Discover more than 50 quilt patterns designed to use both beautiful sides of fabric.
Firstly, you’ll find a variety of styles, techniques, and genre of quilt patterns that use both sides of fabric. Some quilts are made using a fusible broderie perse method. Also, find designs made only from paper templates. Additionally, find unique pieced patterns that require only a few fabric selections because they use the reverse as the block background fabrics.
Learn how to audition both sides.
Moreover, in addition to making fun quilts, you’ll discover the nuances of value as you learn to audition both sides of fabric. The magical key to this fun way to make quilts is VALUE. It’s easy to choose your fabrics and make easy works of art when you know how. Each of these quilt patterns comes with a guide for auditioning fabrics.
Choose from a variety of size of quilt patterns.
As well as a using a variety of techniques, you’ll find designs in sizes that range from miniatures to large quilts. Some smaller patterns are ideal quilts to make for gifting or holiday decoration because they are so easy and fast to make. Larger designs generally feature a single block which make them great quilts to make at retreats or other group settings.
Most importantly, make quilts that sparkle!
Finally, when you use both sides of fabric, you add a dimension of interest to your quilts that is difficult to achieve otherwise. Your eye catches the similarities of the fabric motif and color as well as the difference in value. When you learn how to use both sides by using these quilt patterns, you can apply your skills to all your future quilt fabric selections.
You can enjoy the beach throughout the holidays by adding beautiful coastal decorations to your Christmas theme!
Yeah, we live smack dab in the middle of the country. So why do I want to have Coastal Christmas decorations? There’s just something about summer, sunshine, warmth, water and the beach that makes me happy.
The colors, smells, and sparkle of the ocean are part of it. In fact five or six years ago, when turquoise was first introduced as a Christmas color made me realize I never really like traditional green and red. Many people love the traditional hues. They just never really worked for me.
We lived in Pensacola twice (see Quilts at the Beach). Add in that my husband flew F/A-18 fighter jets, so our love for the Blue Angels is part of the beach experience for us. Therefore, over the years of vacationing near our previous home, we’ve collected Pensacola specific coastal decor over the years. Our family room has slowly evolved into a coastal retreat.
Now, this Christmas, it has become a full-blown Coastal Christmas decorations feast for the eyes!
Can you see the stingrays circling the tree? Sparkling sea shells, jellyfish, turtles, fishes, and pearls decorate this country tree.
See how Treasures fits right in? The fabrics features seahorses, shells, and coral. This quilt kit uses both beautiful sides of three fabrics on a soft white background. It’s easy, too. There’s only one block: Contrary Wife. This quilt adds it’s own sparkle to our room and I just love it.
While the rest of the house has a more traditional feel, I just love entering the family room and feeling like we are back home again, in Pensacola.
Meet Joyful! This new quilt pattern is an extended version of an original design.
If you’ve followed me a while, you’ll know that the JOY quilt pattern was one of my first designs from way back in 2017. (Not that long ago, really.) This new pattern Joyful steps out of the box and expands the original. You might say she transcends her borders…with the use of borders!
As you can see above, an ombre snowflake panel is a bold choice for a focus fabric. The snowflakes are reflected on the wrapped gifts under three! The backgrounds fabrics are bolder for this quilt than for the original because the borders are an added attraction. You’ll learn to audition both sides of fabric so you can confidently choose focus, background, flange and border fabrics. It’s a lot of fun because you’ll KNOW when you’ve got a great combination!
Add a sparkling border to a center that dazzles with Christmas cheer.
Like all my patterns, you learn how to cleverly use both sides of your fabric to make a unique and intriguing quilt. The front of your Christmas focus fabric makes the tree. The reverse makes the gifts under the tree. See the soft “reflection” of the tree on the gift wrapping?
Flange adds more interest!
Add interest to your quilt with two flanges. The first frames the center of the quilt and is made with a stripe (mine was cut on the bias, but you can purchase bias stripe if you prefer).
The second flange pulls your eye through the quilt from the center out to the edge.
Little Susieis a cute mini art quilt made with both beautiful sides of one focus fabric!
Find a favorite floral fabric and some scrappy background fabrics. Snag yourself an bit of time and make up this mini art quilt TODAY!
Little Susie is a mini art quilt pattern that’s a pint-size of fun!
Similar to other patterns that use both beautiful sides of fabric, Little Susie is a miniature version. She’s the perfect size to hang from a table-top quilt stand. Also, she’s a great way to learn all about using both sides of fabrics in a quick, easy project! You will discover the nuances of value as you learn to audition and choose fabrics. Notice the mason jar is a lighter version of the floral focus fabric? It’s the reverse!
Furthermore, there’s no need to tracing flower shapes onto fusible, because you cut straight from your fabric motif. It’s what I call “modern broderie perse”. Learn more about broderie perse.
Choosing a focus fabric is key.
For this mini art quilt, size is something to consider when you choose your floral focus fabric. The larger the motif, the fewer you need to cut. Likewise, the smaller the print, the more you need to cut.
Check the size of your focus fabric flowers.
Happily, there’s so need to fret over the cutting, because these quilts don’t require perfectly cut blooms. This is a fun, fast way to arrange your own little bouquet of flowers in a pint-size mason jar!
Each #usebothsides patterns teaches you how to audition both sides of your focus fabric and backgrounds fabrics. It’s easy to do and once you know how, you may never look at one side of fabric again!
Get the BONUS: Prairie Point Hanging Method.
Each pattern includes how to use prairie points for fast and easy quilt hanging. Watch (and SUBSCRIBE) on YouTube to learn more!
Need a larger mason jar bouquet quilt? Read about Grace HERE.
Need a little fall stitching fun? How about a free wool applique pattern?
Take a little burlap, add a little lace…toss it with plaid, a pumpkin, and sunflowers to make yourself this little fall pillow! This free wool applique pattern pdf link is below.
Sweet Pumpkin Applique
This free wool applique pattern is just a little thank you for your support and friendship. Our creative world can get sidetracked by “life” and sometimes we need just a little something to do. (Or I do anyway.) These kind of projects are just little things I like to sneak into a day (when I’m supposed to be working on something…more serious).
Sometimes small is big.
We can’t always be making big things, right? And by “big”, I mean, time consuming! For instance, I have a very small hand stitching project that’s WAY to big to think about sometimes! I find comfort in a “get ‘er done” project from time to time. I hope you do, too!
This little accent pillow takes just a little fabric and wool, and a scrap of lace and burlap. So make a cup of tea, warm up your favorite fall scents and make yourself a little pillow!
Just find a bit of fall fabric. You’ll need a bit of lace and burlap (or use a coordinating fabric from your stash). Use wool scraps or make yours with fused fabric if you’d like. I use simple stitches (imperfect), but you can jazz yours up if you want – here’s one of my favorite stitching artists: Sue Spargo! Check it out!
I created this little pillow a few years ago (before I knew our cat was allergic to wool) but I still get it out each fall. I miss working with wool – and it’s not entirely the cat’s fault! These days, with more than 40 of my own pattern designs to keep up with, I find I cherish these little projects even more. They are a rare treat. I hope you have some special projects that give you a break from the “everyday”…just now and then.
This new quilted treasure is an explosion of value differences that take your eye through it like a treasure map!
treas ure trezh’er
Treasure can be defined as a collection of precious things; something of great worth or value.
When naming the original quilt pattern, I chose the word TREASURES because your eye has to search through the subtle pattern to find a single block. I was also using sea-life fabrics of sea horses, coral, and seashells, so the idea of a treasure hunt made sense. Lastly, the secret to this quilt is value – it’s just a treasure chest of FUN!
The quilted treasure you seek in this pattern is all made using one-block – the Contrary Wife block. See the two versions of this one block in the original post:Introducing…Treasures HERE.
Last week I introduced you to a quilt and fabric designer, Kathy Doughty, whose quilts you can get lost in. Click HERE to read more. Treasures is a quilt that reads like that to me. In fact the secondary design is easier to see than the individual blocks. And yet, it’s a surprisingly simple quilt to make! Simply make two versions of one block, lay them out to make the design and sew them together. This quilted treasure has a flange for an accent.
Using a different value for the diamond pattern makes them sparkle.
Another reason why Treasures is an easy quilt to make: you only need four fabrics for the whole quilt! Use BOTH beautiful sides of three fabrics with one background fabric. It’s that simple!
Use both beautiful sides of three fabrics.
Treasures made with Hoffman California Fabrics is a special treat! It’s made with their line, Bohemian Blenders, which look like fireworks on display. See Treasures in the Hoffman Projects Catalog.
SinceTreasures is one of six designs made for Hoffman California Fabrics I can say with confidence that they have lots of great fabric with both beautiful sides!
This guy is hot off the quilt pattern presses. But why call this a great blue quilt?
(And what’s with that name, you might ask?)
Of course, Lord Stanley is a Great Blue Heron. I met this guy on the beach over a year ago. He was hanging around the fishermen and didn’t mind a bit that I got close to him. That’s when I started sketching a heron quilt.
To understand this “blue” thing, you gotta know a bit about my family. We used to live in Pensacola (twice). My husband, a former Marine fighter pilot of F/A-18 Hornets, introduced me to air shows and the Blue Angels thirty years ago. The “Blues” do a beach air show every year on Pensacola Beach- the best air show EVER. So the beach and the Blues are a thing for us.
Do you get the feeling this could be like the six degrees of Kevin Bacon? See It’s a Bear Out There.
Enter Lord Stanley. Last year while I was creating this beach bird quilt using BOTH beautiful sides of one feather focus fabric, the St. Louis Blues hockey team were in the playoffs for the coveted prize…the Stanley Cup.
When the Saint Louis Blues WON and I needed a name for this guy, well…”Lord Stanley” stuck!
The traditional prized cup now known as the Stanley Cup was purchased in 1893 by Canada’s governor-general Lord Stanley of Preston.
Now anytime my family sees a Great Blue Heron, they tell me they’ve seen Lord Stanley!
Use both sides of one focus fabric for Lord Stanley (bird body), his throat details (reverse), the borders (reverse), and the binding! Make an easy, scrappy background beach scene for this guy and he’ll be right at home, wherever he’s hanging.
Firstly, this quilt features a window scene. Fused strips are used to make window panes. Easy, right? On the sill is a tropical bouquet of flowers in a woven vase. Beyond the window frame is a dark trim (stop border). Beyond that is the “wallpaper” and, finally, the binding.
Tropical Sunset was designed for Hoffman California Fabrics using “Meet Me in Paradise”.
Therefore, you begin with your window scene, add the panes, one strip for the window sill, and three borders. Your window is ready for you to arrange your own bouquet!
How do you use both beautiful sides of fabric?
Basically, the RIGHT side of a tropical floral focus fabric is used to make the bouquet. The technique is a simple Broderie Perse. Notice the lighter woven vase? It’s made from the REVERSE of the same fabric. You’ll use the full-size template to make the vase shape.
The Tropical Paradise quilt pattern includes instructions for making your own background panel. Furthermore, as in every pattern, I’ll teach you how to audition BOTH sides of fabrics.
Moreover, consider the possibilities for your own window view! You might like a country meadow out the window with a vase of sunflowers on the sill. You can customize your quilt by the fabrics your choose!
Discover the nuances of value as you learn to use BOTH beautiful sides of fabric!
Below is PHOEBEE, made using Hoffman California Fabrics “Electric Garden”.
Another quilt designed for Hoffman using Floral Rhapsody!
You only need to use both beautiful sides of only THREE fabrics for VariLovable Star– shown below using Hoffman California Fabrics Floral Rhapsody.
VariLovable Star is made using one block and three fabrics. Therefore, you’ll start with a small Variable Star block and use the reverse of the fabric for the background “light” pieces. Then you nestle that star by using it as the center of the next largest star. The center star and the largest, outer star are matching. The quilt is bound with the fabric of the third (orange) star. This quilt goes together quickly and really makes a statement…or you might say, splash!
Varilovable Star using Hoffman California Fabrics!
Who do you turn to when you need advise, ideas, or help? Friends, family, or neighbors?
I’m going to say, “all of the above”! When I need a little help with my projects, I find that most people are happy to lend a hand, especially my quilter friends.
My next door neighbor has helped me with photo shoots and quilt advise. Another neighbor comes up with pattern names. Several great friends have helped me fold and stuff patterns for orders. There was even a quilter who help me do a photo shoot on the beach! (She was wearing a quilting tee shirt so I struck up a conversation. It turned out we’d met before – we had a blast!)
My Silent Partner when I need a little help.
That being said, when I need a little help I most often turn to my self-acclaimed “silent partner”. My husband, Matt, calls himself this when he names a new quilt pattern (“Phoebee” and “Bubbles” come to mind) or offers business advise. While that’s not exactly how “silent” works, it’s still helpful!
Since I happen to live with the guy, he’s easy to tap for additional help – like holding quilts for photography! While I appreciate the advise and names, holding quilts is where he excels. Except for the occasional tired arms, Matt doesn’t complain or moan or rush me to get the perfect shot. He’s been known to dive for a falling quilt so it doesn’t touch the ground and he’s saved more than one quilt from a crashing wave (see Salty Marine Saves Quilt)!
Saving Bubbles
It doesn’t take a Marine to hold up a quilt…but it sure is nice to have one.
During the summer, we visited the Rocky Mountain National Park for our oldest daughter’s quaint wedding at one of the most beautiful natural venues God created, Sprague Lake.
While technically this wedding was “plan b”, it was nothing short of perfect. This was especially so for Paige and Trevor who love national parks and All Things Hiking. After the ceremony, toasts, and celebrations ended, my husband said, “Let’s go get those pictures”.
You see, I’d made a wedding quilt for Paige and Trevor out of National Parks fabrics and the design was “mountains ranges” (name still pending). Matt knew I didn’t want to leave the beautiful mountains without a photo shoot of that quilt first. But I knew he had been in his dress blues since about 6 am that morning. By 3 in the afternoon, he was hot, tired, and uncomfortable.
We found a spot to pull over where there was a rushing creek with mountains in the distance. I noted that the quilt would drag the ground and he said, “Give me the pole”. He proceeded to walk on the small platform on the edge of the bridge. When he was confident he could hold the quilt there, we slid it onto the pole and he held it up while I took about ten minutes of photos and videos.
Sneak peek in the mountains…
Jack’s turn!
Additionally, I had brought Jack along for the trip! Jack (buck) is made with both camouflage sides of one focus fabric! While you can’t see my Marine, he faithfully helped me by patiently held Jack at a distance for the whole shoot with nary a complaint.
Jack Quilt Pattern
A few snapshots from the wedding:
Note that this blog post would not be possible without the help of my Silent Partner.
Christmas (Quilts) in July? Yes, it’s a thing! Ours is a craft that requires lead time!
Let’s think of happy days ahead, with family and friends and gifts of joy and comfort. I love the idea of combining two of my favorite things: Christmas and quilts. So now there are Christmas (Quilts) in July! I hope you’ll enjoy this month to contrast our lovely, warm summer with a taste of the crisp winter to come.
The Noelle is quilted wall hanging pattern is a cute little pair of ice skates (like you might hang on your front door at Christmas time) with beautiful bouquets of winter flowers spilling out their tops. Her background is snowy white (scrappy) with fun winter-y accent fabrics. Like most #usebothsides quilt patterns, this one is fast and easy!
Go check your stash!
Go check your stash! I bet you have a Christmas floral in there, just aging for the right quilt! You’ll use your focus fabric for the skates (reverse), bouquets, and the binding! This will get you in the mood for making Christmas (quilts) in July!
Years ago I made myself a Christmas jumper out of this beautiful poinsettia fabric. I couldn’t bear to part with that jumper because I loved the fabric. I cut it apart and will use it as my focus fabric in my ice skates quilt!
Nancy
Next, pull out your winter motif fabrics! Just five fabrics and two accent strips make up the background. Super fast!
With the Noelle quilt pattern, you’ll learn how to audition both sides of fabrics to pick just the right focus and background fabrics.
The technique for making your bouquets is what I like to call Modern Broderie Perse. Learn more about Broderie Perse.) Basically, it’s fusible applique while using your fabric motif as your cutting guide! See, it is fast and easy! And if your fabric has bonus motifs, like pine cones or birds, you can add those to your masterpiece! Quilters at workshops and classes seem to have the best time arranging their bouquets!
The best part is, once you make Noelle, you’ll know the technique for making all the broderie perse #usebothsides patterns!
Finally, you don’t have to wait until winter. Enjoy your Christmas (quilts) in July! SHOP more than 50 patterns & fabric kits Creative Bee Studios Etsy Shop.
When you only need to choose three beautiful fabrics, deciding on what to use for your next quilt can be fun and easy!
Sometimes choosing and collecting fabrics for a quilt can be a daunting task. It can even take longer than making the quilt itself. Therefore, to make things easier, use BOTH beautiful sides! Make this quilt with only three beautiful fabrics!
Introducing the NEW VariLovable Star, using Hoffman California Fabrics “Floral Rhapsody” line!
Firstly, I’ve recently shared a new Dash About quilt, also made using this line by Hoffman. You might recognize this line – and their beautiful reverse sides! For both one-block patterns, you use the reverse of each colorway as the background fabric.
Using both sides of fabric does a lot of the work for you when choosing fabrics.
Secondly, you get the added sparkle of a soft design and hue showing on the background of each block.
Additionally, you can see, the quilt is made of nestled variable star blocks. The smallest and largest stars are made with both sides of the blue fabric. Each larger star is made using the previous star for it’s center. The binding will be the orange of the third star, pulling your eyes from the center star on out to the edges.
Most importantly, by using both beautiful sides, your eyes discover the soft patterns and colors of the backgrounds of each star. The difference in value causes you the pause and let your eyes linger while you figure out that the background of each star is actually its reverse! The use of the reverse adds a level of interest to the quilt you couldn’t achieve with an unrelated fabric as the background.
