My 5 Favorite Quilts of 2025 (and Why I Loved Making Them)

In 2025 I finished 20 quilts! As I was tallying them up I was kind of surprised my total was that high. There were a couple tops I made but didn't get quilted and a handful of blocks that didn't make their way into a quilt, but I didn't count those.

(An important thing to note is I get 99% of my quilts professionally longarm quilted so if I was doing my own quilting that total would be significantly lower. I think that's important to note because it's easy to compare ourselves with others, but it doesn't really matter if I finish 2 or 20 quilts as long as the process brings me joy.)

Each quilt is special in its own way, but there are always some that stand out as favorites. Sometimes it's the fabric or color combinations, sometimes it's the design and experimentation, and sometimes it's a combination.

One of my 2026 goals is to start documenting my quilts and also going back to create a record of all the quilts I've made over the years. This post is a result of wanting to keep track of what I've made and I thought I might as well share my findings, starting with my 5 favorites of 2025.

A funny thing I noticed as I was putting this post together is that I have a quilting design (or pantograph) "type". Out of the 5 quilts, there are only 3 different pantographs. I like what I like, I guess!

How I Chose My Favorites

My [loose] criteria for choosing a favorite quilt includes:

• How fun was the quilt to sew
• Was I able to sew from my stash and use some old favorite fabrics
• Did I explore color in a fun or different way from previous quilts
• Do I find myself admiring this quilt long after I finished it
• How hard would it be to part with this quilt

My 5 Favorite Quilts in 2025 

# 5: My 2024 Temperature Quilt

Pattern Name: Plains and Pine Temperature Quilt (FREE pattern)

Size: 57" x 76"

Longarm Quilting Pattern: Sunrise Skateland by Julie Hirt

Quilting by: Sara Korinek, Stitch Lab Quilting

Why it's a favorite

This was the first year-long quilt (or any project, really) that I've done. I had been wanting to make some kind of temperature quilt for a while so in 2023 I started planning a pattern. I decided to make a star version where the diamond represents the high temperature and the background represents the low temperature. 

On January 1st, 2024 I started recording high and low temps each day through December 31st, 2024 in Bozeman, MT. When I got behind, I used the website Weather Underground to find historical temperatures for my location.

While I was working on this quilt I discovered some unlikely color combinations that I really loved and some I wasn't so sure about. But when all the days' blocks were pieced together I was very happy with how it turned out. It's cool to have a visual representation with the cool and warm colors throughout the year.

At the end of the year I created a couple visuals to see what the temps were throughout the year. If you like numbers and data you might think this is interesting too! 

# 4: Y Not Star 2

Baby size with vintage floral sheets

Pattern Name: Y Not Star 2

Size: 33" x 33"

Longarm Quilting Pattern: Starlight by Karlee Porter

Quilting by: Alexis Plunkett, Stitched by Alexis

Why it's a favorite:

When I attended QuiltCon in Phoenix in February 2025, I beelined it to Feral Notions booth and snatched up one of her vintage sheet fabric bundles. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to use them for at the time, but soon after I got home I had a plan. 

The Y Not Star 2 (and its predecessor quilt pattern the Y Not Star) have options to either use y seams or no y seams. One of the benefits of sewing with y seams is you don't have to cut your background fabric in half which means you can get more creative with backgrounds. So for this baby size Y Not Star 2 quilt I used these vintage floral sheets as background without losing any of the print by cutting it half. 

I love the colors of the star fabrics on their own, but I really love them combined with the fun touch of an unexpected floral background.

My plan with this one is to either turn it into a large wall hanging or gift it. Now I just need to have a friend have a baby girl!

# 3: Y Not Star 2

Throw size 

Pattern Name: Y Not Star 2

Size: 63" x 63"

Longarm Quilting Pattern: Ellee by Barbie Mills (The Quilting Mill)

Quilting by: Mindy Mounteer, Wild Phil Quilting

Why it's a favorite:

I made these star blocks at the same time as the baby size Y Not Star 2 quilt. My original plan was to make the Twin size which uses 6 star blocks. Midway I changed my mind and decided to make a Throw size and a Baby size. This one is one of my favorites, again, because of the fabrics in the stars, but also those colors paired with the 4 different pastels as the block backgrounds. I like the contrast between the stars and the backgrounds. For the sashing and outer border I used a Mammoth Flannel in Olive which gives extra contrast and texture. If you haven't picked up on it, my favorite fabrics to use are fabrics with texture. I don't gravitate to prints necessarily, but to fabrics with an interesting texture or weave that might create a print.

# 2: "Back to School" Star

aka my unnamed star

Pattern Name: Unnamed pattern

Size: 62" x 62"

Longarm Quilting Pattern: Ellee by Barbie Mills (The Quilting Mill)

Quilting by: Alexis Plunkett, Stitched by Alexis

Why it's a favorite:

I had to give this one a name when I submitted it to QuiltCon (unfortunately it was not accepted to hang at Raleigh in 2026) so I named it "Back to School" because of the primary colors I used and also because I was working on this at the same time my daughter was starting kindergarten. I think that life stage had a hand in inspiring the color choices. There's something about the primary colors that I've been drawn to lately - especially reds and yellows.

The star is made up of 4 different diamond blocks from existing quilt patterns (Big Sky Star, Homestead Star, Commonwealth Star, and Hyalite Star). There are 6 diamond blocks from each pattern. I wanted the star to be subtle so I used low volume creams and whites. 

The red "circle" has been an idea in my head for a while and I was excited to actually make it come to life. There are no curves in the pattern, but from a distance it looks like the star is encircled by the red fabric. I used Half Rectangle Triangles (for the first time!) and Half Square Triangles on the corners to create this effect. It was cool to have an idea that turned out exactly like I hoped.

# 1: Wild Homestead Star 

Pattern Name: Wild Homestead Star Quilt

Size: 44" x 44"

Longarm Quilting Pattern: Starlight by Karlee Porter

Quilting by: Ashlee Doyle, Crinkly Quilts

Why it's a favorite:

In October 2025 I travelled to Medora, North Dakota to teach this quilt to a group of women from the Badlands Quilt Guild at their fall retreat. This is the quilt I made to demonstrate the techniques and piecing in the quilt pattern.

I released this quilt pattern in 2023 and this is my 3rd (or 4th?) version I made and it quickly became a new favorite. In the pattern there are a few different versions I include as suggestions for organizing fabric and arranging diamonds. This is the 2 Color Version. The 8 diamonds at the center of the star and the 24 diamonds around the outside are made with bold fabrics, and the 16 diamonds which make the middle ring of the star are on the lighter, more subtle side. 

I used extra diamond strips and pieces from previous quilts, as well as fabric in my stash to make this quilt. If you haven't made this pattern before, trust me - it's a fun one to make somewhat mindlessly while also working through your stash. It also makes a fun "I Spy" quilt to include those tiny precious scraps you can't part with.

What's next

I don't know! The only quilt I've started (or even planned) is my 2026 Block of the Month Maximal Star. But I'm excited to see what ideas go from paper to real life quilt in the coming year. I wish you a happy year of creativity and quilting!

xo Lindlee