Play Multi-Disciplinary Creative Overflow

A couple years ago I got super ambitious about d.i.y interior decorating, during a period of frustration with the limited personality of mass market stuff available at everyone’s favorite chain stores (also, I got a subscription to Ready Made, which I’m sure had something to do with it). As a part of this, I tried my hand at quilting (why not?). The first quilt I made was a fairly simple patchwork quilt, which turned out nice… however, I also found out that even if you try to make your own things, you’re still limited by the also limited personality of the textiles and fabrics found in everyone’s favorite chain fabric stores. So, it struck me that maybe going back to basics and creating something unique not just with fabric and color, but with composition, was the way to go.

Finished!

Then, one day I stumbled upon this awesome art/type poster collection site called typographicposters.com, and saw a piece of work by the artist/designer Benoit Bodhuin (snarky note: I can’t link directly because it’s a flash site! *boo*), and the idea for this duvet cover was born. I did some fabric research, found some fairly thrifty cotton broadcloth fabric in solid colors from fabric.com, and got started in translating the graphic style of the posters to fabric form.

Since all the shapes are right-triangles, it’s fairly easy to recreate as a sewing/quilting pattern. I created a new Adobe Illustrator file, then made a grid of 3 inch squares, each square divided diagonally across both axes. From there, I filled in each part of the grid accordingly (see printed out version below)

plan mocked up in Illustrator, then printed out with each sewing block outlined & numbered

Next, I had to figure out how much fabric I needed for each color. This is probably the trickiest part, since you have to not only figure out how much yardage you need according to the design, but also factor in seam allowances and how to cut your squares to maximize use of each yard. Rather than try to do some fancy geometry maths, I just guestimated how many yards I’d need, and ended up running out of gray fabric toward the end (when I reordered, the gray was a slightly different hue than previously, so try to avoid this if at all possible). The finished size of the duvet cover needed to be 88″x88″, to fit the queen-sized comforter I already had. Since cutting and sewing so many little squares together inevitably leads to variations in my finished size by up to an inch, I planned to leave room around the edge for a white border that I could size accordingly once I had the bulk of the work done, to arrive at 88 inches exactly.

Everything after this point is just hours and hours and hours of cutting, measuring, and sewing. I really hate the cutting part, because not only is it super tedious, but it’s also the part where I’m most prone to slippage of the hand, uncorrectable errors, and wasted fabric. Having the right tools is extremely important, especially a rotary fabric cutter, and quilting ruler. Since I hate cutting so much, I decided it would be best to get it all done at the outset, kind of like eating brussel sprouts on your plate first so that you can enjoy the mashed potatoes at the end. I took a look at my design plan, then tallied up the amount of each size and color of fabric piece that I would need.

Fabric cut pieces tally

Finally after all the fabric was cut, I started piecing together smaller blocks according to their block number in the plan, then pieced those blocks into bigger blocks, and so on until I had the finished front of the duvet cover. I measured and added a white border to the outside, then quilted the whole front (without batting (padding)) to another piece of fabric, to hide the seams. Finally, I sewed the back of the duvet cover on, with buttons on the end to slip the comforter in.

Fabric needed for each block, as a guide and checklist

I couldn’t be happier with the final piece, and am totally excited about new variations on solid color patterns that I can make in the future – but it might be a while. After over 80 hours of planning, cutting, and sewing, I’m not about to jump right in again! All things put in perspective, those serious quilting hobbyists are crazier and more dedicated than any WOW player, in my book.

I recently had the opportunity to borrow a sewing machine, something I’ve always wanted to learn how to use but never got around to it. Maybe it was watching another season of Project Runway that finally inspired me to get behind the needle. For my first project, I figured it would be easiest to do something that stuck to straight cuts and seams – and what better way to practice sewing straight lines than to make a patchwork quilt? I’d been ogling a patchwork quilt bed cover sold by Urban Outfitters for some time, and envisioned one covering my own bed made by my own hand.

Fleur Patchwork Quilt from Urban Outfitters

The first quilt I would be making, however, would be a Christmas gift for someone else, so when picking out the fabric I stuck with patterns and colors that were a little less eccentric, and more humble – something for a simple and cozy blanket. Before heading to the quilting supply store, I searched for quilting videos on YouTube to get the basics – cutting fabric, lining up squares, the process of actually quilting the assembled piece.

Now, going to a new crafting store to pick up supplies for a new craft that I don’t know well yet can sometimes be an embarrassing experience, something akin to the feeling of being a tourist in a strange land. I’ve found that the employees of such stores, while generally nice people, seem to have an impatience for uninformed customers. This experience was no different. After picking out my fabric, I grabbed some thread and a roll of batting (the stuff that makes a quilt a little poofy) and walked up to the counter. The clerk asked how much yardage of batting I need, then asked what I was going to make. I told her I was making a quilt. She stopped, gave me The Look, and said ‘This is upholstery padding. Let me show you where the quilt batting is.’ We corrected the situation, came back to the counter, and as she was ringing me up she saw the thread I had picked up, gave me The Look again, and asked ‘Are you sure you want nylon thread?’ ‘I dunno, do I?’ I replied. Again she said ‘Let me show you where the cotton thread is.’ Even after watching a dozen YouTube videos, I wasn’t prepared for the all of the minutiae of sewing.

Despite some initial obstacles, the rest of the project went surprisingly well. I sketched out my quilt, planned out my fabric squares, did all of the math required to accommodate seams, borders, and yardage (yes, quilting requires a calculator), and sewed in straight lines for hours and hours. The finished result, while not perfect, was pretty good!

Sketching/notes, and finished quilt

I’ve already got mental plans for my own quilted duvet cover, coming soon.