Gilding the Lily, Part 6

Are you ready for the final reveal of the wedding quilt? Today, I’ll focus on quilting, the design element that transformed a good quilt into one that’s rather special. (You can follow the entire design/construction process of this quilt by linking to previous “Carolina Lily” posts under “Labels” in the right side bar.)


The quilting was inspired by a Carolina Lily quilt, masterfully stitched by Carla Barrett of Feathered Fibers . The elegant feather motif and heavy background quilting were just the look I wanted, but I had a few concerns:

James and Rachel's Wedding Quilt

(Double click photos for more detail)

Could I find a machine quilter capable of doing such refined work?
Thanks to readers, I got several recommendations, and must say, I was very proud of you for sharing. I thought you'd keep those names pretty close to your chest!


Could I actually afford a custom longarm quilter?
To be honest, I was terrified to even ask about the going rate!


Could he/she complete the quilt within my 6-7 week deadline?
Come on, that’s like asking for the moon. What professional quilter would kick loyal clients out of line to take on a new customer who didn't have the sense to plan ahead? Most good long arm quilters have a wait list of months, if not years!


Could I bear to pack up my quilt and send it to a complete stranger miles from home?
Well no, as a matter of fact, it turns out I could not.


My friend Sheila suggested I call a gal from our own local quilt group. Her name is Cheri Gabrielsen, she lives right in town, her rates were affordable, she could take my quilt and meet my deadline. The only problem was that Cheri couldn’t start the job until she returned from a machine quilting conference, where she was taking a class with……..Carla Barrett of Feathered Fibers. Now what were the chances of that?

As you can see, Cheri did a fabulous job on the quilting and I couldn't be happier with the results!

Many talented women have had a hand in this quilt. I like to imagine their good wishes filling each stitch with positive energy. When James and Rachel sleep under it, they're wrapped in a blanket of blessings. You can’t give a better wedding gift than that!