We’ve been working with Barbara Persing for over a decade and have long been inspired by her vision, her magnificent machine appliqué, and her astounding ability to capture the beauty found in nature using fabric & thread.
From her fabric design collaborations with Island Batik to her quilt patterns with her sister and curated thread sets to educator spotlights with Aurifil, Barb is always pushing forward, testing the boundaries of her creativity. She utilizes a variety of methods of machine quilting, sharing her knowledge with fans on YouTube & Instagram, always inspiring us to try something new.
This year marks the 10 year anniversary of the wildly popular Full Bloom BOM, originally designed by Barb and her sister Mary under 4th & 6th Designs. The BOM was a sensation for years, showcasing brightly hued batiks from Island Batik Fabrics, perfectly coordinated Aurifil 40wt threads, and Barb’s signature Edge-Coloring Appliqué technique. (Learn more about Barb’s signature technique HERE.)
The best way to celebrate this milestone? Re-release the pattern, fabrics, AND threads in order to once again share the Full Bloom BOM with quilters worldwide.
Looking for the Full Bloom pattern? Find it on Barb’s website via the button above. To join in on a hosted BOM program, search Full Bloom BOM to find a participating shop near you!
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Barb! We’re so excited to hear about all things Full Bloom, today! Before we dive in, we’d love to set the stage a little, for those readers who may be meeting you for the first time. Can you tell us a little more about yourself and how you got started in this wonderfully creative industry?
I have 4 sisters and 1 brother. My mother taught us all how to garment sew when we turned 10 years old. My mother made almost all of our garments growing up and she is a talented seamstress. We all sew to this day, some us more than others and my brother, well not at all. My mother got involved in quilting when I was in High School and began to teach me. At 20 I moved to NH and continued with my interest in quilting and learned as I went along. Mary was also interested in quilting and we used to talk on the phone and try to give each other help– early 1980s lol. Mary opened a Quilt shop in 1999 and I started to help her with samples for her shop and it took off from there.
These days, you are designing and creating under your own name, but for years, you were partnered with your sister, Mary Hoover, for 4th and 6th Designs. What did you love most about that partnership and how did you two work together to make all of that quilty magic?
What I loved most about our partnership was our unspoken ability to collaborate. We are almost opposite in our approach to a design, our running joke is that we are only half a brain, but together we are complete. Somehow this helped us to make patterns such as Full Bloom. Mary lives in upstate NY, I am in PA, and we would drive back and forth to visit each other just to be in the room together to work on projects. We only used our design wall and no computer programs to design our patterns.
How has your process changed since Mary retired?
There is a lot of excitement when you work with a partner, at least that’s how it was for us. Now she is my unofficial collaborator and is always there to help me when I get stuck on a design.
Do you remember the first quilt you made and how completing it made you feel?
Yes. My first quilt was a sampler and my mom and I took the class together. I knew when it was finished that this was going to be a life long hobby of mine.
Do you still get those same feelings with new quilts that you make today?
Absolutely. Traditional patterns were available to me when I first started quilting and I found myself very quickly changing designs and making up my own. When I look back on those first quilts it is amazing to see how much I learned by experimenting.
Have you ever had one of those ‘aha moments in quilting and if so, what was it?
I have had three. Strata was the first. Mary and I created many variations on Strata and published our first book, StrataVarious Quilts. Our love of batiks and adding as many as we could to a design was what drove that collection of designs. My longarm machine was another. It drove my creativity in a whole different direction and started my love affair with thread and the relationship between quilting, piecing and the finished quilt. To see the impact that quilting had on the finished quilt was defining for me. Lastly Edge Coloring Applique. I was not expecting to become an applique artist, it evolved out of necessity. We had a strata quilt that when we finished it, Mary and I looked at it and said ‘it looks like a background”. It was clear to both of us that the quilt needed something more to make it interesting. That began our journey to find an applique technique that was not needle turn – we did not have the time or patience. Not fusible – it made the quilting flat and prevented me from adding life to the quilt with my longarm. So what was left – we had to come up with something else. Edge-Coloring Appliqué was our solution.
Would you consider Edge-Coloring Appliqué to be your go-to technique or are there others that you find yourself going back to again and again?
I think it is funny that I have become an applique designer. In the beginning, with strata, I did not see it in my future. I use two different techniques. Edge-Coloring and fusible applique with blanket stitch. The technique I use is dictated by the design itself. Natural realistic designs, inspired by nature, are usually done with Edge-Coloring. Quilts like Full Bloom, Solstice, The Orchard. Those designs are organic and the technique enhances that.
Designs that are simple or modern call for fusible to me. They are not heavily layered and it is the charm of the design and not the texture that is the main focus of the piece. Quilts like A Gathering, Bliss, Babyhood1, Babyhood2 and my newest Garden Blooms, Small Blooms, and My Blooms.
When and how did you first develop Edge-Coloring Appliqué and how did it shape the trajectory of your quilting path?
Once we found a solution to our need for “how to add applique to our quilts” I wanted to try more. I had never tried to draw or design with images. Once I gained a little confidence all the quilts in my head were appliqué. I would say it was a complete change of direction.
Do you have any tried-and-true tools that you turn to again and again?
Aurifil Thread. Quilting can be the main focus of a quilt or a supporting background. And the quality and color of your thread plays a major role in helping you achieve your goal. Color choice can make or break a good quilting plan.
You’ve been a dedicated Aurifil fan for years — when did it first become a mainstay in your quilting and why is it your go-to?
My longarm business was a quick education into the impact quilting has on a quilt. Working for such a diverse range of quilters, from simple designs to art quilts, drove me to fine a thread that would check all the boxes. 1. Run Smooth, run smooth, run smooth. 2. Great color range and different thread weights. 3. Easy to order or pick up from my local shop.
Let’s talk about Full Bloom! This is one of our all-time favorite patterns and we have to stress how thrilled we are that we’ve been able to partner on a re-release. The original pattern was released through 4th and 6th about a decade ago— how did you and your sister work together to create it and what inspired the overall pattern?
The idea was started with Gerber Daisies. We went to a local flower shop to take pictures of the colorful flowers.
Fabric design. The goal was to create batiks that had light, medium and dark in the same collection. This was important for creating shadows and details in the flowers.
Putting it together. We used the images to sketch out the blocks. We each started working on the blocks when the fabric came in and then we were stuck. So we planned a road trip, I went to Mary’s house and up on the design wall the blocks went. We both came into the room with and idea in mind but came out with something completely different – Full Bloom. I can’t really say how it happened, we were moving stuff around the design wall, laughing and talking, and there was Full Bloom.
We know that you selected the thread colors to perfectly coordinate with your Island Batik fabrics — with Edge-Coloring appliqué, why is it so important to match threads to fabric?
The Edge-Coloring is functional in that it serves the purpose of finishing the edges of the applique. In my designs it is not there to draw attention but to add and an organic appearance to support the design. Matching thread color is the answer. The upside is that it looks so good when finished whether you are a beginner or an expert. We say “the messier the better”. I love teaching this technique to beginners and see them shine with their accomplishments.
Do you have any advice for new quilters who may be trying out free motion quilting or machine appliqué for the first time?
For free motion quilting my first words of advise are turn off your stitch regulator! You cannot achieve flowing designs when you are fighting a stitch regulator. My favorite longarm class to teach was Introduction to Free Motion. I have even had students tell me at the end of class that they almost walked out at the beginning when I announced we would not be using stitch regulators during class. At the end of class these same students thanked me. A class is the perfect opportunity to work outside of your comfort zone and experience something new. Stitch regulators have many uses but I believe you need to learn how to run your machine FIRST without them.
Machine applique opens up so many design choices, I never thought it would be my choice until it was. That is why we should all try new techniques to see if it is something that can open new doors.
There are also many techniques and I think you should try them all. I suggest you take classes from experienced teachers and then choose what may work or inspire you.
When working through the quilt, do you use the same top/bottom thread combinations for both piecing and appliqué?
Yes. My first choice is to have the same weight thread in the top and bobbin. But there are exceptions. While I have many spools of Aurifil thread sometimes I may be missing enough 40wt for my top/bobbin, so I will use 50wt in the bobbin. I find these two work well together. When I am doing close dense quilting I always use 50wt in the bobbin and on top.
Where can our readers join in on the BOM and how can they follow along with you throughout?
You can grab the pattern on my website via the button below, in addition to Youtube videos help quilters with each block of the quilt (monthly), and added content and tips on my Instagram.
If you’re interested in participating in a program, I’d suggest doing a search for Full Bloom BOM. There are a slew of wonderful retailers who are participating, offering kits and monthly support. There should still be some spots available!
What’s next in your world? Do you have teaching engagements or public appearances to share?
I will be at Shops and Guilds in the coming year. March 22 & 23 I will be at Thimbles Quilt Shop in Lockport IL. I will present my program on Pictorial Art Quilts and teach the Edge-Coloring technique at the shop the next day. I will be at Helping Hands Guild in Delaware on March 26. Additional dates will be posted in my newsletter. You can join my Newsletter on my website via the button below.
HUGE thanks to Barb for playing along with us today! We hope you’ll leave inspired and eager to dive into your own journey with machine and edge coloring appliqué!
Coneflower Garden is in my pile of Waiting To Be Quilted tops. I love the purple and green combination.