What Type of Quilt Should I Make?

So, you’ve decided to get back to your roots, do something natural and relaxing – you’ve decided to make a quilt.  Your first step is to choose which type of quilt you’d like to make; which will be most satisfying and beautiful!

The list below is a simple compilation of the different types of quilt styles that exist with a short explanation of each style.  If one intrigues you, you can do more research by visiting the dozens of wonderful internet sites or browsing through the many books available on quilting from Amazon.com

The major types of quilts are:

·                 Patchwork or Pieced

          *Traditional

          *Friendship – spaces for friends to sign, perhaps a going away gift

          *Crazy – Haphazard design, all different fabrics with various textures and

            colors.  Victorian styles were done with satins and velvets.

          *Center Medallion – A centered main panel surrounded by a series of

  borders

*Sampler  – Like an Album or Friendship Quilt but pieced rather than

 appliquéd – different pattern in each block

*Charm – Each fabric is only used once on the entire quilt

 ·                 Applique’

          *Traditional

          *Baltimore Album – Detailed and embellished

          *Hawaiian – Use hand-dyed and batik fabrics, some hand painted

          *Folk Art – Unusual fabrics and “found” art (eg. Buttons)

          *Portrait – Very artistic, fabrics used paint to produce a “picture”

          *Stained Glass – Black bias tape is used to give ‘lead’ effect between

          squares

          *Molas – All fabrics sewn together, then cut away shapes to reveal

          different patterns

          *Celtic – Continuous weaving line, “Road of Life”

*Appliquéd Center Medallion – A centered main appliquéd panel

 surrounded by a series of borders

 ·                 Watercolor

          Somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle.  For the very artistic, uses several different

          patterns and colors of fabric (very light to very dark) cut into small squares

          and used to make a painting-like design that you create.

 ·                 Whole Cloth

          Also know as “White” quilts.  Large single piece of fabric (usually white)

          where the quilting stitches are the actual design.

 ·                 Strip

Parallel bars or bands of fabric arranged vertically, horizontally or diagonally.

 ·                 Pictoral

Realistic pictures of people, animals, objects or scenes as the pattern.

 ·                 Embroidered

Design embroidered on top piece, no batting in between layers.

 Picking the right type of quilt is the first step.  For the beginner it seems very daunting as the steps progress, but once all is in order and ready to go, quilting will hopefully become a passionate craft that you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Mary Brander, New to quilting and getting more interested every day – also hosts the website www.patchwork-quilt-patterns.com