Stitcher Spotlight - Emily Langton's Pirouette Quilt
It always makes me so thrilled to see you, my quilting friends, stitch up my quilt patterns in ways I never would have thought of. What a gift, and a wonderful collaboration! And so, every quarter or so, we host a Stitcher Spotlight, a short interview with a maker featuring a Tales of Cloth pattern. This month, I'm sharing Emily Langton's stunning Pirouette Quilt! Beyond the photos shown below, Emily's Instagram feed is a treasure trove of intricate fussy cutting detail. I encourage you to go take a look!
Thank you Emily for sharing your beautiful creativity with us!
Tell us about yourself!
I’m a Youth Worker, and I have been working with “at-risk” youth for many years in a suburb of Toronto, Canada. Although I grew up in Toronto, we recently moved to a small town so the kids could have their own rooms and a big backyard. I’ve got 3 kids; an almost-9 year old and 6 year old twins. We’ve also got a Brittany Spaniel named Galaxy and a black cat named Phoebe.
Although it’s an incredible pain, I still work in Toronto, and I take the train a couple of days a week. It sounds like a drag, but it’s how I get most of my sewing done! When I work from home, I work in my office/sewing studio. It makes it really hard to get anything done when I’m surrounded by fabric and my laptop is resting on my cutting mat!
How did you choose the colors/palette/vibe for your Pirouette quilt?
In the couple of weeks it took for my Pirouette Quilt kit to make its way to Canada from Australia, I chose, vetoed and changed my mind at least a dozen times! It wasn’t until Jodi revealed her version of the quilt that I knew what I wanted to do. Blue!
My version differs from Jodi’s in that I made my rosettes blue and my stars white. The blue and white reminds me of this dish ware that my mom used to have. So I guess, in a way, it reminds me of her.
I also went with Rifle Paper Co fabric. I had tons of blue already so I didn’t need to break my new rule that requires me to shop my stash!
How long did it take you?
Nine months! It’s certainly not a record, but it came together really quickly. I found that the quilt naturally broke itself down into very manageable parts. I love a good fussy cut, so the rosettes were my favourite part.
How long have you been quilting/doing EPP?
I started quilting in 2016 while I was on maternity leave with my first born. Although I absolutely loved my maternity leave and taking care of my precious new babe, I also longed for something that I could do for myself! On one of our walks through the neighbourhood, I came across a small quilt shop called "The Workroom." It soon became my favourite spot, and for a while both me and the babe would visit every day (to pet fabric but also to talk to adults!). After a couple of classes, I was hooked!
I started with a “100 Blocks in 100 Days” challenge because it motivated me to find time for myself every day. I started on my EPP journey in 2017 when I decided to tackle La Passacaglia. Talk about running before you can walk, am I right? I have started this quilt three times, and luckily the third time’s a charm because I’m now on the right track!
What’s your next EPP project?
The plan, as it stands now, is to finish some of my current WIPs. I’ve got Jodi’s Cherish and Wild Sage quilts on the go along with the Mischief Quilt and, of course, La Pass. But, I know, just as all other EPP-ers out there know, that the likelihood of me finishing any one of those before I start something completely different is slim to none!
Want to stitch your own Pirouette quilt?
We're so grateful Emily shared her quilt with us! What a beautiful use of fussy cutting, and a clever use of time with her regular commutes to Toronto!
Pirouette quilt is available in the shop! We have the paper pieces and acrylic templates bundled together at a discount below (you can also purchase them separately). It's a great quilt for showing off fussy cutting as Emily has in her version, but it also suits just two colors as you can see below. Grab what you need to make yours and start stitching!
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