It’s here…
The Farmhouse Plaid quilt pattern has been a work in progress for some time, but finally I am able to share it with you :).
If you are a newsletter subscriber then you have heard how challenging writing this pattern has been for me. Not the pattern itself, but learning all the new software that came with wanting to redesign my patterns for future print runs.
Until now, I have only created PDF patterns. And as such I have focused on presenting my patterns in a format most suited to home printing.
Unfortunately, that format does not translate well into a format for professional printing. And, because I want you to have the best experience when using an Aqua Paisley Studio pattern, I set out to learn what I had to do to make that happen.
There is still some room for improvement from a graphic design point of view, before I send the pattern to the printer (hopefully along with a handful of others). But for now I am excited to share it with you in its current format. I hope you love the new look!
The Story Behind the Quilt
I first made the original black, grey and white linen version towards the end of 2017. It was a Christmas gift for my oldest son. A quilt more suited to his age, and the size of his bed seemed like the perfect gift – at least from my perspective ;).
At the time, Buffalo Plaid was trending in fashion, homewares and everywhere else you could imagine! So, I hopped on the bandwagon and decided to try my hand at designing something Buffalo Plaid inspired.
Childhood Inspiration
Growing up, I remember a Sunday ‘best’ outfit that consisted of a red tartan kilt, and a cream Fair Isle knitted jumper – with classic black patent leather Mary-Jane’s, (of course)! (Side note: even to this day, I love a classic black patent leather shoe, but now my favourite is a classic wedge heel – okay, back to the main story… :).
I wanted my version of the classic plaid to feel like it had that extra woven element to it that you experience with knitted fabrics. Yet, uncomplicated and simple to piece.
Weaving the secondary blocks throughout this pattern gave this quilt its unique feel, and was exactly the accent I was trying to achieve.
Pretty in Pink
When I started thinking about writing this pattern I decided I would make a sample quilt that felt in every way opposite to the original quilt I made.
While the pattern is simple, my goal was to show how versatile it is. I don’t want the pattern to only be suited to the men in your life, I want to show it can be completely gender neutral or gender specific, depending on the colours and textures you choose to work with..
Choosing Fabric
This quilt top is made up of four fabrics, and you must choose three of them well, to ensure the woven effect is achieved. The fourth fabric is an accent and can either be harmonious or provide contrast – that’s up to you.
In order to create the plaid look, you must select a mid coloured fabric that blends well with both the dark and light fabrics. A simple way to do this is to ensure the mid colour has colours or undertones in it found in both the dark and light fabrics.
If you want to create a quilt using solid fabrics – linen blends or cotton crossweaves work well, because they are made up of multiple colours of thread, woven together.
For my linen version, I used
If you want to use patterned fabric, be sure to start by choosing your mid fabric, then choose your dark and light fabric to complement them.
For my pink patterned version, I used
- Bonnie & Camille fabric from various collections:
- The Good Life, Coral Dot
- Miss Kate, Coral Dot
- The Good Life, Coral on Cream Whole Heart
- Hello Darling, Coral Dainty
The Farmhouse Plaid PDF Quilt Pattern is Available Now
- You can purchase and download it immediately here .
- And for this week only it’s available for $10AUD (approx $7US).
Please note if you live outside Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the US, or if for some reason you can not purchase the pattern directly from this website, you can purchase it here.
Happy Sewing!
Would you like a chance at owning your own copy of the Farmhouse Plaid pattern for free? Leave me a comment and let me know what motivates you to get things done…
I will select 3 random winners later this week. Giveaway now closed. It seems like deadlines are what drives most of you! I have loved reading your comments and I will be sending out a free PDF pattern to a few of you in the next few days…
Happy sewing friends! , xx
I love this quilt! This year I told myself I have to finish a project before I can start a new one. It has been a great motivator since I keep finding new projects, like this one, that I can’t wait to start!
YOU are a huge motivator to me! I have long admired your patterns but do not like PDF patterns– THANK YOU for starting the paper process!! I am especially fond of this plaid pattern!
I’ve been looking for gingham plaid ideas…I love the idea of a 4th little color to add some pop! Oooo…so many choices!!!
And~blending prints instead of just solids! Thank you for your inspiration on my next project! 😊
This is wonderful! The Essex linen version is so classy. I’ve been wanting to make my husband a quilt with primarily red (his wiffleball team is call the Reds) and this might be just the ticket. I have to admit the thing that motivates me best to get things done is a deadline. A hard deadline such as a birthday, wedding, etc will get me going like nothing else. Since most of my quilts are gifts that’s usually not a problem. Sometimes I create my own deadline (get this done before some event happens).
Oh my gosh, I love this quilt!
Pretty pictures like this motivate me, but to really make sure it gets done it has to go on my crafty to-do list. I pick something from that list when I am wanting to start something new. I don’t like to have too many WIPs on the go at once, so things tend do to get finished.
This quilt is so beautiful. I’m 74 years old so I don’t have a lot of years left to sew. That’s what motivates me to get things done. LOL
Deadlines. Deadlines get me motivated. When I have a deadline, then I know exactly what I have to do and I get it done. Otherwise, I jump around on a few different projects. ADD for quilting anyone? 😂😂😂
The sheer joy of creating keeps me motivated. It’s a sad day if I can’t sew for even a little bit, either by machine or by hand. Deadlines for gifts help too. I’m a finisher so my UFOs are few and far between – I’ve been giving myself permission to toss old UFOs instead of having the guilt of them sitting on my back. Yes, crewel work, I never loved you!
I didn’t realise until I read the blogpost that the grey scale quilt was actually a quilt. I though it was a photograph with excellent value. I hadn’t even thought about the quilt as a quilt for men because I love all things gingham. It’s giving me thoughts…
As most of my sewing is done for family and friends , fortunately, this gives me a deadline. However, the project I put down to make the gift will sadly hang around for far too long. Nice surprise when I find it again! Creating by machine or hand is a must for me and I try to do a little bit each day. The Farmhouse Plaid pattern is delightful Samantha ………maybe I have one more quilt left in me
Deadlines! That’s why I love sew-alongs. As well as the community thing, which I love, they have weekly or monthly deadlines I can aim towards.
I am such a procrastinator that nothing motivates me like a deadline. But even then, I am always punching in at work at 4 minutes after, and sending my bee blocks out on the last day of the month! Terrible, I know!! Thanks for the chance to win your beautiful pattern! jacklynnsteven@netzero.com
LOVE this!! Usually a deadline is what gets me to the end. If I am really free flowing then the finish comes from wanting to see the end result
My motivation comes from the joy I feel when I can create something beautiful! I have an office job during the week and I use my quilting time as my creative outlet. I love seeing how the fabrics work together to create something prettier than a single fabric by itself!
Encouragement !
Being inspired m, informed and involved is motivating. I really appreciate when the time is taken to explain things so well as you have just done here … it IS motivating because it invokes the I CAN DO THIS feeling!
all the best for the launch, we’ll done 😉
(Thanks for your help and patience 🤞)
Love this pattern and how versatile it is! I have certain ‘stations’ in my sewing room where I put quilt tops to be quilted and then quilts to finish the hand binding on them. What motivates me is, I can only stand seeing them sitting there for so long – then I have to put my nose to the grindstone and finish them off. So the secret for me is – not to tuck anything away till later – otherwise, out of sight, out of mind ;)!
I love it! Simple but elegant. And I appreciate how you showed how versatile it could be either masculine or feminine. Deadlines motivate me, I love having something homemade to give as a gift.
Oh, I love your pink patterned version!
Deadlines!! Deadlines motivate me 😊😊
Love this layout – should be great for a charm pack. Easy too! Look forward to making this. Inspirations like this keep me finishing my UFO’s – This is the year of Finish 2 – start 1….
I love this pattern! One of the things that motivates me is to spend some time at the end of the day reviewing what was good about today. If I’m able to include that I had some time to work on my creative projects (in any way, even if it’s just planning), I feel blessed.
I love this pattern! I can’t wait to try it! The things that motivate me to get something finished are a deadline and accountability. Otherwise I just piddle around waiting for it to happen on its own. 🙂
This pattern is quite simply stated but beautifully elegant at the same time! I am new to quilting(just finished my second one). My motivation comes from seeing the finish. It’s like putting a puzzle together. You know what the finish is suppose to look like but you don’t truely know until it’s complete! Then, the joy that comes when I realize, “Hey! I made that!”
Most of the quilts that I make are gifts and thus have a deadline. I will not let myself start a new project until I have finished the current one, otherwise heaven only knows how long before some things would get finished.
I love this plaid pattern. It is exactly what I have been looking for – simple but sophisticated.
I am attempting my 1st quilt at the moment with fabrics I bought back from Canada. I am finding the stitching challenging, but the thought of creating your pattern next is the motivation I needed to get on with it! Thank you they are gorgeous 😍
I love how simple this quilt pattern is….I enjoy working with fewer fabrics for a project that has a big impact. I enjoy the outcome of a project pr task and that is what motivates me!
Just saw this on Pinterest. Love the buffalo pattern plaid made by the design, and especially love that it is made with linen. I just finished a cotton and linen quilt for my almost 2nd grandchild. My daughter loves everything linen!!
Love this design! So classic and modern at the same time. Can’t wait to make one!
I try to finish quilts so I can enter them in the county fair. That deadline keeps me motivated. I’ve been on the hunt for a plaid to make for my boys and this is gorgeous! Excited to try it out!
I love this quilt. I want to make several in different colorways!
Hi Samantha,
I’ve been looking at quilts for a few months hoping to find one that was simple enough for a novice but looked classy. At age 58 I’ve bought my first house. It’s a major fixer upper on a 1/2 acre in the Alabama woods. I’m going with a blend of farmhouse/cottage style and this quilt fits PERFECTLY! I plan to make it in blues and white with the small square in cream (I think). It will be a while before I can start as I’m just getting the sheetrock done but I hope to get it done by December for my first Christmas in my own home. It will be going on an iron bed. I can’t wait!
What pattern did you use for the quilting? It almost looks like an interlocking zig-zag, but I would love the name of the pattern so I may purchase it.
Is there any way to purchase your patterns wholesale to sell in my shop?
Hi Peggy – I have emailed you 🙂
I am interested in this pattern and yardage.
Thanks Peggy – I am glad you found your way to the shop 🙂