why am I even here?!

Looking around at quilt patterns online today, I see the same things repeated over and over again—cutsie, big florals, rainbows, and so much brightness that they all begin to look very similar. And very unlike me.

I cannot be alone in the quilting community with this.

I want to see quilts with darker colorways and heavy jewel tones, and it is remarkably hard to find that reflected in today’s patterns. Substituting my own color choices into someone else’s work feels like a chore—an exercise in patience I simply do not have.

So I decided to start there. I had enough of trying to make someone else’s patterns work for me and began making the ones I wanted to see in the world. I don’t want to make a sample block just to see if it might work. I don’t want to reinvent a pattern to make it “my own.” I want designs created with darkness already in mind. Because not all quilters and sewers want pastels, Debbie.

But I still wanted more.

Pairing longarm quilting designs with a pieced quilt top—intentionally and thoughtfully—often feels like an afterthought in pattern design. Yet it is usually the very first thing I think about when I sit down with a pattern. Showcasing the design and the skill it took to create that quilt top should not be reduced to a vague “quilt as desired.” It deserves to be considered with intention.

Quilting with intention creates something entirely different. You are no longer quilting simply to finish a project and move on to the next. You are finishing a family heirloom. You are creating art. You are using a quilt top as a way to build skill, confidence, and mastery.

You may even become a little obsessed with it. And why not? Why not be obsessed with learning, creating, and getting better? There are far worse things to give your attention to.

The idea behind all of this is to give gothic and dark-academia quilters and crafters a voice within this community—because we do exist. And what we are not looking for is dark modern minimalism, Halloween kitsch, or a default to black and white. We are looking for atmosphere. For feeling. For pieces that belong in our lives and homes.

My hope is that the patterns I create reflect that. They are meant for those who want darkness in their designs, who want to learn how to approach quilting choices with confidence, and who want to showcase mood and intention in a serious, considered way.

Being surrounded by endless light and brightness has a way of making it feel as though we are not taken seriously in the quilting world.