Jack's Gate Quilt Pattern featuring Andover Fabrics

The Jack's Gate modern quilt pattern was inspired by the gates which guard each house in my neighborhood. It uses fat eighths and yardage of two colors to create an unexpected and unique design. The flowers in this quilt are what really bring the quilt to life.

I love a quilt pattern that uses precuts. While Jack's gate isn't all precuts it is a great pattern to use up those bundles of fat eighths. It is also a great pattern to use scraps for the flower pieces.

This version of Jack's Gate is a throw size. I love making throw size quilts. They are not too big, so you can still quilt it yourself with ease. They are not too small, so you can cuddle up with it later.

You can buy a copy of Jack's Gate here.


Inspiration Behind the Pattern

Jack's Gate is my new pattern which is available in my shop. I love this modern pattern! It's a bit adventurous for me as a designer.

This pattern was inspired by the gates in my neighborhood which are set between cement walls. They surround our flats and villas. These walls and gates work as a barrier and protection.

Each gate is different and frequently provide hints about the owners of the house. In our neighborhood you can frequently find flowering trees or plants close by the gates.

These details provided inspiration for Jack's Gate. I named it after my son because he was constantly pestering me to finish the pattern. I put it to the side several times and thought about getting rid of it all together at one point.



About the Pattern

Jack's Gate is a modern pattern which uses a couple different standard quilting blocks. This pattern incorporates half square triangles and flying geese, so it is a great quilt for skill development.

The blocks are set on point which means they are turned to a 45 degree angle. This made the creating process hard for me. My brain had a hard time turning everything at an angle and figuring out how it would all go together.

I wanted to make sure that the gate was not symmetrical. Things in the world rarely are. The gate mimics that feeling of a plant or bush growing higher on one side. Or a gate being hung, but as time has gone by the flowers have grown over parts of it so the whole gate isn't visible anymore. I have had a couple people say that I should even it out, but I love this imperfect look.

Here are some facts about the Jack's Gate quilt:

  • Uses fat eighths to create the flowers (but could easily use scraps).
  • Blocks are sewn on point.
  • Available in three sizes (crib, throw, bed).
  • Great for the intermediate quilter.
  • Half square triangles and flying geese are used to create the blocks.

As for measurements of the three quilt sizes: 

  • Crib size: 41 in. x 54 in.
  • Throw size: 54 in. x 72 in.
  • Bed size 66: in. x 93 in.
As you can see the crib and throw size are generous sizes. The crib size could even be made as a small throw/lap quilt. The bed size works great for a twin size bed.



About This Quilt

I pulled from my stash to make this quilt. All fabric in this version is Andover fabrics. I used a fat quarter bundle of Allison Glass prints I had. The fabrics may look like solids, but there is a subtle print to them every so often.

I frequently buy fat quarter bundles of solids curated by someone else. These are great to drop in my stash for later use. Since I struggle with choosing colors this was super easy for me to grab the bundle, choose the fabrics I wanted (I pulled about 5 out from the bundle) and then get cutting.

This pattern only uses fat eighths, so I was able to put aside half of each fat quarter for later use. 


Up till now the other Jack's Gate quilts I had made used a blue or gray fabric for the gate. For this version I wanted the fabric to have a subtle design and a different color. In the picture below you can see the flower colors on the left and the gate fabric on the right. I happened to have just enough of the fabric for the gate.

I absolutely love the vibrancy of all these colors together and how they pop with the white background fabric.


You can see the gate fabric on the right and the flower fabric on the left.


I loved working with these colors and mixing them to make the half square triangles. I even had a little helper as you can see below.

half square triangles


This quilt top is so fun to see come together. As I said, it is sewn together at a 45 degree angle. Once you see the rows start attaching and see how the flower colors play off each other the fun really starts.



 I quilted this myself. I would have sent it out, but I don't have that option where I live. I used the squiggly lines on my sewing machine. I started by quilting every 2 inches. Then, I went back and sewed in between to make the lines 1 inch apart.

 



To back the quilt I used 1 yard cuts I had bought a could years ago of Andover Fabrics. I did some quilt math so figure out the backing and how to configure the yard cuts most efficiently. Then, I pressed the seams open to reduce any bulk from having extra seams on the back. 


The colors on the backing go well with the front of the quilt! I was so happy about this. I hate spending money on backing, but I also like my backing to match the front of the quilt.


Read more ideas on how to save money on backing here.

I used some of the extra parts of the fat quarters to sew the binding. I love a scrappy binding for two reasons. 1. It's colorful. 2. It's cheap! I don't have to buy more fabric.

I really love this scrappy binding because of the bright colors. It completed the quilt perfectly.






Jack's Gate is fun modern quilt pattern great for the intermediate quilter. It's great for scraps and those fat eighths. Grab a copy in my shop!

 





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