The beautiful design of a quilt is a result of two components – the pattern and the fabric. Choosing a pattern is the first step in making your quilt.
In this post, we will discuss the various types of patterns that are available. Sometimes the pattern is dependant on your fabric choice such as when you are using a panel or specialty fabric, but most times quilters choose their pattern first and then get creative with fabric choices.
As you know, quilts are made by combining various pieces of fabric together then sandwiching the top, batting and backing layers together with stitched designs. The first step is choosing a quilt pattern for your quilt top. Things to consider include the difficulty of combining the pieces used in the pattern, the method you feel comfortable using to join your pieces and the size of the quilt desired.
TYPES OF PIECES USED IN DESIGNS
Blocks
Most quilts are generally split into “blocks” and within each block is a patchwork sequence. Generally, most of the blocks will all be constructed similarly, however the way they are arranged make the quilt unique. Some quilts also combine different shaped or styled blocks.
There are literally thousands of different blocks and thousands more ways to arrange these blocks to come up with different looks. Some of the most common blocks are:
Nine patch – A family of square block designs which has 3 x 3 units. Hundreds of quilt blocks are based on the Nine Patch design.
Flying geese – Flying Geese are rectangular patchwork quilting components that are twice as long as they are tall, each with a peaked triangle at its center. Tutorials are available for making 4 squares at a time.
This Flying Geese pattern is available for free from Connecting Threads
Log cabin – A traditional block that is pieced together using strips of fabric, with a small square at the center of the block. They are very easy and quick to make and work very well with scrap fabric. The color combinations are endless.
Half-Square Triangles (HST) – These are very versatile as they can be made in any size. Then twist and turn them to create many different looks. Look for various tutorials to make these squares faster and easier – 2, 4 or 8 at a time.
Nana shows you how to make these in her recent post.
Bear Paw – I included this block to illustrate how you can combine patchwork blocks to create different designs. The bear paw block is a very unique and popular design that uses HST’s to create a “paw”.
Free PDF from Fat Quarter Shop
Strips
Strips may be used to create blocks such as the log cabin. At times sashing is added between blocks such as the strips that separate the bear paws. Strips can also be used in strip piecing (see below) or for borders.
READ MORE HERE
Borders
Not to be confused with binding, a border is like a frame around your work. You can add many borders or just one.
Circles and curves
Although quilts are generally square or rectangle, blocks can use circles or curves to make the quilt more interesting.
Photo courtesy of Favequilts
Panels
Some fabric is sold as a panel. A panel usually has a special picture that is highlighted in a larger piece of fabric. The panel is then “framed” with different blocks and borders to create a quilt or wall hanging.
Pre-cuts
There are also lots of patterns that use precuts that are usually simpler. Pre-cuts are fabrics that have been cut to a certain size and sold in packs. We will discuss these more in Part 4.
DIFFERENT METHODS
No matter the type of design, your pieces must be joined together. There are several methods in which this is done. When choosing your quilt pattern, you should consider which methods you will feel comfortable using.
Pieced quilts are made of pieces that have been cut and stitched together to form the design.
Paper piecing is way of sewing through the lines on paper to create detailed block designs without any cutting of fussy template pieces. You may also use muslin or other fabric for a base for the piecing rather than paper when working with fancy fabrics, thin fabrics or slippery fabrics.
Strip quilting involves stitching strips of fabric together and then cutting the multi-colored strip into pieces to create the design.
Applique is the process of attaching shaped fabric onto the quilt top. Appliqué can be a very technically difficult process, so if you are a beginner it is a good idea to first start by trying simpler designs with straight lines and gentle curves. Nana presented a post “Learn to Applique” which will help guide you through your first applique design.
OTHER TYPES OF QUILTS
Bargello A style of quilt piecing in which strips fabric are first sewn in horizontal sets, then cut and arranged in vertical steps to produce interesting geometric designs which often have a wave or undulating look
Photo from Nana’s Favorites
Crazy quilts – A block made with irregular and/or scrap pieces. The block is made with no pre-determined pattern or design.
Photo from Sprucecrafts
Art quilts –Yes, this is a quilt! It was created by Kathy McNeil, an award-winning quilt artist. Click the link and go see more!
These gorgeous quilts use a combination of patchwork, applique, thread painting, embroidery, and other techniques. Art quilters use hand-dyed fabrics and fabric painting techniques to translate their ideas to cloth. There’s no limit to the methods you can use to create an art quilt.
Whole Cloth Quilt – A quilt made from one large piece of fabric, historically a solid color, that is quilted in usually intricate patterns. There are no pieced blocks in these quilts.
SIZES OF QUILTS
When choosing your pattern you should also consider the size of the quilt you wish. This handy chart shows the basic size of the most common quilt. Don’t forget that in addition to bed quilts, you can also make wall quilts and table toppers (including runners and placemats) and other home décor.
Normally you can change the size of your quilt by adding borders or sashing, changing the size of your blocks or adding or deleting a row of blocks.
I could go on and on for days on the types of patterns out there in the quilting world. My suggestion is to check out pinterest. You can start with my board “Quilt patterns” and pin a few you like. You will see a pattern emerge as to your preference. Remember to look past the colors, they can be changed. Color makes the quilt pop but so does the pattern.
If you are new to quilting, start by choosing a simple patchwork pattern for your first quilt. My vintage simple squares baby quilt FREE pattern is easy and simple but looks elegant because of the fabrics.
You can then learn one method at a time, for example using sashing, creating HST’s or Flying geese. You may also find some quilt-a-longs (QAL) where the designers present you with new blocks weekly or monthly until you have pieced together one large quilt.
GOOD LUCK!
I would love to see what patterns you choose and photos of your creations. Tag them on Instagram with #whatsnanamaking @whatsnanamaking2019. I would also love to hear from you. Leave a comment below and don’t forget to share!!….