Have you ever had a quilt top that you weren’t thrilled about but once it was quilted, you thought “wow”? That’s happened to me often. Quilting can make or break a quilt top. I’ve seen gorgeous tops quilted in ways that don’t enhance them and average tops that came out stunning with just the right quilting pattern.

I’ve got one to show you how much quilting does make a difference.

I was going through my fabric stash the other day to make more donation quilts for an organization that helps people who are experiencing homelessness. These go into “Essential Boxes,” which are given to people who have found an apartment or room and are leaving the streets. I found I had two more Dream Big panels that I’d tucked away. I’ve quilted a few but then lost interest in them. Then I realized, they are the perfect size for the small lap size quilts I make for this organization.

If you’re new to machine or long-arm quilting and are looking for ways to practice filler patterns, I think these panels are perfect for that. You can make the designs as simple or as intricate as you would like.

So, this is the panel before the quilting.

And this is it after.

Look at them side-by-side.

Want to see the back? I love it – I almost like it more than the front! The backing is minky, a gorgeous cuddly fabric that really makes the quilting pop.

If you would like to try doing a Dream Big panel like this but are stuck for ideas, just Google “Dream Big panel quilting ideas” and you’ll find pages of images. I’ve quilted several and I still look for other ideas just to mix things up a bit. Here are some close-ups:

Now, for the next project…