I buy patterns all the time. But I use them as base to begin, not really a follow to the letter set of instructions. I do better when I have freedom and don't feel confined. Partly because I like things to come together in an --pardon me for using this word because it is so overused-- organic fashion. But also because if I am not following a pattern, then I can't technically be wrong or make a mistake. haha. So really, my opposition to following instructions is really just me not wanting to spend time fixing or undoing. haha.
Case in point. I bought the Totem pattern by Carolyn Friedlander a year or so ago. I loved that pattern from the moment I saw it. I love anything Carolyn Friedlander makes, so it was no surprise, but these angled strips just spoke to me. So, I bought the pattern.
I read through the pattern twice, and then set off to make something. So the pattern and instruction was fresh in my mind and guided everything I pieced, but I did not follow strip size or anything else. Despite that, it ended up looking pretty similar to the Totem pattern.
You can see more of my Totem-inspired quilt here.
Doing my own thing feels so much better to me, because it doesn't hamper my creativity, and it is a way of giving myself permission to mess up.
And in experimenting, sometimes I find something I truly love. I was fiddling about when I ended up creating the design for my big geese quilts, and that quilt is something I have made several times now (each one, different in size and background because not only do I NOT like to follow patterns, but I rarely take the time to write things down as I go, so I only remember bits and pieces of what I did.)
I have made a few versions of the big geese on a large pieced background, and you can see some of them below.
Clearly, I am a fan of this design, and love it for showing off big prints. So when I bought an adorable bundle of Menagerie from Fabric Bubb this was *just* the quilt I wanted to make with it.
I backed it with a yard of my beloved Amy Butler Floating Buds fabric, and now I feel I need to buy 50 more yards of that because I really love it.
I have this listed in my shop.
And I am linking up with:
3 comments:
I love your flying geese quilt - the soft colours are really lovely!
Thank you Jen!! That Menagerie fabric by Rifle Paper Co is so dreamy.
The Totem pattern is a favorite of mine. You did a great job re-interpreting it. Beautiful colors, too.
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