Patchwork Quilt Designs
 Patchwork quilts are special quilts, often referred to simply as “patchwork,” that have a top layer of patchwork consisting of pieces of cloth sewn together to form a design. The original patchwork quilts were crafted for their economical benefit, where every bit of left-over scraps of fabric was used by women who would design a patchwork quilt at home. Today, however, fabric is often bought specifically for quilts made from printable patchwork quilt designs. These patchwork quilt designs are usually formal, geometric, or imaginative. A formal pattern for a patchwork quilt has repetition at regular intervals in the design. Consider nature when telling the difference between formal and informal patterns. Dandelions scattered across a hillside form an informal pattern, while the design on a butterfly’s wing illustrates a formal pattern. The Rambler is an example of an old-fashioned favorite formal patchwork design, named for the way the triangle rambles in formal pattern diagonally across the quilt. Geometric patchwork designs focus on the shapes of the object used in the design and how they relate to each other. Geometric quilt patterns present a challenging mathematical opportunity for students to consider in measurement and design, so it is common for students to create these types of quilts as part of an assignment. Along with the academic benefits of the geometric quilt come captivating aesthetic features. The Log Cabin quilt is an excellent example of a popular and easily recognized American geometric patchwork design, consisting of repeating blocks where a series of rectangles surround a center square. This center square is usually red to symbolize the warmth of home. Patchwork quilts often reveal a dynamic, imaginative design. These imaginative quilts offer a free-style form of art as something new, inspiring, and enjoyable with personality. Quilters can create these imaginative quilts as they explore their own creativity or they can obtain patterns from other quilt makers who have already designed something new. A fun example of an imaginative patchwork quilt is one of Dolly Parton and the Roots of Country Music.Whether made from a formal, geometric, or imaginative design, patchwork quilts bring an exciting element of art to our lives. Even when the fabric for a design is bought at the local fabric store and cut by the fat quarter as opposed to being familiar scraps of worn clothing, the finished patchwork quilt reminds us of history and home, family and comfort. Whatever the patchwork quilt pattern may be, the communal energy given to those individual pieces of fabric creates an inspiring compilation once finished.
Article by:
Deb Robertson
Owner
MyLuxuryMattress.com
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