Interview with Sarah from Stitch Mode Quilts

Sarah Campbell

Stitch Mode Quilts

Instagram: @stitchmodequilts

Website: stitchmodequilts.com

Email: stitchmodequilts@gmail.com

Q: How long have you been longarm quilting, and how did you get into it? 

A: I started renting time on a longarm at a quilting studio in Austin in early 2019. My WIP closet was starting to get out of hand, and I just needed to get quilts finished. I LOVED completing my projects with the help of the computer on the longarm, and quickly decided I needed one of my own. My longarm was set up by November, and I started taking on clients in January 2020. 

Q: What if your favorite longarm quilting project to date? 

A: Wendy's throw size Wind Tunnel quilt :) Not sucking up, I just really love how it turned out!! And the quilt itself was super fun to look at while stitching!

Q: What sets you apart from other longarm quilters? 

A: Well, since I don't have to send my own quilts off to a longarmer anymore, that's a little tricky to answer :) I hope that I make sending off a quilt for longarming a FUN process! I also try to be as collaborative as possible because I want my clients to get the quilting they truly want. For most clients, I will pull together a design board of different quilting ideas and help them narrow down their choices (there are a LOT of computerized quilting designs available on the Internet). Once they choose what they want, I send them pictures of the sizing of the design with measurements included so they can get a feel for how dense a design will be. It's hard to send a quilt off and wonder if your longarmer's definition of "dense" is the same as yours, so I think being able to see exactly how loose or dense a design will stitch out is helpful for everyone.

Q: What's your number one tip for quilters sending you a quilt for longarming? 

A: Lol but I want to give you ALL the tips!! Make sure your backing (and batting, if you're sending it) is 4+ inches larger than the quilt top on all sides. Horizontal seams, clipped threads, squared top and backing are all things I want you to do, too, but I can't quilt anything if the backing is too small.

Q: If someone sent you a Scrappy Summer quilt, what are your top 3 pantographs for the design? 

A: There are so many cool ones you could do!! But generally, I would lean towards a design that gives a lot of texture to the quilt, but isn't so intricate that it competes with the busy-ness from using a bunch of scraps. Some of my favorite texture-y designs are Abacus, Baptist Clam, and Malachite.

Abacus

Baptist Clam

Malachite