Waves & Wonders Quilting Cruise 2027

For the past 25 years, Michelle has enjoyed creating over 150 quilts. Her passion started early after receiving a baby quilt from her grandmother. When she was in her 20s, she decided to learn to sew and make her own quilts. While working full time as a librarian, she continued learning new skills and feeding her love for fabric and quilts.

In 2016, she bought a longarm and started her business, Red Door Quilter. She has also taught classes locally in Beaumont, TX since 2016, focusing on beginner patterns and fabric collage. Her work has been featured in Quiltmania Magazine and exhibited at the Texas Quilt Guild Showcase at the International Quilt Festival in Houston in 2019 and 2023. She is known for her patience and eye for color!

Bursting with color and charm, Shimmer lives up to its name with radiant blocks that seem to sparkle and glow with every stitch. A vibrant mix of vintage-inspired fabrics—polka dots, florals, checks, and stripes—come together in a starry mosaic of reds, aquas, yellows, greens, and blues. The white sashing adds a crisp contrast, letting each color pop like sunlight glinting off the waves.

Carefully pieced and full of personality, this quilt feels both nostalgic and fresh—a playful nod to traditional quilting with a joyful, modern twist. Whether it's brightening up a guest room, adding a cheerful touch to a reading nook, or wrapping you in cozy warmth, Shimmer is a celebration of color, creativity, and handmade love.

Finished Size: 70” x 84”

*Fabrics will be matched as closely as possible based on fabric availability at the time of ordering.

5.25 yards of coordinated backing fabric will be needed. 

Shimmer Pattern can be purchased seperately here.

Melinda began sewing and doing needlework in elementary school: making clothes, doing counted cross-stitch, embroidery, and needlepoint, and even made a couple of quilts, but when she started teaching choir, the sewing machine languished in the closet for over 20 years.

She happily retired in 2014, and now sews and quilts as much and as often as possible. She is especially drawn to English Paper Piecing, scrappy quilts, tiny pieces, and stars. She’s been excited to win some awards and ribbons and to have quilts hang at the International Quilt Festival in Houston and at AQS shows in Paducah, Branson, Grand Rapids, and Daytona Beach.

But Melinda is still a teacher at heart and has taught classes since she started quilting again — at guilds in several states, at quilt stores, and even on a schooner in Maine. She loves helping students develop skills and adding to their bags of tricks, so they can become confident, fearless quilters.

The Brightly quilt pattern is a joyful, modern take on classic design—where scrappy patchwork meets radiant stars in a celebration of color and creativity. With vibrant charm squares forming cascading X-shaped paths, and bold sawtooth stars sprinkled throughout, this quilt brings a sense of play and movement to every stitch.

Perfect for charm packs or stash-busting, Brightly combines cheerful prints—florals, checks, hearts, and solids—into a layout that feels both cozy and fresh. The bright white background sets off the colorful blocks beautifully, giving the stars room to shine while the patchwork trails dance like confetti on a breeze.

Whether you're snuggling under it or hanging it up for display, Brightly is the kind of quilt that brings instant joy—just like sunshine through patchwork windows.

Finished Size: 60” x 72”

*Fabrics will be matched as closely as possible based on fabric availability at the time of ordering.

4 yards of coordinated backing fabric will be needed. 

The Brightly Quilt Pattern can be purchased seperately here.