“Urban Amish”

48” by 60” throw

$50 -- Kit includes 12 fat quarters and original Quiltology pattern.

Amish quilts have been described as plain and simple—but the truth is that while the solid colors may read “plain”—the bold design composition and actual quilting are anything by simple.

The traditional solid colors used by these women reflected the Amish culture of frugality and modesty. In fact Amish women were discouraged from indulging in the worldly practice of piecing small pieces of colorful print fabric together because it was considered too decorative.

Instead they did what many other quilters before them did—they worked with what they had on hand—piecing scraps of the dark wool fabrics left over from their own garment sewing. The result was truly amazing and so memorable that it is now iconic. When we hear the word “quilt” we often think of these quilts with their bold geometric graphic design lines popping against the deeply saturated solid colored fabrics. Many of today’s modern quilts have been inspired by this same sense of simplicity. Who knew the Amish would be trend setters?

My own Urban Amish quilt borrows from the bold (and yes simple) design lines of the traditional Amish quilts—but that’s where we part ways. Instead, my urban interpretation uses big prints in contemporary color ways to pop lots of color, pattern and texture into the quilt top.  My motto—if you like the fabric—use it!

Of course solids might would be very interesting too—perhaps another project for another day!

Do you have a stash of fat quarters just waiting for a project like this?  Well, use them up and make room for more!  Buy the pattern alone for $7.50.  This pattern also includes yardage requirements and directions for making various size quilts from baby, to throw, twin, full and queen sizes.

Buy the pattern and/or the kit online at www.shopquiltology.com!

“Blooming Lotus”

72” x 84” (full size or queen topper)

Limited edition kit -- $175--NOW ON SALE--$100!

Visit www.shopquiltology.com and we'll ship it to you asap.

Many of the fabrics used in this quilt top are from Amy Butler’s Lotus collection with a splash of Moda’s 3 Sisters thrown in for visual interest. The goal with this quilt design is to select the right mix of fabrics so that the color and pattern transition from the middle of the quilt out to the edges. At first glance the quilt appears to be whole cloth—and that’s just the point!

This quilt is deceptively simple to piece. The top consists of sweet little 9-patch blocks that alternate with solid squares—and then everything is set on point. The binding matches the last fabric and forms what I like to call the “infinity pool” edge. The result is that the eye travels out from the center with “just the right color” making the transition appear seamless.

The pattern for this quilt is available in the book “Traditions with a Twist” by Blanche Young and featured on the cover ($24.95.)

Kit includes approximately 10 yards of fabric (total) for the quilt top and matching binding. Several of these fabrics are now out of print so this is a limited edition kit.

We just love contemporary scrappiness so we used lots of Kaffe Fassett prints along with some of Michael Miller’s dumb dots and then added a splash of Jennifer Sampou’s eclectic Beat fabrics.

Many of these fabrics are out of print now—so when these kits are gone—they’re gone forever!

Our Quiltology kit includes 16 fat quarters and the original Blue Underground Studios pattern. 16 fat quarters = 4 yards of fabric, and this pattern cuts quite efficiently, so it will produce a decent size throw quilt. Need a baby quilt? How about two of them? One of our students told us she just got two small baby quilts out of this one kit—and she claims to have some fabric leftover! (Don’t worry—she’s gifting these to friends who live in two different states so they won’t know their quilt isn’t an original! And we won’t tell….)

Rating: super easy—perfect for beginners—or anyone else looking for a quick project.

Gum Drops kit (16 fat quarters & pattern) = $60

Got a big stash of fabric at home and only want the pattern?  No problem—buy the pattern separately for $9.50.

This kit and pattern are available online at www.shopquiltology.com.

Looking for a little fabric Zen?

Then take the plunge into our Serenity quilt kit. The color creates the calming mood here so we’ve included 16 quarter yard pieces of some of our favorite serene green and aquatic blue hand dyed batik fabrics—enough to make a throw size quilt measuring 48” x 60”.

We designed our quilt using the Blue Underground Studio’s “Jester’s Court” pattern—which is also included in the kit. The big block construction is easy to sew and just perfect for beginners. (In fact we use this pattern in our Quiltology 101 intro to patchwork class.) Experienced quilters will also appreciate this one because there’s nothing like a little quick quilting gratification on a miserable day.

Rating: super easy—perfect for beginners—or anyone else looking for a quick project.

Serenity kit (16 quarter yards & pattern) = $60

NOW ON SALE Online--$50 at www.shopquiltology.com

Got a stash of your own fabulous batiks fabrics at home and only need the pattern?  No problem—buy the pattern separately for $9.50.