Quilt with geometric pattern featuring black, white, and yellow blocks on a blue-grey background.

Edison Panto: Quilty Beads

January 5, 2026

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Earlier this year, I had the chance to attend my annual quilting retreat—one of my favorite creative resets of the year—and this quilt top came together there from start to finish. There’s something special about stepping away from everyday distractions, surrounding yourself with fellow quilters, and diving headfirst into a project. The result was this Quilty Beads quilt, paired with one of my newest longarm quilting pantograph designs, the Edison panto.

This quilt came together quickly, was a joy to sew, and gave me the perfect opportunity to showcase a brand-new modern quilting pantograph that I’m especially excited about. From fabric selection to backing choices to the final edge to edge quilting, this project checks all the boxes for a satisfying, efficient, and modern quilt finish.

If you love modern quilts, beginner-friendly quilting pantographs, or are always on the lookout for efficient edge to edge pantograph designs, keep reading—I’m sharing all the details.

👉 Grab the Quilty Beads Quilt Pattern Here
👉 Grab the Edison Pantograph Here

Close-up of a patchwork quilt with blue, green, and beige colors.

Quilty Beads Quilt Pattern by Quilty Love

The Quilty Beads quilt pattern, designed by Emily over at Quilty Love, is everything I’ve come to expect from her patterns—clear instructions, thoughtful construction, and a polished modern aesthetic. This pattern is specifically designed for fat quarters, making it a fantastic choice if you love working with bundles or want to shop your stash.

Why Quilty Beads Is Perfect for a Modern Quilt

What I really love about Quilty Beads is how it balances structure with movement. The bead-like shapes give your eye something to follow across the quilt top, while the negative space allows your quilting design to shine. This makes it an excellent candidate for edge to edge quilting using a digital quilting pantograph. Better yet: Emily has written two different options into the pattern, large beads or smaller beads - so it's a bit of a chose your own adventure pattern.

The pattern comes together quickly, which makes it ideal for retreats, weekend sewing sessions, or anytime you want a finish without weeks of piecing. If you’re someone who enjoys seeing fast progress (or wants to move efficiently from piecing to longarm quilting), this pattern delivers.

👉 Grab the Quilty Beads Quilt Pattern Here

Quilt block with geometric pattern on a blue background

Fat Quarter Bundle from Robert Kaufman

I’m a sucker for a well-curated fat quarter bundle, especially when the designer pulls together a mix that feels cohesive but still interesting. This out of print Foliage bundle paired with a designer palette bundle are by Carolyn Friedlander and features a mix of her signature prints, ginghams, and solids produced by Robert Kaufman.

There’s just something about a bundle where all the colors already play nicely together—it removes decision fatigue and lets you focus on sewing. And if there’s lime green anywhere in the mix? I’m sold. It’s absolutely a weakness of mine.

Pairing Prints with a Modern Background

To ground the brighter fabrics, I paired the bundle with a grey-blue cotton-linen background from my stash. While I can’t remember the exact manufacturer, cotton-linen blends are one of my favorite choices for modern quilts. They add texture and an elevated feel without overpowering the design.

This combination created a clean, modern quilt top that was the perfect canvas for an edge to edge pantograph. The background allowed the quilting to be visible without competing with the piecing.

👉 Grab the Quilty Beads Quilt Pattern Here
👉 Grab the Edison Pantograph Here

Modern Quilt with geometric pattern on grass

Edison Pantograph: A Modern Quilting Pantograph Design

The real star of this finish is the Edison Pantograph, a modern digital quilting design I created while playing around in Pro-Stitcher Designer. I was experimenting with shape repetition and movement when the idea of a vintage light bulb popped into my head. The result felt a little retro, a little modern—and paying homage to Edison just felt right.

Designed with Longarm Quilters in Mind

When I design a longarm quilting pantograph, I always keep usability front and center. Whether you’re new to computerized quilting or have stitched hundreds of quilts, a good pantograph should be efficient, forgiving, and visually impactful.

The Edison pantograph was designed with three critical features:

✔ Minimal Backtracking

Less backtracking means smoother stitch paths, fewer thread build-ups, and a more consistent stitch quality across the quilt.

✔ No Offset Required

This quilting pantograph stitches beautifully without needing an offset, saving time during setup and reducing room for error.

✔ No Alignment Needed

No alignment means no stress. This design flows naturally across the quilt, making it especially beginner-friendly.

That combination is what I like to call the triple threat of longarm quilting—and it makes Edison a joy to stitch out.

Perfect for Edge to Edge Quilting

As an edge to edge pantograph, Edison works beautifully on modern quilts, baby quilts, throw quilts, and even larger bed quilts. The repeating motif adds movement without overwhelming the piecing, which is exactly what you want in a modern quilting design.

If you’re building a digital pantograph library and want designs that stitch efficiently while still looking intentional and stylish, Edison fits right in.

👉 Grab the Edison Pantograph Here

Quilt with geometric pattern on grass, corner of quilt flipped up so you can see backing fabric.

Choosing Backing Fabric for Longarm Quilting

Let’s talk quilt backs—specifically, using sheets as backing fabric.

With fabric prices continuing to climb, I’m always looking for ways to be practical without sacrificing quality. One of my go-to strategies is keeping an eye out for 100% cotton sheets in twin or full sizes when they’re on clearance (these are the perfect size backing for a throw size quilt).

Why Sheets Work Well for Quilt Backing

Like many millennials (sorry, Mom), we don’t actually use top sheets on our beds. But they make excellent quilt backings! When choosing sheets for longarm quilting, there are a few things to keep in mind:

Always choose 100% cotton
Avoid sheets with heavy finishes or coatings

Using 100% cotton ensures that the quilt top and backing shrink at similar rates.

Using Sheets for Mail-In Longarm Quilting

Some longarm quilters hesitate to use sheets, but I’ve had great success with them—even when quilting for clients. They load smoothly on the frame, stitch beautifully, and hold up well over time.

If you’re quilting on a budget or want a seamless, wide backing without piecing, sheets can be a fantastic option. If you are sending your quilt to me, feel free to keep the perimeter seams in tact on the quilt!

Longarm Quilting Services for Hire

If finishing quilts is your least favorite part—or if you simply don’t have the time—I’d love to help. I offer professional longarm quilting services for hire, specializing in modern quilts, edge to edge pantographs, and clean, polished finishes.

What I Offer

Edge to edge quilting with modern digital pantographs
A growing library of quilting pantograph designs
Quilting for modern and traditional quilts
Optional binding services for a complete finish

Whether your quilt is pieced and ready to go or you’re still deciding on a quilting design, I’m happy to help you choose the perfect longarm quilting pantograph to complement your project.

👉 Learn More About My Longarm Quilting Services