The Sewing Place

How do you design a patchwork quilt…?

Lemon Syllabub

How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« on: October 29, 2021, 17:46:23 PM »
Apologies if this post is in the wrong place, it’s my first time over in the dark side…
::bat::  ::bat::  ::bat::
I did bring a torch but my batteries may need replacing!

I was really hoping for some advice...

A not so quick pre amble.
I’d really like to make a patchwork quilted jacket.
I’ve got a sewing pattern which is specifically drafted to be made into a quilted jacket. It’s a very simple pattern, a back, two sides, two sleeves. The premise being that you make 5 ‘quilts’,  cut your pattern pieces out of each one and sew into a jacket. Make a second jacket from non quilted fabric. Nest the jackets wrong sides facing and join with bias binding. Voila, one reversible jacket.   :rolleyes:

Originally I was going to cut my ‘fabric to be quilted’ into long strips and sew them together so they look like multicoloured pinstripes but then I thought the jacket might look like a leftover from an Am Dram performance of Joseph.  :o

I then thought about sewing simple squares so of course I’ll need to plan it carefully because the relative positioning of each colour will affect the appearance of the finished jacket.

Then I thought perhaps squares mightn’t be what I’m looking for….???? -<

Anyway I’m having a bit of a doodle and getting absolutely nowhere so I was wondering how the quilting pros at TSP plan the actual design of their patchworks.

Any suggestions/ advice would be most appreciated

For context
I'll be sewing the quilted jacket from 8 fat quarters of quilting cotton that have been sitting patiently in my cupboard for about 10 years!  :rolleyes:

Deafoldbat

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #1 on: October 29, 2021, 19:32:40 PM »
@Lemon Syllabub Mostly we make it up as we go along...
Or we see a pattern we like, discover we haven't enough fabric already and go shopping...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jacket-Jazz-Patchwork-Techniques-Templates/dp/1564770214

Jacket Jazz by Judy Murrah might be useful useful. She uses small sections of patchwork to cover a foundation of calico, and lines the jacket with satin-type lining, no wadding or quilting. Lots of useful techniques, eg flying geese, log cabin, bargello, which look good without being too complicated.

Lemon Syllabub

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #2 on: October 29, 2021, 19:44:04 PM »
Mostly we make it up as we go along...
Or we see a pattern we like, discover we haven't enough fabric already and go shopping...


 :laughing: @Deafoldbat  Now I understand why people like the darkside.

Thanks for the book suggestion.  :)

Renegade Sewist

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #3 on: October 29, 2021, 21:39:31 PM »
@Lemon Syllabub Pinterest is your best friend for this.  :perfect10: First, what is the pattern you are using? The shape of the pieces will suggest how formal/traditional your piecing can be.

Designing a quilt is vastly different from designing a garment that needs to go over a 3 dimensional form, your body. Your pattern synopsis is exactly how to do it in a nutshell. You need to decide what look you are going for, including how stiff and heavy you want it to be. For garments you don't need to restrict yourself to using quilting cottons and bed wadding. If you do and use traditional quilt designs you'll look like you're wearing your bed. That is perfectly fine if that is the look you want. Your coat, your rules. I've seen fabulous pieced coats made from silks and dress fabrics with no batting that had wonderful flow and drape.

Some people to look up include Jean Ray Laury who may have invented modern quilted clothing and wrote the definitive book on the subject, Kayla Kennington, Rosemary Eichorn, Rachel Clark, Susan Eastman and patterns from Indygo Junction. Judy Murrah has a series of books with excellent techniques. The books by Jean and Rosemary are also fabulous. Rachel uses lots of traditional quilt block designs on a smaller scale and has great patterns. She teaches how to make those work with darts, etc. Both Kayla and Rosemary have fabulous patterns, good instructions for two very distinctive collage type techniques. More applique than piecework, both fun. Rosemary has an incredible book. Susan sells garments that are pieced with a very minimalist aesthetic. Diane Ericson has patterns and does some nice art quilt type garments.

There are a couple of other people I can recommend but I'm not recalling their names. I'll check my class notes. Yes, I've taken classes from most of them. We had a super guild that I used to belong to that got some amazing people in to teach.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

Renegade Sewist

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #4 on: October 29, 2021, 21:50:48 PM »
So I recommend making a Pinterest board with garments that speak to you. That'll help you sort out the type of piecing you want and maybe even help with a color scheme. Then you can make a sub board of the 5 to 10 garments you like the best. Post a link here and we can really give a lot of suggestions.

Also I would absolutely make a test garment, from junk fabric if you wish, to work out any major fit issues. Doesn't need to be finished. Don't over fit! You're going to lose space from bulk and a lining.

Also when you do your piecing use a slightly shorter stitch length than normal. You'll have a lot of extra seams and don't want any coming undone.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

Syrinx

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #5 on: October 30, 2021, 08:11:12 AM »
If I'm designing from scratch I make a chart with the design on to test colour placements and work out how much fabric I need for what.

Also highly recommend laying all your fabrics out together and taking a black and white photo to check values which will hulp with their placement within the pattern.

I'd say you need to decide what sort of look you want the jacket to have as there are so many different styles of patchwork and then go from there. The easiest beginner blocks are log cabins and disappearing 9 patch but the 9 patch may look odd on a jacket depending on rize and fabric.

If you discover a bargello design is what you want I can give a lot more help with designing that as it's my specialty! (see my profile pic!)

All in all patchwork is a huge area for design, modern, traditional, anything inbetween! So I'd have a good look round Pinterest and images of quilts to see what you like on jackets and on quilts.

Esme866

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #6 on: October 30, 2021, 09:00:50 AM »
Anytime I'm trying to design anything, I do a bing search (I'm not a Google fan). It pulls from all over the internet, including pinterest. Then I download whatever I want to keep into my gallery on my phone and it loads to my SD card. This way I can look at stuff I've kept without needing a wifi connection. I signed up for pinterest once, bit don't really care for it.

When I bing'd "pieces quilted jacket images" I found one I liked, but it didn't involve fat quarters - it is however in my inspiration folder. Maybe one day!

Celia

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt
« Reply #7 on: October 30, 2021, 10:17:15 AM »
@Lemon Syllabub no idea about how to design a quilt but I do know there are some apps available that might help. 

I am really interested in your pattern though, is it a commercial pattern or one you have drafted yourself.  It sounds like a fun thing to make.

BrendaP

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #8 on: October 30, 2021, 10:21:58 AM »
@Lemon Syllabub  there are some great ideas in the link you posted in the leftover small amounts of fabric thread
https://patchworkandpoodles.com/quilt-coat-pattern-round-up/

If I am trying to design something like that I sketch the outline of the garment (trace it if you prefer) and then doodle with coloured pencils both for the patterns - stars, squares, stripes or whatever, and for the general colour placements, but auditioning the various fabrics and sorting them by colour is a different exercise which needs to be done.

In the link above I particularly like the jackets which gradate in colour, one from creams at the top to grey and black at the bottom.  I also like the one that goes from peach through greens to blue.  Randomness is the key with both of those

Whatever you do it's going to be unique to you.
Brenda.  My machines are: Corona, a 1953 Singer 201K-3, Caroline, a 1940 Singer 201K-3, Thirza, 1949 Singer 221K, Azilia, 1957 Singer 201K-MK2 and Vera, a Husqvarna 350 SewEasy about 20 years old. Also Bernina 1150 overlocker and Elna 444 Coverstitcher.
http://paternoster.orpheusweb.co.

Lemon Syllabub

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #9 on: October 30, 2021, 11:13:10 AM »
Thank you so much for all your advice.
@Renegade Sewist Thanks for the book recommendations. I've been collecting quilting images for a few days. The jackets I'm drawn to are the ones where their patchwork doesn't look as if it's been designed at all.... which probably means it's been meticulously planned!!!

Also highly recommend laying all your fabrics out together and taking a black and white photo to check values which will hulp with their placement within the pattern.

Wow...just wow. There's so much more to this than I'd ever considered. And it's waaay beyond my current skill set.  :faints:
I can see why patchwork/quilting is so addictive. Clothes making for me is about keeping myself occupied, warm and hopefully decent but the darkside is an absolute art form.  <3

@Syrinx Thank you for the offer of help with planning a Bargello design. That's definitely one to think about.

@Esme866 I love folders too. I save images in Keynote slide presentations. They're very useful.

@Celia There's quite a few of these basic jacket patterns out at the moment. I think if you register with Fibre Mood you could get a Molly jacket for one Euro.

@BrendaP Yes I'd been playing with the old coloured pencils most of yesterday afternoon but hadn't made much progress. :rolleyes: Your patchwork clothes look fab, clearly you have a good eye for design.

Thanks again for your replies. I think this could turn into a long term project.   :dance:

I think I'll change my name to Dorothy 


Renegade Sewist

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #11 on: October 31, 2021, 01:55:30 AM »
@Lemon Syllabub your mind will definitely explode at some point from all the pieced/ quilted garments you will be finding. In a good way of course.

We still want to know what pattern you picked as your potential foundation for the garment.  :thumbsup:

If you think this is beyond your skill set at the moment might I suggest trying it out on a nicely sized tote bag, one at least 15" x 15"? You can make the back plain. It's a nice way to find out if you enjoy the process.
Hey Bill! Read the manual!  Hehehe.

Iminei

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #12 on: October 31, 2021, 08:53:29 AM »
@Lemon Syllabub  ... What Rene said ...

Please dont go for the biggest bestest make when its your first go at P&Q (if it is, that is) We dont want you disheartened and slinking away from us!
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again

Lemon Syllabub

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #13 on: October 31, 2021, 11:14:52 AM »
@Deafoldbat Thank you. Looks interesting.

@Renegade Sewist Yes, well and trully blown.

@Iminei No slinking here missus.

I have made one VERY small VERY simple quilt years ago. It was literally a pack of charm squares sew together and then quilted! To be honest, as far as sewing complexity goes, I think the patchwork for my jacket is going to be of a similar technical level. No Spider’s Webs or Log Cabins here. (Can you tell I’ve been reading up on the lingo?)

I really want to make a jacket … and as it’s reversible, if the patchwork turns out a bit naff (a distinct possibility), the worst thing that can happen is I end up with a warm quilted jacket with a brightly coloured lining!

So, I’m having a lovely time reading up on patchwork and thinking about colour placement.  :)

I can really see why the darkside is so popular.  <3

Iminei

Re: How do you design a patchwork quilt…?
« Reply #14 on: October 31, 2021, 11:28:28 AM »
@Lemon Syllabub

Why dont you try making a simple block? There are loads of tutorials to choose from in The Darkside BOM's ... Scroll through the BOM Galleries, look at all the different variations of blocks, choose one you like the look of and follow the tutorial for it.

There are full destructions for each step of the tutorial and we'd love to see pics ...

I know you are raring to go on your project (Girls, I think LS has rounded up all our lost sewjos and fed it to hers!   :devil: ) but think of this as making a toile ... have a go at the techniques, the cutting, the seam allowances and the top tips ....
The Imperfect Perfectionist sews again