Custom Quilting Tulips Bobbin Bloom Quilt

I’m so excited to share the finished Bobbin Blooms quilt with you! This project has been a true journey from start to finish, filled with creative decisions, unexpected challenges, and plenty of joy along the way. I decided to custom quilt this piece, and while custom quilting it certainly took more time, I believe it was worth every extra moment.

The process of piecing this quilt was really enjoyable. The Bobbin Blooms pattern is well-designed, and I found it easy to follow. It’s Sew Emma’s pattern is always on point! I love their detailed, fully illustrated pattern.  I posted all about that and the walk-through video of me piecing this quilt in previous post HERE>

You can read more about my review on previous Sew Sampler Box HERE>

There are affiliate links within this post, find full disclosure here. 

• Fabric : Flower Girl 
•  It’s Sew Emma Patterns
• Backing Fabric is a 108″ backing from Fig Tree Quilt.
• My Sewing Machine – I just can’t rave enough about this machine. The absolute work horse and it makes such a big difference to my quilting quality when I use this machine. 
• I literally changed my mind about threads when I started using THIS very thread. They come in big cones, which means you don’t need to be replace it that often as they last a lot longer. I use an embroidery thread stand for it. You can get cheap thread stands like this one here which has great reviews.
• Superior Thread Top Stitch Needles. I use this for all of my sewing and FMQ. Literally. In fact, I kind of find it a bit odd when I have to use a needle that is not coloured gold as these needles are.  Not only that, they last pretty long and stays sharp even after lots of quilting.
• Always use a teflon Supreme Slider Teflon Sheet to help reduce the friction between your machine and your quilt. This will not only make it easier, it will save your back and arms as it makes it so much easier to move your quilt and less harsh on your body. 
• I can’t link the quilting ruler I used as I think it is out of production, however, you can use the quilting ruler that are for long-arm machine and get a pop socket on the ruler to help you hold the ruler in between your fingers. You can watch I do that in this post HERE>
• Here are some of the machine quilting rulers I recommend for home machines: 4-pack Creative Grid – you can buy them separately too and build on your stash bit by bit, Clamshell Ruler. I love this one. Really sturdy and makes beautiful clamshells in various sizes and the 4-in-1, straight lines & gentle curves of different sizes.

Free Motion Quilting | Custom Quilting on Home Machine

When I started this quilt, I knew I wanted to try something a bit different. The Bobbin Blooms pattern is a smaller quilt, so I felt it was a manageable size for a custom quilting adventure. I decided to quilt the petals with freehand feathers – something I’ve always loved doing. I went with a free-form approach, using very little marking. 

Unexpected Mishap + Embracing Imperfection

I would have love to take more time for marking the diamonds design as it was my first time doing the design and I knew it was going to be hard to get the diamonds on point. However, halfway along the way, I faced a little unexpected challenge: my washable ink pen ran out when my little one decided to “borrow” it from my sewing room and, unfortunately, left it with the cap off. 😅

Without my trusty pen, I had to get a bit creative. I ended up quilting the diamonds in the sashing with almost no markings, using a ruler to guide me. I’ll be honest: not all of my diamonds are perfect – some are a bit wonky! I had a few moments where I wished I’d been able to do more precise marking. However, since this quilt wasn’t meant for competition, I embraced the imperfections and decided that a little wonkiness wouldn’t hurt.

Quilting with a specific grid-like design presented its own set of challenges, especially when trying to match everything up. The intersections of the sashing were particularly difficult; no matter how hard I tried, some of the diamonds just wouldn’t align perfectly. In the end, I had to let go of perfectionism and go with the flow. It was a great reminder that sometimes quilting is about enjoying the process, not just the final product.

Custom Quilting Diamond Sashing

To make the diamonds really pop, I added a dense up-and-down motion in the triangles between them. I’m delighted with how the diamonds stand out against the rest of the quilt. I think the contrast between the soft, rounded feathers and the more geometric diamond shapes really brings the custom quilting together in a unique way.

Simple lines Quilting

For the pots and the final border, I decided to keep things simple. I wanted to ensure the quilt stayed soft and cuddly, so I went with a less dense quilting design and used just one layer of cotton batting. I’m so pleased with how the texture turned out – it has the perfect balance of softness and structure.

Lessons Learned and Quilting Joys

This quilt taught me so much. It reminded me to embrace the imperfections and challenges that come with any creative endeavor. It was a wonderful experience to try new techniques, work with a different fabric palette, and push myself beyond my comfort zone. I’m thrilled with the finished quilt, and I love how it looks. The combination of freehand feathers, geometric designs, and simpler elements has created a beautiful, unique quilt.

This quilt is destined to be a baby quilt, and I hope it will be cherished for many years to come. The softness, thanks to the single layer of cotton batting, makes it perfect for snuggling, and I’m delighted to be gifting it soon to a sweet baby girl.

The Perfect Binding and Finishing Touches

When it came time to bind the quilt, I thought I might have to purchase some yardage from the collection to get just the right look. As I mentioned earlier, the fabrics in this quilt weren’t my usual color palette, and I don’t have many soft-colored fabrics in my stash. But, to my delight, I discovered the perfect piece hiding in my stash! A big thank you to past me for grabbing a couple of yardages on sale a few months back – it really paid off this time. It’s always a good idea to build your stash for quilting emergencies like this.  

There’s always good yardages for SALE HERE .  There’s always something that I add into my stash every now and then. 

I chose a soft brown gingham for the binding, and I couldn’t love it more! The gentle color complements the quilt beautifully, blending in just enough without taking over the design. For the label, I used one of my designs from Quilt Label Wizard and attached it to the back as I sewed the binding. It’s such a quick and easy way to personalize your quilt and add that final special touch.

I hope these little details bring as much joy to the recipient as they did to me while making it! If you have any questions, drop it down below in the comments. Otherwise, come check out some of the things I used for this quilt:

LINKS:

• Fabric : Flower Girl 
•  It’s Sew Emma Patterns
• Backing Fabric is a 108″ backing from Fig Tree Quilt.
• My Sewing Machine – I just can’t rave enough about this machine. The absolute work horse and it makes such a big difference to my quilting quality when I use this machine. 
• I literally changed my mind about threads when I started using THIS very thread. They come in big cones, which means you don’t need to be replace it that often as they last a lot longer. I use an embroidery thread stand for it. You can get cheap thread stands like this one here which has great reviews.
• Superior Thread Top Stitch Needles. I use this for all of my sewing and FMQ. Literally. In fact, I kind of find it a bit odd when I have to use a needle that is not coloured gold as these needles are.  Not only that, they last pretty long and stays sharp even after lots of quilting.
• Always use a teflon Supreme Slider Teflon Sheet to help reduce the friction between your machine and your quilt. This will not only make it easier, it will save your back and arms as it makes it so much easier to move your quilt and less harsh on your body. 
• I can’t link the quilting ruler I used as I think it is out of production, however, you can use the quilting ruler that are for long-arm machine and get a pop socket on the ruler to help you hold the ruler in between your fingers. You can watch I do that in this post HERE>
• Here are some of the machine quilting rulers I recommend for home machines: 4-pack Creative Grid – you can buy them separately too and build on your stash bit by bit, Clamshell Ruler. I love this one. Really sturdy and makes beautiful clamshells in various sizes and the 4-in-1, straight lines & gentle curves of different sizes.