I’ve wanted to make a whole cloth quilt for a long time, but I kept waiting.

Whole cloth quilting shows everything. There’s nowhere to hide, especially when you’re using feathers and flowing free motion designs. I knew I wanted to make this quilt one day, but I didn’t want to rush into it until my skills felt strong enough that I’d feel proud when I looked back on it later.

Eventually, I reached that point where I thought, okay, I’m ready.

This quilt was made for a little girl, and I wanted it to feel special right from the start.

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Adding Her Name to the Quilt

I knew I wanted her name on the quilt, but I didn’t want to quilt the letters themselves. I wanted them to stand out and feel like they were popping off the surface.

I used fat quarters from my Clover collection to create the letters. I traced each letter, made a fabric sandwich, and cut them out using pinking shears so the raw edges would be soft and decorative. Once the letters were basted in place, I originally planned to stitch them on my domestic machine with straight lines.

That plan didn’t last long.

The quilt was already too big and floppy, the pins were everywhere, and I was getting poked constantly. So I moved the quilt to my longarm and attached the letters freehand instead. It’s not perfectly precise, but honestly, I love it. It feels natural and handmade, which suits this quilt perfectly.

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Quilting the Whole Cloth Design

After the letters were in place, I started quilting the entire quilt.

This is where I really let myself go all in. Feathers, pebbles, flowers, swirls, and every free motion quilting design I know ended up in this quilt. I wanted it to feel whimsical and feminine, full of movement and softness, like stepping into a fairy meadow.

When I finished, I was honestly surprised by how well it turned out. That’s a good feeling, especially when you remember how hard the early days of free motion quilting can be.

When I first started, I struggled so much. I truly didn’t think I would ever feel confident at the machine. Being able to take on a whole cloth quilt like this feels like a big personal milestone for me.

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Fabric Choices and Finishing Details

For the background, I used Moda Bella Solids in Pale Pink, which gave me the soft, gentle base I wanted without competing with the quilting.

For the binding, I used a wide back from my Modern Granny collection. I don’t usually use prints for binding, but it felt just right on this quilt. It has a meadow-like quality that frames the quilt beautifully.

The backing is Flowering Fancy Lush from my Petal Passion collection, and it’s probably my favorite backing I’ve ever designed. Those big, bold florals feel perfect on the back of a quilt like this, especially one meant to be loved and used.

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Watch the Full Quilt Process

Play

This video walks through the quilt, the design choices, and what this project meant to me as a quilter.

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Want to Learn Free Motion Quilting?

If you’re interested in learning free motion quilting, I’m currently teaching an ongoing class called Quilt as Desired inside Quilt Class.

You can join anytime and work through the lessons at your own pace. The class is designed to grow with you, whether you’re just starting out or ready to build confidence with more complex designs.

👉 Join Quilt as Desired here

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Supplies Used for This Quilt

Fabric

• Background fabric: Moda Bella Solids, Pale Pink
• Letter fabric: Clover collection by Southern Charm Quilts
• Binding fabric: Modern Granny wide back by Southern Charm Quilts
• Backing fabric: Flowering Fancy Lush from the Petal Passion collection

Thread

• Kimono Silk

Batting

• Warm & Natural Batting

Machine

• Quilting machine

Tools

• Pinking shears

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Thanks so much for spending a little time with this quilt. I’m really proud of it, and I hope it encourages you to trust your growth and try the project you’ve been waiting for. Here’s to a beautiful start to 2026.