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| Feather Bed Quilt |
Mastering the Feather Bed Quilt: A Stunning Design by Anna Maria Horner.
Back to the cutting table, quilters! I love to look for designs that have a pattern that gives me a creative challenge and a beautiful end result, so I'm often attracted to designs where the fabric really does shine. I can't wait to highlight one of the most recognizable and beautiful patterns in the contemporary quilting world – The Feather Bed Quilt by the talented Anna Maria Horner!
This pattern is a great creative canvas whether you're ready to tear through an ever-expanding pile of color-filled scraps or you are aiming for a perfect display of a beautifully matched fat quarter bundle. It's neither a geometric quilt block, nor a traditional quilt block, but a large, grand feather quilted across the top. This special design offers an endless variety of color, scale and texture. Let's get down and dirty and discover why this pattern is so unique, and get the most crucial information you should know before you make your first cut.
Highlight key information in the Pattern
While reading through the pattern and instructions for the Feather Bed Quilt, there are some "must know" facts about the pattern and construction that every quilter should understand to achieve a successful project.
1. Versatile Sizing Options
The best thing about the Feather Bed Quilt pattern is its versatility. But the pattern is not a one trick pony—it comes with detailed dimensions and layout instructions for four different sizes, making it suitable for any type of gifting or bedding that you have.
- Baby Quilt: 36" x 54"
- Twin Quilt: 72" x 90"
- Queen Quilt: 90" x 108"
- King Quilt: 108" x 108"
2. Fabric Selection and Scrap Friendliness:
The quilt was designed to look great with Anna Maria Horner's lovely "Field Study" fabrics but has since evolved into the best scrap buster ever! The multi-coloured feather fronds are made from strips of fabric that are as wide as 1.25” to 3”. All the feathers are cut from different widths of strips making for a very forgiving design. You can easily combine full-width strips of fabric, fat quarters, or bits of jelly roll strips you've stashed in your sewing room for a rainy day.
3. Construction Technique: Staggered Strip Piecing
Feather construction may seem complicated to the novice but is very accessible. Each half of the feathers is made by sewing strips together in a staggered pattern, according to the feather template slanted angle. A sewing block of strips is then sewn together and the template is then laid on top of the block and the curve outline of the feather half is cut out. The coloured halves are then glued on to the middle "quill" strip to form the whole block.
When it's time to quilt, Pro Tip: Make sure you are seaming in the same direction (usually down towards the bottom of the feather) to make sure your blocks will lay flat.
4. The Background Fabric
To accentuate the bright feathery accents, the pattern involves a patterned background fabric around the blocks. It is important that the background be a solid, a tone-on-tone, or a low-volume print so that the eye rests and the complexity of the pieced feathers becomes the main attraction of the print.
Final Thought
Final Thought: The Feather Bed Quilt is more than a book of patterns; it's a challenge to dig through your stash, try out your scale, and rely on your color sense. Avoid fearing prints that are large and bold with other solids. Now you're ready to use your rotary cutter and print out your templates and let your quilting creativity fly!
Full Pattern: Feather Bed Quilt Free PDF Pattern 🎁
