Colored Glass with Batiks

This quilt was my first ever Colored Glass Quilt! Before this Colored Glass was just an idea in my head and a design on my computer. As I sewed this quilt up I really fell in love with this pattern.

You can find a copy of the Colored Glass Quilt Pattern here.


First, let me tell you a little bit about the Colored Glass modern quilt pattern. This quilt pattern is uses fat quarters and a bit of background fabric to create a fun, modern design with classic elements. Colored Glass includes two different quilt blocks, which alternate throughout. This gives more variation to the quilt as well as gives the quilter a bit more variety when piecing.

 

Inspiration Behind the Pattern

Colored Glass was inspired by the beautiful cathedrals of Europe. The beauty and artistry have amazed me since my first visit as a child. Since then I have been able to take my children to visit, and love thinking of the history in these sacred places.



The quilt uses two alternating blocks. Each block with a cross was meant as a reminder of my faith and also to give an extra hint as to the inspiration of the pattern.



The second quilt bock was intended to use many different colors and have a centered square which is pieced by using the Square in a Square method. This helps to balance out the quilt and give it more of the stained glass window feel. It also reduces the negative space in the quilt.

About the Quilt Pattern

Probably my favorite thing about the Colored Glass Quilt Pattern is that it uses fat quarters! I love a good fat quarter quilt. In fact this version was made from a fat quarter bundle I bought about 7 years ago and stashed away.

Because Colored Glass uses so many of one cut of fabric, it would be very easy to make a scrappy version. I just don't keep many scraps around because of a lack of space so I probably won't make one. But all that to say, it's very easy to add in extra colors.

Colored Glass has five sizes! That's right, five! I wanted to try to include the basic bed sizes in the quilt. If for some reason you want a different size it's pretty easy to adjust the pattern since it's block based. You can add or drop blocks to a row to adjust the size.

Sizes and measurements of the quilt:

• Baby 48 in. x 48 in.
• Throw 60 in. x 60 in.
• Twin 72 in. x 96 in.
• Queen 96 in. x 108 in.
• King 108 in. x 108 in.

 The quilt in this post is a throw size. You can see in the pattern the throw size is a square. However, for this quilt I dropped a row from one side to make it rectangular. I prefer a rectangular quilt, but I also realized that most of you would probably want a larger throw size than a 48 in. x 60 in. quilt.

Colored Glass is listed as a beginner quilt pattern. I don't think it should be the first pattern you ever sew. But if you can sew a pretty consistent 1/4 in. seam then this is for you! It's also a great skill builder.

Half of the blocks in this modern quilt pattern include Flying Geese. If you haven't made Flying Geese now is the time to try! I have a tutorial for you on the No Waste Method of Flying Geese. This is the method used in the quilt pattern. The tutorial also includes some tips, tricks and trimming instructions. Find the tutorial here.



The other half of the blocks include a Square in a Square Block in the center with smaller squares around. The Square in a Square is also a great skill building unit as it's a pretty common quilt block.



Together these blocks balance out the quilt and create the stained glass window look I was going for.

A Bit about Batiks

I made this quilt using a fat quarter bundle I had been hoarding for years. I can't remember why I bought it. But I bought it for a specific project years ago. However, when I was digging through my fabric cabinet this bundle spoke to me. I can't remember who designed this fabric, but it is all batiks.



Batik fabric is a very unique kind of fabric. Traditionally batik fabric is made in Indonesia using wax to create designs or draw pictures on the fabric. Some fabrics, like the ones I used for my quilt, have very basic designs. Others have extremely detailed designs which can require the fabric to be dyed several times with several different layers of wax being drawn on. Batik fabrics are a work of art.

If you would like to watch a fascinating video on making batik fabrics and see the traditional method watch this video.

About this Quilt

I loved watching this quilt come together. I wanted the background fabric to be a contrast with the batiks. So I chose a solid fabric from Art Gallery Fabric's Pure Solid's line. Creme de la Creme is a dark cream color. I had bought it for a different project then realized it wasn't quite the right fit. However, it was the perfect fit for this Colored Glass quilt!

This Colored Glass Quilt helps you see what the pattern looks like with larger print fabrics. This bundle has a combination of smaller and larger print fabrics in it. But even the larger prints mixed well into the pattern.

If you want to see the Colored Glass Quilt in solids you can find that here, or you can find a version with smaller, more blender type of fabrics, here.

This Colored Glass is a small throw. I quilted it using a 1/2 inch straight stitch. I  added in extra colors than the pattern calls for so I had left over fabric to use for a scrappy binding.

One thing I love about this quilt is it has a very thin batting which gives it a nice drape. And if you live in a hot climate like I do, a thin quilt is to be desired.

Grab yourself a copy of the Colored Glass Quilt Pattern! It's fast and fun and comes in all the sizes.