We hold deep admiration for Yvonne Fuchs of Quilting Jetgirl. Her remarkable creativity and meticulous craftsmanship have made her an invaluable contributor to the modern quilting community. With a keen eye for beauty and innovation, Yvonne consistently produces impeccably designed patterns that balance form, function, and versatility.
Her work seamlessly navigates between the geometric precision of her designs and the organic flow of free-motion quilting and thread painting, showcasing her extraordinary artistic range. Even more inspiring is how her background as an aerospace engineer informs her thoughtful and precise approach to quilting, adding a layer of ingenuity that elevates her creations to new heights.
Today, we’re honored to help Yvonne introduce her latest Quilt Along, Effervescence, launched just last week.
In early 2023, I was inspired by the Project Quilting 14.5 prompt, sew not a square, to make a baby sized quilt using improv curves. I went to my solid scrap bins and pulled a range of colors from red/orange through teal, and I quickly chose to piece the quilt top to move around the color wheel.
To make blocks for the quilt, I improvisationally pieced curves and then squared up each finished block to 6″ wide by 8½” tall. 6″ x 8½” was the nice, random, non-square size that made the most sense to trim my first block to, so I made all the other blocks conform to that size.
Placing the blocks up on my design wall (which happened to also be holding up my Diatom quilt at that time) helped me evaluate the flow of colors in the quilt and decide what fabric I wanted to use for subsequent blocks.
To finish the quilt, I opted to quilt soft, wavy lines using my walking foot. I used 2 different 50wt Aurifil variegated threads for the quilting: 4650 (Leaves) and 4662 (Creme de Menthe). I used 4650 for the top ~½ of the quilt and 4662 for the bottom ~½ of the quilt with the two thread colors alternating in the center. The spacing between the lines varies from about ¾” to ⅜” but averages out at around ½”.
When I shared my finished 39″ wide by 48½” tall quilt, I immediately started to get questions about a pattern for the design. Because I pieced the quilt improvisationally, I responded honestly with, “I’m not sure how I could write a pattern for this, but thank you for your interest and enthusiasm for my quilt!”
The idea sat nagging at the back of my mind, though, and in early 2024, I sat down to see if I could figure something out. Introducing Effervescence, the 2024-2025 Quilting Jetgirl quilt along pattern! The pattern includes full color illustrations for 42 unique block designs. The instructions for each block all fit on a single page and include the fabric and cut pieces that you need for each block. In addition, I will be sharing some organization tips when the cutting instructions are released to help us all stay organized throughout the quilt along.
While Effervescence was inspired by an improvisationally pieced quilt top, the Effervescence quilt along pattern was designed to create a 56″ x 72″ lap quilt that looks improvisationally pieced but uses traditional piecing methods. The pattern is written at a confident beginner level. There will be no improv, curve, paper piecing, appliqué, or advanced sewing techniques (such as Y seams). In addition, there will be bonus HSTs created during the Effervescence piecing process, and the pattern also includes a bonus quilt layout to put the HSTs to immediate use. Even better: the additional background yardage for the bonus quilt is included in the fabric requirements.
Are you looking for continuous bubbles of quilting joy? If so, the Effervescence Quilt Along might be just what you are looking for! Signups for the Effervescence Quilt Along are now open via the button below!
Now through the end of November, you can sign up for the Effervescence Quilt Along in the Quilting Jetgirl shop for 25% off – no coupon code needed.
Special thanks to Jetman, Quilting Jetgirl’s husband, who patiently waited for the wind to abate in the Sonoran Desert so that we could have a photoshoot of the Effervescence quilt top beside saguaro cacti. The wind the morning of the photoshoot did not make for ideal conditions, and waiting just a bit longer for the morning wind to settle made all the difference.