Balsam and Loon Lake Quilt Panel
There are some scenes that instantly quiet the mind — still water, evergreen trees, and the lonely call of a loon echoing across a lake. Balsam and Loon Lake was designed to capture that feeling in fabric.
Inspiration: A Northern Kind of Calm
This panel has very personal roots for me. I grew up in upstate New York, surrounded by forests thick with balsam firs and lakes where the haunting call of a loon was just part of the soundtrack of summer. Those landscapes shaped my sense of calm and comfort long before I ever picked up a rotary cutter.
Now that I live in Texas, I don’t see balsams or loons in my everyday life — but they’re still deeply woven into my memories. The smell of evergreen trees, the stillness of a lake at dusk, and that unmistakable loon call will always feel like home to me.
Balsam and Loon Lake was designed as a way to bring a little piece of that northern quiet into fabric — a reminder of where I came from and the landscapes that continue to inspire my designs.
Artistic Style: Painterly Realism with Depth
Balsam and Loon Lake is created in a painterly, realistic style with rich color depth and soft transitions. The greens are layered and dimensional, the water reflections are intentionally fluid, and the composition draws the eye inward toward the stillness of the lake.
This style works beautifully as a focal panel — it doesn’t need a lot of piecing to shine. Let the image do the storytelling while your quilt design frames it.
Fabric Quality & Printing
All of our quilt panels are printed through Spoonflower on their premium Petal Signature Cotton®. This fabric is smooth, sturdy, and ideal for quilting — holding vibrant color without feeling stiff.
- Crisp detail for painterly designs
- Rich, saturated greens and blues
- Soft hand with excellent durability
This ensures the quiet details — the tree textures, water reflections, and subtle light — remain beautiful even after quilting and washing.
Perfect Gift Ideas
This panel is especially well-suited for:
- 🎁 Cabin or lake house quilts
- 🎁 Nature lovers & outdoor enthusiasts
- 🎁 Masculine or gender-neutral quilts
- 🎁 Memorial or remembrance quilts
- 🎁 Wall hangings for calm spaces
It’s an excellent choice when you want something meaningful but understated — a quilt that feels timeless rather than trendy.
From Panel to Quilt
While we don’t have a finished quilt to share just yet, this panel is now available on the shop for your next perfect quilt.
I’m currently designing a brand-new quilt pattern specifically to complement the Balsam and Loon Lake panel, and we’re in that exciting (and slightly frantic!) phase of testing, refining, and polishing every detail. The goal is a pattern that feels just as calm and flowing as the panel itself — one that frames the artwork beautifully without overwhelming it.
We expect both the pattern and kits to be available by the end of the month, and we’ll share updates as soon as they’re ready. If you love planning ahead, this is a wonderful panel to tuck away now and pair with the pattern when it launches.
About Our Quilt Panels
At The Quilters Retreat, all of our quilt panels are designed in-house with quilters in mind. Each design is one-of-a-kind and available exclusively through our store. We partner with Spoonflower to ensure every panel is printed on premium Petal Signature Cotton® — combining original artistry with professional-quality fabric.
Bring the Calm Home
The Balsam and Loon Lake quilt panel is available now in our shop and ready to become the centerpiece of a calm, meaningful quilt. Whether you plan to start stitching right away or tuck it away until the coordinating pattern is released, this panel was designed to stand beautifully on its own.
If you love planning ahead, this is a wonderful panel to secure now and pair later with the upcoming quilt pattern and kits when they launch.