Do you have a favorite quilt pattern that you've used more than once because you always get good results and recipients love it?
Mine is a pattern I designed about 15 years ago -- it's simple, only uses 6 fabrics, and I've quilted it so many times, I don't have to think about "how" to do that!
There it is, hanging on the right while vending at a show sometime in the past!
I call it Sandstone and the pattern is available on my website. Here is another version.
I love the fabric assortment in this one! It belongs to my younger daughter and features the best feather motifs I've yet to accomplish in the large spaces which seemed empty before it was quilted.
Years ago I challenged a group of students to "adapt" this pattern and show me what else could be done with it. One gal pieced it with all neutrals and then appliqued a beautiful floral motif on it. Another quilter who also pieced it in neutrals used it as the background for redwork embroidery. (Unfortunately, it was before the digital photo era, so I don't have photos of either -- but you have a good imagination!!)
But I'm a "piecer" first and so a few years ago, I substituted clusters of flying geese units for some of the larger pieces in the layout. A lack of fabric was the motivation for my adaptation. The border print provided the color theme but I had a limited amount of it and so to be sure I had enough for the border, I cut those first which left less than was needed for the body of the quilt.
Students who saw it loved the variation and so I edited the pattern to include instructions for adding the flying geese.
Here's a crib size top that is waiting patiently on my shelves to be quilted -- just need a baby shower invite to finish it!
I love the border fabric! It was the new piece of fabric and everything else was "from the stash".
So now it's time for you to look at some of your favorite patterns. Do you have Turning Twenty? That has been a favorite quickie for lots of my friends and one of the pieces is a good size square -- what could you plug in there for some added interest?
Even better, what do you have in your UFO stash that would plug in there -- maybe a few Farmer's Wife blocks -- I'm never going to finish that project!!
All of the ideas shared in this series of tutorials on Adapting Patterns are from my workshop on the same topic. I hope they've given you ideas and inspiration!
I'd love to see any photos of adaptations you've made based on my ideas!
Check in with me on Friday to see if that "finishing" surge is still active!!
Mary Huey
P.S. Does anyone remember why we had to learn to read Roman numerals?
You are so creative. I wish my mind worked like that! Love the flying geese adaptation.
ReplyDelete