A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Latest Quilt Pattern

Big Tractor started as an idea I kept circling back to. I wanted something that felt substantial. A quilt with real presence, one that could work as a baby gift or hang as a statement piece on a wall. This post walks through the process from first template print to finished binding.

Name: Big Tractor
Tentative Release Date: January 2026
Size: 55” x 65”

The Design

For the palette I went with Moda Bella Solids, which gave me exactly the clean, saturated color I needed. I ended up making two colorways: soft baby blues and baby pinks. Picking just one felt wrong.

Sorting Templates

First step was printing, rough-trimming, and sorting all the templates. Foundation paper piecing has a lot of pieces, and getting them organized before you sit down to sew makes the whole thing go more smoothly. Quilting clips kept each group together. Nothing fancy, but it works.

As I sorted templates, quilting clips became my BFF for keeping pieces together. “Every piece has its place, just like every part of this tractor!”

Prefolding Templates

Prefolding is one of those prep steps that doesn’t feel exciting but absolutely earns its keep when you’re at the machine. I also use double-sided tape to hold pieces in place while sewing. I recently found out my preferred brand may be discontinued. That was not welcome news. Product testing ahead, apparently.

A prefolded template shown next to my trusty double-sided tape and Add-A-Quarter® Plus ruler.

Prestarching for Crisp Seams

I prestarch my fabric before piecing. It stabilizes the fabric, helps with preshrinking, and keeps everything crisp through the sewing process. The seams just behave better. Highly recommend it if you don’t already do this.

My prestarched fabrics for the tractor body and grassy patches hanging beautifully over a wire rack.

Keeping Fabrics Organized

Once the fabric is prepped, I hang everything on a repurposed clothes rack using curtain rings with clips. It lets me see each piece side by side and grab what I need without digging through a pile. It also keeps things from getting wrinkled before I even start sewing.

My fabric lineup on my handy repurposed rack—it’s all about keeping things tidy.

Getting the Machine Ready

Before any sewing starts, the machine gets a fresh needle and a good cleaning. The amount of lint that accumulates in the bobbin area after a single project is genuinely impressive. Starting with a clean machine matters more than it sounds.

I'm always amazed at the amount of lint buildup in the bobbin area—proof that one project can create a mini lint factory.

Sewing the Templates

Foundation paper piecing is one of those processes where the finished result doesn’t look like much until suddenly it does. Template by template, the tractor started to take shape. If you’re new to FPP, one thing to keep in mind: always sew through the full seam allowance. It matters for how the pieces come together later.

Piecing close-ups. If you're new to FPP, you'll want to note that I always sew through the entire seam allowance.

Finally! A stacked pile of finished templates.

The tire templates on the design wall look a little chaotic at this stage. They do work. Trust the process. They come together!

Alignment

One of the real advantages of FPP is accuracy. When you’re joining large panels, clean alignment is the difference between a quilt that looks intentional and one that looks off. The precision here is one of the reasons I keep coming back to this technique.

The large panels being joined with precision equals alignment satisfaction!

Longarming

For the quilting, I went with straight-line stitching on the longarm. It’s my default for modern FPP quilts. Clean lines suit the design.

My longarm in action with those satisfying straight-line stitches taking shape.

Binding and Labeling

Binding is not my favorite part. I’d rather be at the machine and handwork takes more patience than I tend to have at the end of a project. But it gets done, and the quilt looks better for it. I also add a custom label to every quilt I make. That part I do not skip!

Creating custom labels for my quilts is a must!

The Finished Quilt

Here it is. Big Tractor, finished. It turned out exactly the way I pictured it and I’m proud of how it came together. Whether you make it in blues, pinks, or something completely different, this one is built to be used and passed down.

The finished quilt in its glory, soaking in the countryside charm.

Big Tractor is available now in the online store.

Let’s Hear From You

What part of the quilting process is your favorite? And what colorway are you thinking for your own Big Tractor? Leave a comment below.