Meet Kelli Marshall: Traditional Quilting with a Modern Twist

Kelli Marshall is a busy mother of five kids, who also runs a household that includes chickens and gardens, but still manages to fit quilting into her days – and actually finds that it provides a way to have a business from home and also keep her creatively fulfilled.

Like many quilters, Kelli’s quilting journey began with nesting – she decided her daughter needed a quilt for her big girl bed. She elaborates: “When my oldest child was about two, I wanted to make her a quilt for her ‘big girl’ bed. My mother-in-law was very into quilting and really good at it so I asked for her help. We picked a pattern, used my first quality quilting fabric from Moda and I made a quilt. This was the first quit I had professionally long armed as well and I was hooked. I had found a hobby I enjoyed and was introduced into the world of quilting fabric, much to my wallet’s dismay!”

Fast forward a few years, and quilting has evolved into more than just a hobby for Kelli. “The first time my work got accepted for a magazine was pivotal for me. I realised, ‘Hey, if a magazine wants to show my work, maybe this is something I could be good at!’ and I was all in from there,” she enthuses.

She began getting serious about turning the ideas in her head into written quilt patterns, started making premade binding that she sells in her Etsy shop, began to sell fabric, and started longarming for customers as her business evolved.

Kelli describes her personal style as: “Traditional with a flair for modern. I like transforming or incorporating traditional blocks with modern twists or simpler piecing. ”One of the hallmarks of many of her quilt designs is the use of solid fabrics over prints, which is a modern concept (though it also has a place in historical quilts), and gives her designs a timeless element. “In designing my patterns, I tend to lean to solids because I’m indecisive on prints. I never want to cut into them – ridiculous, I know. I love working with many manufacturers but Kona Cottons from Robert Kaufman, Confetti Cottons from Riley Blake and Bella Solids from Moda are my favourites,” she explains.

Kelli gets around her concern about cutting into precious prints by using them as backings, and when she finds a print she loves, it’ll often be a huge factor in her colour choices for a quilt design. She also likes to add an element of interest in her binding choices – “stripes for binding will win 95% of the time,” she says (and we concur – who can go past a stripey binding?).

While designing is probably her favourite part of the quilting process, and is a key component of her business, she does want to develop her longarming skills as well to extend that side of the business.“I have a goal of improving my ruler work for longarm quilting. I currently only do edge to edge designs but would love to expand and offer more custom designs to my quilts,” Kelli says.

The biggest influence in Kelli’s designs is probably interior design, another of her favourite things, which she also has a degree in. “I love following house remodels, tile work, wood work and the like. This influences my quilt designs – inspiration comes from everywhere, but I mostly see it in interior design, in tiles, wallpaper, pillows and sheets.”

You can tell she’s got a flair for interior design when she describes her dream studio. “It’d have lots of natural light – big windows and a door that opened up to a great view (like a pond or mountains). I’d have a dedicated cutting table, ironing station and a table for my machine and my kids’ machines so we could all sew together. There’d also be a space for my long arm as well as a lounging area to relax,” she enthuses.

Kelli is mostly a do-it-all quilter, making quilts from her own designs and doing everything down to the quilting by herself. “But I do enjoy sewing up other people’s patterns too. There are so many great ones out there – there is never a shortage of projects on my to do list!” she says.

While quilting is her business, Kelli makes sure she takes the time to have relaxing quilting projects as well, so that she doesn’t burn out. And when she does lack inspiration, she has a useful strategy for getting out of that sewing rut. “I walk away. I know it sounds silly but I usually get in a rut because I’m overworking myself. If i step back and take a break and not worry about ideas or being creative, it comes back – when it wants – but then it’s productive.”

Like many of us, Kelli has to balance quilting time with raising her family and keeping her home –sewing all day is not an option, but that doesn’t matter. “I love quilting – my teenage self would probably laugh at that, but quilting has been a great outlet for me to keep my mind active but not too consuming that it takes over my family life,” she says of finding the right balance.

It’s also been a great social outlet and a way for her to share her story with the world. “I’m a BIG introvert so quilting helps me share more about my personality – my likes, my hobbies, my style. Each quilt has a story behind it and by designing my own, I’m sending part of my story out with each design,” she says, adding, “Social media is a huge help in connecting with other quilters. I’m drawn to quilters and designers that align with my personal style – and even some who don’t, those are who end up inspiring me the most, especially if I’m in a design rut. I’ve made multiple connections through social media networking, some of which have turned into close friendships and mentorships.”

As for the future? Kelli’s happy to keep going as is for now, having struck a great balance between quilting and her family. “My current plans are just to continue. I hope to be able to keep creating new patterns, keep my little shop running. I am hoping to offer paper patterns wholesale soon to try and get my patterns to reach a wider audience. I enjoy what I do and am thankful for the opportunity to do it!”