Catty Corner is good to go!

Finally, I have another pattern out in the world! My Catty Corner quilt pattern is available as a pdf download over on my Etsy store now.

It feels like a lifetime ago now, but in early 2017 I travelled to Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) on an Ace Camp – what an adventure! Of course, given it was largely a textile trip, I came back with fabrics, specifically shweshwe. Originally shweshwe was only available in indigo – the patterns created with a method of acid discharge – but now it's available in all the colours of the rainbow.

I had seen very few quilts made from shweshwe but those I had come across were quite traditional in design and I didn't think they suited the bold, vibrant colours of the fabric, so of course I decided to design my own. Insanely, I'm still quilting that version, while one I've made from upcycled shirts is about to hang at Quiltcon, and pattern testers have been busily finishing off versions of their own.

The pattern I've created consists of four large log cabin blocks sewn together and then sliced and diced to create the final top. It can be made in cot/crib, throw or queen sizes.  The quilt would suit an advanced beginner, but if you're planning on making the queen, having a little more experience under your belt would help. Accuracy of cutting and piecing at scale are needed.

The quilt also suits a variety of fabrics. You'll definitely need some that read as a solid colour, but stripes and small prints work really well too. I've been really lucky with my pattern testers in that they used a great variety of fabrics so you can see how much is possible. Stacey did a fabric pull from her Cotton and Steel collection, while Mary got most of her fabrics from her local Austin Creative Reuse – how fabulous is that?

Except for the two solids, my cot-sized Catty Corner was created using upcycled shirts.

Stacey's Cotton and Steel selection. Note how she's used a different fabric (but the same colour) to create her blocks

Except for the Philip Jacobs Japanese chrysanthemum, Mary's fabrics are from Austin Creative Reuse.

I'm a pretty slow maker, maybe because I'm often designing as I make, but I did have a feeling this quilt would come together fairly quickly. Katy however, blew my mind with how fast she pulled off this perfect throw specimen, even incorporating the cut-offs into the back while she was at it! I also really like the stripe Katy has included which she's then matched with coordinating fabrics that read as solids.

Detail of the back of Katy's throw.

Stacey opted for a slightly longer version of the quilt, not cutting as much from the top. And then created a whole new masterpiece repeating some of the log cabin shapes for the back.

My favourite photo from Mary shows an individual block hanging out in Texas. Mary put her hand up to make the queen, and this pic really show the scale of the individual block size you're working with for this version.

Detail of Mary's queen sized Catty Corner top.

I have been so very grateful to my three pattern testers! They've made my first foray into pattern testing an absolute delight and it's been really interesting for me to see how others might see and approach a quilt compared to the way I do. If you get a chance, head on over to their feeds on Instagram to check out what else they're up to.
Katy – whatkatydid_handmade
Stacey – craftylilmouse
Mary – atxquiltfarmer

PS And thanks to Mum, as always, for being my pattern editor extraordinaire!