One of the most challenging yet exciting parts of designing quilt blocks is deciding which features to include in the pattern. If I am making a representational pattern, the subject must be simplified and reduced to geometric shapes that I can measure, cut, and sew together, much like a mosaic.
Meet Calypso. She is a four-year-old tabby cat. She is a bit skittish. She likes to pace on your lap until she feels relaxed enough to sit down. Her hobbies include getting up close to your face while you try to relax, purring extremely loud, and jumping up on the table and drinking from whatever cups are left out.
Her fur pattern is as complex as her personality. Obviously, I couldn’t include every single stripe or swirl in this design, but I wanted to bring out her most distinctive characteristics. Since she is a tabby, I had to make sure to include the signature M on her forehead. I also wanted to make sure to include the orange stripe on the left side of her nose bridge and the lighter fur around her eyes and mouth. If I were making a generic tabby cat, I would have probably left out the extra details and just focused on the M, but I wanted this design to look specifically like my cat.
As a result, this complex quilt pattern has 92 pieces in it. The smallest pieces I worked with measured 1” x 1” and the finished quilt block measures 12” x 12”. Not all of my quilt blocks are this detailed, but many of them do have some small pieces. I make use of editing in my design process to try to focus on key features without getting too overcomplicated with details.
No matter how complex my designs are, I use the same process. I design using a grid, making sure all my lines go directly on the grid lines or diagonal within the squares. This allows me to create my shapes using this simple sewing technique.
This is what that looks like with the actual quilt pieces.
This technique makes it easier to work with small pieces to create greater detail. However, it can be challenging to sew some of the smaller pieces with a machine. At first, I found it easier to sew these small pieces by hand, but over time I became more comfortable using my machine.
A complex pattern like this can take time and patience. One of the biggest challenges is making sure everything lines up correctly. It is important to measure accurately, make sure seams are consistently one-quarter inch and check that things line up before sewing. Once you complete the quilt block, it is so rewarding!
Choosing the fabrics and sewing this block was so much fun. Since I didn’t need much of each fabric, I was able to utilize my scrap collection. I sort out my scraps by color so I can find the right fabric for small projects. Overall, I am so excited with how this quilt block turned out. It is the quilted cartoon version of my cat!
