share this info-packed call with our members this week!

While League members have full access to the recording of the call, we asked Starla to share a little more about herself and her business with our blog readers.

Without further ado, let's meet Starla...

Starla Landis, Guided Star Quilting

Located: Lancaster, PA
In business: almost 4 years
Machine and software: Bernina Q24 with Qmatic
In the Longarm League: Will be 4 years in February

Where to find Starla
Website: https://www.guidedstarquilting.com/
I...

This is Flight.

It's a minimalistic version of a bird in flight. You can tell by the little beak leading the way. I wanted the tail feathers to look like they were nestled between the next row of birds so they got a bit of a scalloped edge.



Mainly, this is a fussless edge-to-edge pantograph design that will blend into the background but still provide interesting texture with its gentle curves and angles.

Remember the early 2010s and "put a bird on it"? Well, I'm a decade late, but I finally did it! 

If you had a quilt with bird fabric or bird elements like applique or piecing, this would be a perfect panto for it! But the nice thing about this design is that it will also serve as a nice texture without being bird-related at all. In fact, it might even be mistaken for acorns. I don't know, ask my husband. :)

The Quilt

This was a fun and fast quilt top to sew up, made with leftover scraps from other projects.

I'll include an image of the cutting instructions I made fo...