Anna from the office has been busy making this really beautiful Liberty Sweet Sixteen Quilt – it’s still a work in progress but is looking rather lovely don’t you think? It’s not finished yet – the front and back have been sewn but Anna is planning on hand quilting the finished quilt which may take a while – so I thought I would show it now. I’ll show it again when she’s finished – maybe in 2018!
The Pattern:
The Liberty Sweet Sixteen Quilt pattern was taken from the fabulous book ‘Antique to Heirloom – Jelly Roll Quilts’ by Pam & Nicky Lintott.
The pattern takes inspiration from antique American quilting from the time of the Great Depression which used fabric scraps and recycled clothes – the tiny squares in this design are perfect for fabric scraps. Anna has used teals and yellows to create the look for her quilt but you could choose any colours you love. You could also go for a random scrap look which is where the design started it’s life.
This lovely traditional quilt pattern uses blocks which are made up of sixteen 2.5″ squares of different fabrics which when sewn together create small 2″ squares. The overall effect of the tiny squares is beautiful and works really well with the Liberty fabrics used. This quilt uses the jelly roll technique – which is really fun to use.
Anna said that it was really easy to make but has taken a while to get to this stage! These large quilts are a long term project and quite an investment of time but the techniques are simple – it’s all straight lines. As long as you make sure your seam allowances are the same all of the time the squares should match up easily. It’s a great beginners guide to jelly roll quilting and the finished result is something you can be really proud of.
The Fabric:
You can shop on my website by colour if you wanted to choose a specific colour way to go with your decor. Shop by colour here
The back of the quilt is designed using the strip method with deep Liberty strips which creates a fantastic contrast to the front of the quilt. The quilt is bordered with Glenjade B which is a lovely strong teal colour to use as a striking edge to the quilt.
I will bring you an update on this quilt when it is hand quilted and the binding has been done – I can’t wait to see the finished quilt. I really hope this inspires you to make a big quilt – for your bed or for someone else. I love a good long term project.
Happy sewing!
