Patterns take patience

Detail

Flower Power Quilt 

For years, I've heard from people who like my quilts and know they are original designs:   "Do you sell the patterns for your quilts?"  The answer has always been a reluctant: well, no but maybe someday.  I truly never thought I could write a quilt pattern and didn't know if I even wanted to.  It's way too much fun to just design and make the quilts themselves.  Now, I have always kept pretty good notes as I make a quilt, so I'm not starting from scratch.


In my last blog I mentioned I had started working on a pattern for Flower Power.  A detail shot is shown.  There are 13 original appliqued block designs and a lot of applique in the borders.  


So far, I have created the full size templates for each of the blocks.  My graphically artistic sister will edit and clean those up with her Corel Draw program and she will ultimately help me with all the layouts and pattern design.  Here I am with my pencils and graph paper!   I barely know how to scan documents, let alone do computer graphics.  

Three members of our Applique Arts group have jumped in and volunteered to be my pattern testers.  In exchange for a free pattern, they will give me feedback and double check my measurements.  They have a lot of gumption and I'm really grateful to them.

I never realized how much work goes into making a pattern.  But, so far I have really enjoyed the process - it's almost like making the quilt again.  (That's what I keep telling myself.)


If I think about the entire project and all the what ifs and how do I do that, I get hung up and want to forget the whole thing.  As my sister said "Baby steps" - that's really what the pattern includes;  lots and lots of baby steps.  But look what you'll have when you've completed all those steps!!   

Flower Power

90" x 90"