“Never hold yourself to one style, or one technique of quilting; dare yourself to step outside your quilting box and become a one of a kind artist.”
– Barbara Persing
We are beyond excited to celebrate the launch of Seaside, Barbara Persing’s breathtaking new Block of the Month (BOM) program and coordinating thread collection! A celebrated fiber artist and passionate educator, Barbara invites you to embrace creative expression and step outside your quilting comfort zone. Known for her inspiring teaching style and expert appliqué techniques, she is kicking off 2025 with this vibrant, modern avian quilt that showcases 22 stunning coastal birds.
Designed for quilters of all levels, this 10-month journey is an invitation to explore the art of machine appliqué with Barbara’s signature numbering system and trusted fusible web techniques.
To complement this creative adventure, Barbara has carefully curated a Seaside thread collection, featuring 12 large spools of Aurifil’s 100% cotton 40wt thread in a brilliant range of bright and versatile hues. This collection is her go-to choice for machine appliqué, offering the perfect balance of durability and softness.
Whether you’re a seasoned quilter or just beginning your appliqué journey, Seaside is designed to inspire, challenge, and spark new creative possibilities. Let’s dive in!
Barbara, we’re so delighted to chat with you today! While we’ve been working together for about a decade, I know that some of our readers may be new to you and your work. Before we dive, we’d love for you to set the stage… can you take us back to the beginning? How did you first get started in the quilting industry?
My professional quilting career started in 2000 when I purchased my first longarm machine. My intent was to be a work from home mom and have flexible working hours. My sister, Mary Hoover had a new quilt shop and our two businesses complimented each other well. We began designing quilts from the shop inventory and then her customers wanted the patterns for these samples. That was unexpected to us, we thought we would provide a little inspiration and help her sell more fabric. That is when our pattern company, Fourth & Sixth Designs was born and we grew from there.
We enjoyed pattern designing so much that Mary closed the shop and we added fabric designing and book writing to our new business. Our business and my personal quilting art soon had me discovering Aurifil Thread. I was looking for a thread company with a much larger selection of quality cotton thread, in color, tone, and shades. I purchased a few spools of 40wt Aurifil thread and have never looked back. Long before my first thread box I was using Aurifil exclusively for all of my customers as well as my personal quilts. Thread is as important a decision to a finished project as color, fabric, technique, design etc.
Mary has retired and I now run my pattern company alone, with lots of help from my sisters.
What drew you to quilting as a creative medium, and what keeps you inspired today?
My mom taught me and all of my siblings how to garment sew at the age of 10. I have been sewing ever since. I started quilting at 18 years old when mom and I took a quilting class together. Shortly after I moved away from home. There were no quilting classes in my area so I began to teach myself. At that time cardboard templates were how you cut your pieces, and there was no internet or YouTube. I began using traditional designs and techniques but quickly started experimenting with my own ideas.. I was always making small changes to patterns and that grew into designing my own. I never thought I would use applique, I certainly do not have the patience for hand applique, but artistic desire moved me in that direction. Applique has fueled my creative mind and opened ideas for all kinds of fiber art.
You wear many hats—designer, quilter, and educator. How do these roles influence one another in your work?
They feed each other and are all a part of the creative process. When I am quilting my mind relaxes and I start to see design ideas. When I teach, the creative energy, conversations and shared experiences from the students always gives me a start on something new. My hope is that I will help someone else to enjoy their personal quilting journey. It is different for all of us and there is no right way or wrong way to be creative.
Let’s talk about Seaside, your stunning new BOM! What inspired the design of this quilt?
I grew up in southern New Jersey and spent many summers at the beach. It is my relaxing, happy place. And then there are the birds! My first bird quilt, A Gathering, was the beginning of my love for birds. They come in every shape, size and color. Putting the two together seemed like a good idea.
You used a wonderful range of fabrics from Island Batik– can you tell us more?
The fabric collection is also called Seaside and includes fabrics curated from my previous lines and a few new ones. There are 16 fabrics in this collection.
What do you hope quilters will take away from participating in this BOM?
I wrote this pattern using a numbering system for the applique so beginners to advanced quilters can follow the design. This is a fusible web project with machine blanket stitch. This pattern will introduce users to a unique approach to fusible applique and my years of sewing experience offers a few tips and tricks to making the blanket stitch perfect. You can watch my short video on setting up your machine for perfect blanket stitch on my IG highlights (click HERE).
Where can people sign up to join the Seaside Block of the Month?
If you prefer to follow a BOM program check with your local quilt shop or on-line, you can purchase the full pattern and kits from my website or your local shop. I will also have a limited number of laser kits available at the end of March.
You’ve paired Seaside with a beautifully curated Aurifil thread set—why was it important for you to offer a coordinating thread collection?
Aurifil 40 wt thread has just the right amount of weight for machine top stitching and because of the many color selections I can always find the colors that I want to use. I always use the same thread color and weight in the bobbin and the 40wt thread is perfect for machine quilting, it is what I personally always use.
How do the featured threads enhance the overall aesthetic of the quilt?
For this project I wanted to use matching thread colors for all of the appliqué stitching, I believe it enhances the color choices of the fabrics.
You’re known for your machine appliqué expertise. Why do you prefer Aurifil 40wt for this technique?
The 40wt thread adds a complementary and visual element to the design.
Can you tell us more about the type of appliqué featured in Seaside and why 40wt is the perfect choice?
This project is done with fusible appliqué and I wanted the stitching to add interest. Sometimes appliqué stitching is meant to be invisible but that is not the case here.
What are your top tips for quilters working with Aurifil 40wt thread?
It is versatile, you can use it to piece, top stitch, quilt, and thread paint. It requires no tension adjustments on your domestic machine. On a longarm machine when switching to a new brand of thread minor thread adjustments may be needed. I recommend using the same thread in your bobbin.
Are there any specific machine settings, needles, or tricks you recommend for the best results with machine appliqué?
I prefer a size 80 needle. When working with batiks I use an 80 Microtex and when machine quilting I use an 80 embroidery needle or something with a stiff shanks to handle the needle deflection.
How do you hope to see these particular threads used beyond the Seaside BOM?
They can be used for piecing and quilting as well as top stitching. They also work beautifully for thread painting and machine embroidery. If your project requires thread use these!
Where can we find you this year? Will you be teaching, attending events, or hosting workshops?
I will be teaching and presenting at Guilds this year. And I am in the development phase of putting together a 4 day Pictorial Art Quilts Workshop. Feel free to reach out to me if you have an interest.
From both a professional and a creative standpoint, what are you most excited about in the coming months?
Sharing everything about Seaside, working on a new personal design and getting my 4 day Workshop launched. Finally being able to make room on my schedule for these pursuits is exciting.
If you could offer one piece of advice to quilters who are just starting their machine appliqué journey, what would it be?
Try many different techniques and make changes where necessary to make it fun for you. There are many ways to accomplish appliqué. As an example I have a booklet on my website for the technique I developed, Edge Coloring Applique, I use this technique in many of my designs.
Where can people follow along with your work and stay up to date on your latest projects?
Social media is not one of my strong suits, but I do post on my IG page, @bpquilts, and if you sign up for my newsletter on my website you will receive occasional emails about new products.