Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Finito

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I was working on an original quilt design for my daughter Sara to use in her upcoming shop, and this is what I came up with.  It was going to be bigger, and it was supposed to be easy, but those things didn’t happen.  The pattern was intended to be aimed at a beginning level quilter, and it turned out to be way more tricky than I thought it would be.  When I got well into the project, I decided the experience would be just too frustrating for a beginner, so I made the quilt top into a crib size, and maybe Sara can give it away to friends who recently had a baby.  It just will not work for a beginner level quilt kit.  I am back to the drawing board for an easy pattern that would be appropriate for these yummy Joel Dewberry fabrics.  Don’t you love the bird print border?  It calms everything right down after the craziness of the center blocks. 

Coming up with original designs is hard, but writing accurate pattern instructions is even more challenging.  I have written one pattern for Sara, and my sister Kate is testing it out as I write this.  She started working on it yesterday, and by the time she got to the second item on the instruction list she had come up with around six editing suggestions.  If you are writing a pattern that someone else is going to use their expensive fabric and valuable time on, you have absolutely got to get it right.  I would feel ghastly if the yardage amounts were wrong, or the instructions said to cut 2 1/2 inch strips when it should have been 2 3/4 inch strips.  There are just so many ways to go wrong!  No matter how good your intentions and how many times you double and triple check, you must have someone else follow the directions and actually make the project to detect any errors. 

You all know how much I love to sew and make quilts, but pattern creating and writing is one of the hardest things I have ever done!

38 responses to “Finito”

  3. That quilt is adorable!
    I proof all the patterns that Me and My Sister Designs write – it’s very important that they be as clear as possible. Last Fall, they had me make a sample of one of the quilts because one section of the instructions appeared to be unclear. Sure enough I made the mistake and we were able to figure what needed to be written.

  4. That quilt is adorable!
    I proof all the patterns that Me and My Sister Designs write – it’s very important that they be as clear as possible. Last Fall, they had me make a sample of one of the quilts because one section of the instructions appeared to be unclear. Sure enough I made the mistake and we were able to figure what needed to be written.

  7. It’s great…I think writing directions is very difficult…don’t want to be too wordy or they get confused…don’t want to write too little. I think lots of pictures help.

  8. It’s great…I think writing directions is very difficult…don’t want to be too wordy or they get confused…don’t want to write too little. I think lots of pictures help.

  11. After struggling with a bag pattern for a few days, I really appreciate the work that must go into writing and proofing these patterns. Great quilt.

  12. After struggling with a bag pattern for a few days, I really appreciate the work that must go into writing and proofing these patterns. Great quilt.

  15. Great quilt. I would not even want to begin to write a pattern. Whenever I come up with and original I know it is going to be the one and only. I can hardly remember what I did let alone write it down for someone else. LOve the quilt.

  16. Great quilt. I would not even want to begin to write a pattern. Whenever I come up with and original I know it is going to be the one and only. I can hardly remember what I did let alone write it down for someone else. LOve the quilt.

  17. The quilt is marvelous–a real beauty! That bird/floral borders is the icing on the cake of this one! Pattern making/creating of any kind is tough work…You are wonderful to be doing what you are! I’m with Carol above, a nice balance of works with photos/illustrations is a great help to crafters! Happy weekend to you! :o)

  18. The quilt is marvelous–a real beauty! That bird/floral borders is the icing on the cake of this one! Pattern making/creating of any kind is tough work…You are wonderful to be doing what you are! I’m with Carol above, a nice balance of works with photos/illustrations is a great help to crafters! Happy weekend to you! :o)

  19. Your quilt is beautiful, great job. I love how the colors rotate around the blocks.
    You are right about not being a beginner level quilt. May I suggest changing the width of several of the strips to eliminate the matching points at the seam lines? That may provide the beginnner level pieceing you are trying to acheive. Good luck with your pattern writing. Take care and God bless.

  20. Your quilt is beautiful, great job. I love how the colors rotate around the blocks.
    You are right about not being a beginner level quilt. May I suggest changing the width of several of the strips to eliminate the matching points at the seam lines? That may provide the beginnner level pieceing you are trying to acheive. Good luck with your pattern writing. Take care and God bless.

  29. A lovely quilt indeed! I can see making this quilt in red and calling Candy Cane! Sometimes I wonder if small quilts are best for kits, especially for beginners. Perhaps you could offer the pattern as “intermediate skills”. I will agree with you about pattern writing. I think we all have a style that we prefer. Some designers, I feel the need to re-write the pattern, making it easier to understand. I like my patterns where I can look for what I need todo as opposed to having to read a paragraph. We all have our preference. Good luck with your new taks! Keep well!

  30. A lovely quilt indeed! I can see making this quilt in red and calling Candy Cane! Sometimes I wonder if small quilts are best for kits, especially for beginners. Perhaps you could offer the pattern as “intermediate skills”. I will agree with you about pattern writing. I think we all have a style that we prefer. Some designers, I feel the need to re-write the pattern, making it easier to understand. I like my patterns where I can look for what I need todo as opposed to having to read a paragraph. We all have our preference. Good luck with your new taks! Keep well!

  31. You definitely have a flair for quilt design, just like I knew you would! You expressed every fear I have as a pattern writer! It’s a wonderful idea to have someone else create the quilt with your instructions BEFORE you have it printed! I would say you’re off to a very good start, Nicole! The quilt is beautiful – the border sets off the stripes of the blocks perfectly.

  32. You definitely have a flair for quilt design, just like I knew you would! You expressed every fear I have as a pattern writer! It’s a wonderful idea to have someone else create the quilt with your instructions BEFORE you have it printed! I would say you’re off to a very good start, Nicole! The quilt is beautiful – the border sets off the stripes of the blocks perfectly.

  35. Yes… that borderprint is just perfect for this quilttop! Lovely pink quilt!
    And good luck with your pattern writing!

  36. Yes… that borderprint is just perfect for this quilttop! Lovely pink quilt!
    And good luck with your pattern writing!

  37. Wait a minute, wait a minute, waitaminute — you CASUALLY drop in Sara has an upcoming shop? And expect to let it go at that? Caught you. Tell more, please.

  38. Wait a minute, wait a minute, waitaminute — you CASUALLY drop in Sara has an upcoming shop? And expect to let it go at that? Caught you. Tell more, please.