Finding Your Quilt Pattern Designer Bestie

Today's episode is all about quilt patterns, mainly where to find them and some designers that I am currently loving. But first, a quick reminder, if you want to be featured on an upcoming episode of the stop scrolling start sewing podcast, head over to wherever you listen to podcasts and leave me a review. I read every single one and guys, they mean the world to me. They also allow me to reach more listeners every week.

So thank you from the bottom of my heart, to those of you who have already left a review and keep on listening. Cause you just might hear your name on an upcoming episode. Okay, guys, let's get sewing . So I know that a lot of you out there are newer to quilting and aren't quite confident in making your own quote patterns. And if I'm being honest , um, I actually just started drafting my own quote patterns within the last year or so.

Um, please don't feel like that is the next frontier you must conquer by no means. Is that what I'm trying to say? Um, I just know that for many of us, as we progress through our quilting journey , um, we start to think about doing things on our own. So it's a total normal thing if it is on, on your Quilty bucket list. Um, so many of you may never want to draft your own and believe me, I feel yet for, I mean, nine years, I did not even have an inkling about wanting to draft my own.

I didn't really get the bug until I started to get deep into teaching other people how to add a quilt. And so the easiest way I found to teach others what I wanted to teach them was to create what I wanted to teach them. And so that's kind of how my quote pattern creation started and I still only create patterns within my instructional courses. Um, so I don't sell them on Etsy. I don't sell them on my website.

Um, you really have to be a student of mine in one way or another to get one of my patterns. Um, but anyway, that's neither here nor there. I was just kind of letting you know . So there are several different types of pattern makers there , air people like me who are quilting instructors who teach one-on-one classes, who do group classes and who teach quilting online. Um, and those quilt pattern makers typically only make their quote patterns to assist and instruct others.

So that I fall into that category. Now there are other called pattern designers and they actually are fabric designers. So think of like the big companies, I mean, all companies do it. But when I think of the big companies, I think of Moda, I think of Robert Kaufman , um, I think a free spirit, like these are just kind of the big ones , um, that I , I look to because I like some of the , uh , instructors in those groups.

But , um, all of that to say is those fabric designers typically are also quilt pattern makers. And the majority of the time that they release a quilt pattern is in association with a fabric line that they've created. So they make this quilt pattern that showcases the fabrics that they're releasing , um, in the best light.

So typically a quilt pattern that comes out along with a fabric line will look amazing with that particular fabric line, with those types of colors, with those types of saturation of print depth. Um, think about all of those things that go into it and they make those patterns on purpose to be married together. Um, and then the third kind of quote pattern designer is just the person who makes quilt patterns because they love to make quote patterns.

And there are so many out there like fantastic, great ones. Um, and I personally use a smattering of all of those. Obviously I am an instructor. So I use my own patterns from, from that kind of a grouping. I am in love with some quote pattern designers who just make cool patterns and they sell them on their website and on Etsy. And then there are some fabric designers who I'm obsessed with and I also love theirs . So it's a , it's a big mixed bag.

So I would love for you to start to kind of reach out a little and see what you find out there. And so what I would say when you're trying to figure out like, who are your quilt pattern designers? Who are your people? I love finding my people like you guys, you guys are listening to me in all of rambly, educational glory. You're my people. I know you're my people, but I love finding my other Quilty people. Now, the first thing I would do if I were you, is I would just go on Pinterest.

And I know I'm saying that and you're probably like a girl I am on Pinterest already. I'm sure you are, but create a board and just literally type in quilt patterns. And then everything that you see that you like Pinot and pin it to that board, inspiration, quilt pattern, whatever you want to call it, but use that board. Then what I want you to do is analyze what you got.

Now, there are so many different quilt aesthetics , um, from the types of colors that are used to the types of blocks that are used , um, to how perfect or imperfect it is. So I will say for myself personally, I call myself a modern quilter, hence the modern quilters circle. But I also am a kind of, I like to call myself a traditional modern quilter.

And what I mean by that is that I like to use very traditional blocks log cabins , uh, saw two stars, like really, really traditional blocks, but I use modern fabrics. I use bright colors. I use stark whites. I use , um, solids, like I have quilt upon quilt. That is nothing but solids , which is kind of like, Oh really? Hey , um, I use pastels in like a sugarcoated way, not an Easter way. Like I do weird different things.

Um , that really aren't weird because there are so many out there like me right now. I love it. Um, but that's like my that's my jam. I'm a modern, traditional quilter . So the cool patterns that I tend to pin use those traditional blocks and they're situated in new and interesting ways and use really vibrant colors. Now another common quilt aesthetic is like a reproductive production, traditional pattern.

So those patterns again, use the similar blocks to like what I was just describing, but they use a very traditional layout. A lot of times you will hear them referred to as like civil war reproductions or vintage or, or, or turn of the century Amish these types of quilts, which are gorgeous.

Um, a lot of times you'll find heirloom quilts tend to be a little bit closer to this aesthetic because of the painstaking care that a lot of people put into those quilts, but also , um, because they just look so traditional and timeless, and then there are people who are like crazy improv, random sound mix . [inaudible] kind of people like the full English. I've mentioned him earlier. In another episode, I forgot to Percepta sewed . I did, but he's like so improv and crazy.

And I am here for it, not my style, but I like watching what he's doing. Um, but I would , what I want you to do is really analyze what types of quilt patterns are you drawn to. And then I want you to open those up and see who's making them and go into their shops and see what else they got and see if like , they're your people. Cause I will say once I found some of my people, I tend to buy several of their patterns and love them all because it's not just about the finished product.

It's also about how they write the instructions. It's also about , um, how they piece things together. Um, as far as, you know, like half square triangles flying geese, do they do know ways to flying these? So they do traditional flying geese and different people will do things different ways and finding your people. I know I said it again, finding your people will make all the difference in the world I'm telling you.

Okay. Now, another thing I want you to do is find your favorite fabric designers, because most fabric designers are also quilt pattern makers and they will be, they will usually make quilt patterns. That one emphasize their fabrics. And if you love their fabrics, you probably love their quilt patterns. Um, but typically when you love somebody's fabric, it's because you like their style. And so the patterns that they create are typically in line with your style.

So some of my favorites , um, fabric designers right now, and probably forever, honestly, I love Tula pink and I will give a little caveat here. So Tula pink is a fabric designer and she, her fabric lines come out with free spirit fabrics. I love to love pink. However, there is always one print in every fabric line that I cannot stand. So like it curiouser and curiouser, which is her one that she's been teasing for these last few weeks. Um, that will be coming out probably early next year.

Fabric is like a long turnaround. Um , it's like an Alice in Wonderland thing and she has, and it's a beautiful story this fabric, but it includes like a cameo of her sister dressed as Alice in Wonderland. And I just, don't like a cartoon eyes face over and over and over again, repeating on fabric. It's just not that's , that's not what I do.

I mean, I use solids for the love, but , um, Tula pink has , uh , one of her fabric lines, its true colors and she's constantly kind of adding and changing and evolving it. And it's different versions of solids and stripes and polka dots and hexes and, and swirls and blenders and all of this stuff in her signature, bright, vibrant colors and all my gosh, I am here for it. I love it. Uh , linework that it just came out like last week.

Um, if you're listening to this, when this comes out on October 28th, it's like super new. It's like all black and white with like little pops of colors and it's so cool. Um, but again, in that one, there's one with zebras and I'm just not really here for the zebras. So you kind of figure it out. Um, another fabric designer that I love , um, is Sherry and Chelsea. Uh, and there are mother and daughter team with Moda fabric. Um, and Sherry is a quilting life and they have their own podcast .

So if you're looking for another Quilty podcast, they're pretty cool. Cause they're just a Q and a and they're awesome. So they, they designed fabric for Moda. Um, and I love their fabric because it is very traditional designs. You see where I'm going here in really bright, fresh color ways, like really modern, beautiful, girly color ways. And I love it. Belle boa , Oh my gosh. That purple and boa love it. The gray of bell boa love it.

So if you are thinking , um , about, you know, you , you're not into fabric designers, like just Google figure some out because there's some great ones in there. All of that to say Sherry , the mother is a little bit more traditional, like a little, a little too traditional for my taste, but Chelsea, Oh my gosh. She is my jam. Every once in a while she does like a little too traditional blocks for my taste as well.

But I think it's also because she does work so closely with her mother that to keep their two , you know, parallel brands working together, they do tend to Sherry every once in a while, we'll have something that's super modern. Chelsea will, every once in a while has to have something that's super traditional and that's just to kind of keep it cohesive. Um, but it's cool. I love Chelsea Stratton .

So if you are looking her up, her name is Chelsea Stratton and their brand together is Sherri and Chelsea and Sherry's brand is a quilting life and they are for Moda fabrics. Um, but I love like pretty much most of the stuff that they do, their fabric lines love. I love Balboa. I love happy days. Good, good, good stuff, good stuff out there. Um, and then that kind of brings me to my actual quilt pattern designers and I have a few that I love, but I am just going to , um, to shout out to that.

I really , um , I'm here for right now. The first one is Emily Dennis of Quilty love. I love her. She does some really simple traditional slash modern quilt patterns. She uses a lot of solids. Um, she keeps her prints pretty minimal to like kinda low volume type prints, meaning that there's a lot of background space between the drawings. Um, and they're just really pretty.

I mean she has one that's just rainbows and I haven't done it yet, but seeing all the iterations of everybody else who's done it is making me really want to do it. I think it would be a really cute little girl quilt. Um, I did North star. I love North star. It's just this repeating beautiful exploding Sawtooth star that I am so here for. Cause I love us all to star. It's great.

Um, and , and there's so much more and her blog is wonderful and she's just young and she's fresh and it's, it's really cool. Another quote pattern designer that I am kind of crushing on a little and also a fellow Quilty podcaster is Wendy of the weekend quilter. So it's the weekend doc ? No, the dot weekend quilter. That's her Instagram handle.

Um, and she's a pattern designer and she is modern and she is Australian and she is cute and she lives in New York city and I'm just like, Oh my gosh, you're just so much cooler than I am. But she's also seems like she could be your friend. I, you ever had like friends in your head. I hope some of you think that I am your friend in your head because I have people like fellow podcasters and stuff that they're my friends and my heads because I think they're great.

So she's one of my friend in my head and her podcast is quilt buzz and she hosts that with two other quilters. Um, and they like interview all different , uh, quilters and quilt instructors , um, and just really cool, really, really cool stuff that they're doing over there because they're just, they they're introducing , um, people in our world to all different types , um , out there it's actually how I found , uh , the full English.

So I would definitely suggest if you haven't listened to that podcast to go over and check that one out as well, but come back here, like don't, don't abandon me, just know that there's other really awesome podcasts out there for you to listen to as well. Um, but so that's Wendy and I did Emily. Um, and obviously Chelsea is awesome and I do like Tula.

So those are some of my favorites, but I really want think that the, that you should analyze what you like and just go out there and do some Googling and find your people. And if you want to chat about this head over to my Instagram at Nicole Gilbert quilts, head over to the Facebook page, Nicole Gilbert quilts, or you can even just drop me a line in my email box because I would love to chat with you, nicole.Gilbert@themodernculturecircle.com . All right, guys, there, you have it.

So you have just finished another episode of the stop scrolling start sewing podcast. Thank you so much for hanging out with me to catch up on today's episode and all past episodes, head over to the modern quilter circle.com/podcast and make sure you never miss an episode by hitting subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And guess what guys, it's time to stop scrolling and start selling bye for now.

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