Generations - A Paper Doll, Quilt Block Series Celebrating Our Female Heritage

After several months of diligent pattern writing and proofing, our newest pattern booklet has become a reality! I am very proud to present the latest easypatchwork pattern - Generations - a Paper Doll, Quilt Block Series Celebrating Our Female Heritage. 

The pattern booklet with more than 40, professionally printed, all-color pages consisting of

• Full-size foundation paper patterns (FPP) for six 6" x 12" paper dolls
• Mix and match options for all figures
• Easy assembly instructions including pressing directions
• One bonus figure, Catherine, and additional segments for other figures for more fun
• Coloring image for each figure to color your own
• Two quilt patterns - one wall and one table runner with material requirements, instructions, coloring sheet and additional colorway options

The pattern booklet weighs 180 grams and is printed on DIN A4 paper. The foundation patterns have been arranged on the pages to copy on standard Letter Size copy machines as well. Remember, you can always trace the FPP with translucent paper (~50g) with a good light source and a standard lead pencil.

This series contains Grace, Clara, Lizabeth, Ivy, Rose and Margaret. Pattern also includes the bonus figure, Catherine. The pattern booklet celebrates 200 years of female heritage celebrating our mothers, sister, aunts, grandmothers and other influential women from our past.

This pattern is packed full of everything you would wish for in a pattern! The dress of the paper dolls is kept simple and INTERCHANGEABLE.Yes, you can mix and match segment from each figure to create even more figures if you desire. 

  

The pattern contains two patterns - one wall quilt measuring 46" x 48" wall quilt shown below. You can also use the 6" x 12" Figures to create you own patchwork quilts, table runners, pillowcases, wall hangings, and so much more.

When I created the pattern, I wanted to encircle the figures with stars representing individual states and countries. You can imagine the wall hanging as a European Union, French or American colors.

I just love to play with different colorations of this pattern.

There are just so many different options and colors you can choose to make your own version of this pretty wall hanging.

If you would like to see more ideas, color variations and details of this pattern, please check out the below link to go to our Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/de/shop/easypatchworkSHOP

I would be very delighted to see your finished quilts and quilt blocks. Please drop me a note to karen@easypatchwork.de

Enjoy an addtitional 10% with the Discount Code GENERATIONS10 on Etsy to enjoy on all Generations patterns starting today and ending April 19, 2022. 

https://www.etsy.com/shop/easypatchworkSHOP?coupon=GENERATIONS10

 Happy sewing and quilting!

2022 Fairy Duo - Leticia and Jolean

Hi there! I am really excited to share with your the newest set of easypatchwork Paper Doll Fairy, Leticia and Jolean. This collection of fairies is made with 16" foundation paper pieced figures, a great size to get into paper piecing and create a throw pillow for a special person in your life.

The 2022 fairy, Leticia, was just too cute not to have her sister, Jolean, join in the celebration this year. Each one has her own style. You can even mix the heads, bodices and dresses from both figures to create more if you wish.

 

Leticia - 2022 Fairy of Joy

Allow us to introduce, Leticia, the 2022 Fairy of Joy. She is an English fairy princess who would like to guide you through the new year. May you entrust her to show you the simpler things in life. She is straight-forward, and elegant. You could also envision her as a garden fairy, a strawberry fairy, or forest fairy with her cute acorn-shaped cap.

You can sew her with a variety of different colorways such as monochromatic (shown above) or even in a rainbow color schemed shown in the lower right corner. I truly love using the dark background on the fairies with their soft creamy, blush skin tone. If you wish to create more contrast, use a variety of values such as light, medium and dark for the figure to stand out. Get creative with different hair and wing colors. Create a whole family of different rainbow-colored fairies. More design ideas as well as a coloring sheet are found in the pattern as well as step-by-step directions with illustrations.

 

 

Jolean - 2022 Fairy of Inspiration

Sister to Leticia, Jolean is a dazzling fairy of inspiration. May her spunky character and love of life inspire you in your creative endeavours. She is slightly more challenging with her cute hair buns and layered dress. She is very proud to sport her fairy-tipped ears. Her plunging neckline shows her high self-confidence and love of her own body.

She is also sewn in a monochromatic color scheme with creamy, blush skin. There so many more options to color her though. Just take a look below. More designs in the pattern as well as a coloring sheet and step-by-step illustrations with explanations.

This sister duo can be purchased together to mix and match and make even more figures. Here are some more ideas. Have fun and explore new ways to create by skipping over sewing lines or adding your own.

If you wish to make one or both of the 2022 fairies, you can purchase them on Etsy for a limited discount until January 2, 2022. Discount is already applied in the store - no need for more coupons. 

Have a happy and creative New Year 2022!

Generations of Friendship Quilt Layout

Hi there! Thanks for stopping by today and checking out the Generations of Friendship Quilt Layout featuring our new historical paper dolls series of figures. A couple of weeks ago, we showed our new quilt layout with six 6" x 12" quilt blocks in a circular layout set into a rectangle. The finished size is about 45" x 45" roughly.

 

Fabric Selection

As with most quilts, the desigsn are created with a simple, solid color scheme on the computer and later translated into fabric after many hours of fabric research. Our FPP paper dolls look best when using tone-on-tone or calico prints with small patterns. These prints should read as a solid when standing back from the finished design. Since the background and border fabrics take up a large portion of the canvas, those were to be picked first. My stash of fabrics is limited mostly to fat quarters but no background and larger pieces of fabric. So, I visited my local quilt shop here in Nersingen, Quilt Oase. 

I really wanted to find a fabric palette like the one above with yellow, green and coral above, but wasn't finding what I wanted. Then I spotted the lovely confetti on olive green print below which is fantastic to pull other fabrics from. Then chose the additional olive green and pink fabrics that sort of fell into place. Finding the last color fabric below was a little harder. All of the fabrics were turning into tonals without any real change in print. The red below is also in the green confetti print. I felt comfortable walking out of the fabric store with my perfectly matching stash.

Upon coming home, I started to doubt myself. The fabrics match perfectly, but for me, they lack luster. The red is a little too dominant and the green seems to pull the fabrics into a more traditional direction. Yes, it is supposed to be a little more traditional, but this palette would be a challenge for me to work with.

Rethinking the Color Scheme

I discovered a small collection of Lazy Days from Tilda that I bought at a quilt convention in 2019! I was saving it for a special "pure joy" project. Why not use it now! The prints from Tilda are so feminine, traditional and elegant. Even though this collection is a bit older, the three front florals below, they offer a nice variety to tone-on-tone prints. Prints add so much more intersest than all tone-on-tones, don't you think?

This color palette resembles more of the design featured on the previous post with a red, gray and blue palette. This is how I designed it on the computer using EQ8 program. The blue, solid fabric above is slightly lighter than the one used inthe computer generated version below. I might even skip the light pink and purchase a solid blue and coral to fit better. Tilda has matching solids for this collection which is always a plus in my book. Since this is supposed to be a spring version to contrast the month-by-month blocks sewn in blues and greens, I am happier to sew in friendlier colors and prints.

 

Purchasing Fabric for an Outdated Fabric Collection

So, I went and purchased matching fabric solids from Tilda (2019 fabrics) to fit the new design from NinaKrea. Here is what is should look like after the alternations. I really love the blue background on the previous image, but it is no longer available domestically. The image below is with a fabric from Windy Days, Breeze Blue also from Tilda. The borders may be a challenge depending on the repeat of the design. It may have mitered corners or horizontal borders. I am really excited to get started with this new color palette of fabrics. It is friendlier to the eye and will be quite a joy to work with over winter.

If you would like to purchase this layout, it will be ready soon. You can purchase the first figure on Etsy here. Thanks for dropping by.

Generations - a New Series of Historical Paper Dolls

After several years of being a quilt and quilt block designer, I have developed a passion to create mix and matchable figures especially females. This love and desire stems from a childhood hobby of drawing barbie dolls with different outfits. Did you also design clothing for your dolls? 

New Paper Dolls Series

After taking a very long break from quilting, designing, and sewing, I sat down one day and just "doodled" - designing on the computer. I wanted to see if I could create a new figure with a historial flair. After several hours of diligent changes, Quilter Grace was created. She may look like a little Dutch girl or even a pilgrim too. You are welcome to image her as you wish.

Most of the figures will have baskets with arms and hands in front. Some will have bonnets or hats while other may not. Most of the figures will be European-like in nature but not all. 

As with most block patterns, I like to design foundation patterns in segments that can enchace the design of the figure. I don't like irritating segments that involve unachievable matching points or 20,000 intersections that create bulk. The challenge is to keep segments so that can be used by multiple figures with ease. Hopefully, these designs are successful and you will enjoy them as well. 

Mix & Match

I had so much fun designing Grace, I designed more paper dolls which have interchangeable segments so you can create even more figures too. Without giving away too many secrets, you can exchange the heads, torsos, and dresses. For instance, you may want to put a bonnet on another figure or even swap out the basket. 

The historical figures will be available on the 15th of each month for the next several months. Receive a 20% discount on the figure on the day it is released! This will be reflected in the price on Release Day.

Quilt Along - Generations of Friendship

If you would like to sew along for at least six months with a new figure each month, I will be offering a quilt block setting also at a reduced rate for all who purchase at least one of the Generations Paper Dolls. I am mentioning this upfront, so you can choose a background that will fit all figures. Don't you just hate it when you run out of fabric during a project? The quilt below is approximately 50" x 50" for a nice wall quilt.

This is a neutral and fresh color scheme that is used throughout the written pattern of green (a dark and a light), yellow and a coral. Choose this palette for a more modern or even European look. Add some lovely fabrics to Grace's basket such mini prints or even lovely florals.

Fabric Requirements

Here are the fabric requirements if you would like to make the quilt above:

• 1 3/4 yards -  Background (Light to medium value neutral such as gray.) 
• 3/4 yard - Accent 1, Border 2 (Dark Main Green)
• 1/8 yard - Accent 2 (Yellow)
  
• 1/2 yard - Accent 3, Binding (Coral)
  
• 1/2 yard - Accent 4, Border 1 (Creme or White)
• 1/8 yard - Accent 5 (Black)
• 1/4 yard - Accent 6 (Light Main Green)
  
• 1/4 yard - Hair & Baskets (Brown)
• 1/8 yard - Skin (Use different shades for added interest.)
• 55" x 55" Backing 
• 55" x 55" Batting
  

If you would like a more patriotic or traditional look, choose this red, gray and blue color scheme.

Here are the fabric requirements if you would like to make the quilt above:

• 1 3/4 yards -  Background (Light to medium value neutral such as gray.) 
• 3/4 yard - Accent 1, Border 2 (Dark Main Blue)
• 1/8 yard - Accent 2 (Dark Gray)
  
• 1/2 yard - Accent 3, Binding (Red)
  
• 1/2 yard - Accent 4, Border 1 (Creme or White)
• 1/8 yard - Accent 5 (Black)
• 1/4 yard - Accent 6 (Light Main Blue)
  
• 1/4 yard - Hair & Baskets (Brown)
• 1/8 yard - Skin (Use different shades for added interest.)
• 55" x 55" Backing 
• 55" x 55" Batting

Selfmade Layout

If you love the figures but don't want to commit to a wall hanging, you can also make a table runner with five figures (or design your own quilt with any amount of paper dolls). Simply outline the figures with 1" and 2" finished borders.

Social Media

Let's have some fun and sew along together! Upload your makes and progress on social media. Use the following hashtags: #eppaperdolls #epgrace #easypatchworkpattern #eppattern #epgenerationsquilt

Online Shop

Grace is available now on Etsy. Click on the link to the left or on the "Pattern Shop" in the bar at the top of this page. Each month, a new figure will be released on the 15th of that month. Figures from the last three centuries will be availabe for purchase.

The Gernations of Friendship (with stars) pattern will be available on November 1, 2021. You will receive a discount code for the quilt layout download with each Generations Paper Doll purchase sent as a private message. Check your spam folder if you don't get a message. 

Preview

Stay tuned for the next blog post on October 29, 2021 to see my fabric selection and to read about the Generations of Friendship layout blocks. Happy quilting and sewing!

GeoOptics Quilt Pattern

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by to check out the new GeoOptics quilt pattern. I am really excited about sharing this quilt with you too. It has been an idea floating around in my head since the beginning of spring this year. I wanted to create a pattern using a simple and traditional block and flip it into something different and unexpected. And if you love mini quilts, there is a mini version just for you. I hope you will enjoy the pattern.

The log cabin block is one of the oldest quilt blocks around. In fact, you might have sewn it as your first ever quilt block. It was one of the first blocks I added to my repetoire and used a quick strip piecing method. We still have that quilt in our household after nearly 20 years!

Well, there is a sister block - the quarter log cabin. She is just one-quarter of the original block. Now, you could sew log cabin blocks together and cut them through the middle twice to get four slivered log cabins, but it is simpler to just sew the block below without slicing. 

This block creates many exciting designs with simple rotations and repetition of blocks. Here are just a few common designs made with the quarter log cabin that you may already know:

 

I wanted to really maximize the interest of the quarter log cabin by spinning and rotating the blocks. I wanted more elements such as color value and color placement to really shape the design. I sat and tweeked for weeks until my idea evolved into my most favorite design - GeoOptics. See the use of darks, medium and light fabrics to ceate the design. What do you see? There is no wrong or right answer here.

In quilt design and pattern writing, it is very important that others understand what you are saying. So, this time, I wanted to get back in alignment with my own thinking and learning process. I wrote the pattern with little text, more diagrams and more tables. Hopefully you agree that this method is easier to understand especially if English is not your first language. 

I sent out the preliminary patterns to my favorite quilt testers and was amazed to see what they delivered! I am always so stunned to see what others can do with my patterns.

This gorgeous version was created by Ute, who threw in just a hint of color to make it a stunning wall/art quilt. My eye just keeps dancing and dancing around the quilt discovering the different color pops.

Sewn by Ute of Uma.Saar

What truly illuminates this design is the use of color value – light, medium and darks and their placement within the design/blocks. The slow transition in color or value allows a secondary design to emerge. Do you see it? 

But let’s kick it up a notch. What if we bring color into the design?

The original design of lights, mediums and darks is still there, but another design in rainbow transistion flows across the canvas diagonally. Isn’t it beautiful? The added use of rainbow fabrics for a pieced binding with the lightest color in the corner, frames the quilt nicely. This is another added feature to the quilt design. Of course you could just use a one color binding, but I love how the corners sparkle with the yellow color.

If you are looking for a quilting desing, you could go with really fancy custom quilting, but I think a practical allover quilt design also does the trick just as well. Here it is mocked up with an orange peel quilt motif in EQ8 - Electric Quilt Software.

If you have a large stash or want to make up a throw or queen size quilt with your favorite fat quarters, this pattern is perfect for you! Here is another one of the layouts included in the pattern. I will definitely be making this design as well! This pattern will truly become your go-to, patchwork pattern.

Just take a look at our next quilt from one of our pattern testers. I especially love the use of a dark background to bring out the colors. This beautiful quilt was made by Hanna. She chose one of the other four designs found in the pattern booklet. Just look at her sparkling color transition within her blocks!

Sewn by Hanna of hannas_liebe

There are four different size quilts each with the same adjusted block size. You can pick which quilt you prefer – mini, wall or art, throw or queens size. The skill level increases as the blocks and quilt gets smaller. The mini quilt is the hardest.

Hanna had so much fun sewing the pattern, she made the mini version as well. This is one of the other layouts listed in the pattern book. It truly is fun to spin this block around and come up with new designs!

Sewn by Hanna of hannas_liebe

I am currently finishing up the hand quilting on this beauty – the mini quilt version which finishes at 24” x 24”. I think it will make a great oversized pillow.

 

If all of these quilts are too colorful for you, take a look at Martina’s quilt, she is known for her soft use of soft and sublte shades. It is an amazing scrappy, tone-in-tone, low contrast quilt!

Sewn by Martina  of malu_27117

Are you just not into square quilts? Well, Ulrike had a very interested recipient who was eying her design in process, but wanted a true rectangular bed quilt. No problem – Ulrike and I talked about how she could stay true to the design. She added another row to the top and bottom with a continuation of the design. She also adjusted the borders to make them slightly thinner. The pattern is easily adjustable to whatever suits your needs and preferences.

Sewn by Ulrike of Ulrike_Brauns

May, another of our incredible pattern testers, decided to use the three-fabric design to create this lovely throw sized quilt. It is so stunning with a slight Christmasy touch, don't you think? She quilted it on her  home sewing machine with some awesome matchstick quilting. Check out a glimpse of the super cool striped binding!

Sewn by May of fabraholicquilts

I would like to thank our pattern testers for their awesome work! They all used their own fabric stashes, creativity and know-how to produce their very own one-of-a-kind quilts. Photos courtesy of the creators! They totally hit their designs out of the ballpark! Each one is so lovingly made with an eye to detail. We are so fortunate to have such a great crew!

I had so much fun making samples and testing the pattern myself, I just couldn’t stop. I first made the mini, the the wall, then a super fun scrappy, stash buster accented with Figo - Earth in black.

I had a lot of fun picking out the rainbow gradient fabrics from my stash. I have a lot of fat quarters but most of them are slightly cut into. When choosing shades and gradients, I tried to always have a very luminant color as the middle value and worked lighter and darker from there. It was a fun way to play around with some of the lighter, neglected fabrics in my stash.

During the cutting phase, I realized sometimes, there wasn't enough fabric, so I just picked out something else and rolled with it. It really was so much fun.

 

I asked the very talented quilter, teacher and shop owner, Sabine Feldmann of Quilt Oase to make a simple allover design, because this will be our new sofa quilt. My husband has already adopted it as his own. It finished at 70” x 70” and is wonderful for snuggling in the autumn months. I just love this allover design!

One day I was thinking about where or how to finish with a photoshooting of the Rainbow (Scrappy) Gradient quilt and wanted to incoroporate my home. I live along the Danube River in Germany, not more than one mile away. In the autumn months, it gets incredibly foggy but oh so much fun to go walking along the river. It's been really foggy around here, so I convinced my husband to go with me on Sunday mornging before our famous Sunday breakfast for a quick photoshoot. Let's give him two thumbs up for a great job!

You might have noticed that the quilt design is upside down. I rather like it that way with this backdrop and the seasonal mood to it. The blues represent the sky, the green the trees and the yellows and reds the fall leaves.

If you like what you see, you can purchase the printed ordigital pattern in my Etsy shop. Starting today and running through Sunday, enjoy 20% off all patterns! 

Would you like to support your local quilt shop? You can also purchase at these stores in Germany:

• Quilt ét Textilkunst - Munich, Germany
  
• Quilt-Oase - Nersingen, Germany
  

If your shop doesn't carry easypatchwork patterns, ask them too!

The pattern also shows a quilt on the back cover made only with Kona solids. I am finishing up the binding on it this weekend and can't wait to show you more. This quilt will be kitted and available at Quilt ét Textilkunst. Kits will be available soon. Please ask at your local shop for more information.

Thank you for supporting my quilt pattern and training business. I would like to extent my appreciation with a GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment below stating your favorite color combination or version of the new GeoOptics quilt pattern. One entry per person please.

One lucky person will receive 27 – 5” x 10” cuts of all of the fabrics used in the pattern book to create your very own GeoOptics - Rainbow Gradient Mini. You will also receive two printed copies of the pattern and one Creative Grids 3 ½” x 3 ½” ruler. All products and supplies courtesy of easypatchwork. 

Drawing will be held on Thanksgiving, November 26, 2020. Not associated with anyone other than easypatchwork. Not valid where prohibited. You must be 18 and older participate. Good luck to everyone.

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All photographs were kindly used with permission by the original owner - the one who sewed the quilt. All rights reserved to the originator. 

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