Each quilting patterns comprises multitudes of potentialities. For each design determination {that a} quilter makes, there are tons of that weren’t made. What if we discover a few of these choices and use an current sample to make one thing completely totally different, new, and distinctive? Nicely, the excellent news is we’re right here that can assist you navigate how to decide on quilt colours in your subsequent mission and encourage you with some unbelievable designs.

At McCall’s Quilting, we’re dedicated to sharing quilt tasks that can be utilized to make a lot greater than a single quilt. Every sample is usually a artistic leaping off level for a number of one-of-a-kind tasks. We present coloration choices in lots of our patterns and we’ll be exploring these tasks in additional depth, sharing useful suggestions, and galvanizing your follow in our Coloration Play weblog sequence. Preserve your eyes on our web site, Fb, and Instagram to remain up-to-date!

The Unique Prairie Dance

Prairie Dance by Mari Martin is such a daring, stunning quilt—it caught my eye instantly and it’s so attractive simply as it’s. However there are at all times methods to regulate and adapt the essence of a design to make one thing utterly totally different, even when the unique design is virtually good in each approach. On this case, I made a decision to change the nook block motif to create an ornamental body for a printed panel.

No have to determine whether or not you want the unique quilt or the panel therapy higher; now anybody could make both one! All the data you’ll have to make both design is specified by the July/August 2023 situation of McCall’s Quilting or within the digital sample. Right here, I’ll focus on a few of my design selections and building course of for my panel print mission primarily based on Prairie Dance.

Methods to Change the Cloth

Whereas I knew I wished to change the nook block and make a border therapy for a panel, I didn’t have a particular plan once I ordered the material—I used the Zion Nationwide Park panel and a few prints from the Nationwide Parks 2023 assortment, together with some blenders from the Legends of the Nationwide Parks 2 assortment, all from Riley Blake. Each collections are so, so cool, and panels are such a enjoyable strategy to make a fast, huge mission. I had a obscure concept for coloration placement and ordered what I believed can be sufficient of every of my chosen materials and hoped for one of the best.

Typically, I can’t finalize my plan till I see the material in particular person anyway, since I can get a greater sense of coloration and print proportion that isn’t apparent when material on a display screen, plus the plain good thing about with the ability to lay materials subsequent to at least one one other in varied mixtures. As soon as I had the material in hand I made a last plan and began slicing up the material.

Methods to Resize the Block

Firstly, I wished to make was to make the block a bit larger. Since my design would solely present ¾ of the complete nook motif (it takes 4 blocks, rotated, to make every full diamond motif), I wished it to look extra imposing and substantial on every nook of the panel.

So I adjusted the block dimension from the unique 8” to 12”. The size are supplied within the journal however when you’re concerned with altering quilt block sizes, there are a lot of assets to assist (simply keep in mind to subtract seam allowance earlier than adjusting the patch sizes, then add seam allowance again on after that, and also you’re midway there!).

Methods to Your New Quilt Colours

Then, in fact, I’m going to alter the colour palette! I really like the daring, graphic stripes created by the unique block, however I made a decision to melt it somewhat with a wide range of earth tones. A few my selections have been decided by the quantity of every material I had, so I did one of the best I may with what I had out there (certain, I may have ordered extra material however when engaged on a deadline it could not arrive in time!).

I had the many of the medium brown, in order that was my block background material. All I wanted to do was save sufficient of it to full the borders. So I had to make use of the sage inexperienced print as a substitute of continuous with the tan print on a few of the stitch-and-flip corners; there was not sufficient of the tan. However it’s a delicate change that works properly, I feel.

Now It’s Time for Fussy Cuts!

Subsequent, I wished to incorporate some fussy minimize patches in my blocks. Prairie Dance’s unique block is made up completely of squares and triangles squares, however a few of these may very well be transformed into stitch-and-flip rectangles to accommodate a fussy minimize rectangle. Fortunately, the postcard print had motifs within the good dimension for my plan, so I fussy minimize sufficient postcard rectangles for all of my blocks.

The stitch-and-flip squares on every finish would intersect the picture, however there was sufficient of every picture remaining to be attention-grabbing. You possibly can see how the white borders of the ‘postcards’ create a secondary sample within the block, which may be very cool.

Methods to Regulate Your Border

And eventually, I’d have cherished to finish my quilt with a double row of Flying Geese borders like the unique Prairie Dance quilt, however I didn’t have sufficient material. I used a darker brown print for the only Flying Geese border and I’m fairly proud of how that turned out, although a double Flying Geese border would have been nice!

New Panel Quilt High

I made all of the blocks, and all that was left was to position them on the panel’s corners and fill within the remaining house with borders. And I additionally added a skinny black border across the panel to offer it a bit of ritual and a few separation from the blocks and outer borders.

Cloth constraints received me once more when trimming the panel to make the body. I needed to minimize off the phrases on the underside of the panel so I’d have sufficient brown material for the borders. However I don’t thoughts about that — the picture is so good and there’s no textual content to distract from it.

Test Out the Pieced Backing!

In the long run, I used all of the leftover material I had, together with the textual content from the panel, on the backing I pieced for the quilt prime. See, I made extra of the Flying Geese, however I didn’t have sufficient darkish brown material for the remainder of the border, so now they assist jazz up the again. A few of the materials I had ordered, just like the blues and the scattered postcard print, didn’t make it into the blocks so I used to be capable of characteristic them on the again.

Now Go Discover Your Favourite Materials!

As you possibly can see, I attempted to make the backing as enjoyable as doable (which I typically do). It makes the quilt reversible and subsequently further particular! With all that being mentioned, I hope my journey helps you are feeling extra assured on the subject of determining how to decide on quilt colours. I can’t wait to quilt this design (glad quilting to me)! In the event you determine you wish to deal with Prairie Dance (or any of McCall’s stunning quilt patterns), make sure you share the outcomes (and progress) with us on Instagram and Fb!