I designed this quilt with two things in mind.
One – I wanted it to be easy and fun. Of course. That’s a main consideration in all my quilt designs. 🙂
Two – I wanted it to work especially well with those awesome fabric collections with great illustration that you just don’t want to cut up.
You know what I’m talking about.
How could I cut up this image?
Or this?
Use larger scale prints for the wide stripes, smaller scale on the narrow stripes. It’s a great way to use a whole fabulous fabric collection – which is especially nice for folks who stress out about choosing fabric.
I used the absolutely gorgeous Wee Wander collection by Sarah Jane – one of the prettiest fabric collections I’ve ever seen. 🙂 I made this quilt over a year ago, so that particular fabric collection is going to be harder to find, but there are lots of other fun options out there! How about this pretty folk floral collection from Anna Maria Horner?
I designed it especially for great prints like these – but you’re not limited to that! Try it in solids in a nice ombre layout. Or create a rainbow from your favorite tone on tone prints.
Stripes are always in season – always in style. And they’re oh so easy to sew. 🙂
Thick & Thin is a free quilt pattern.
That’s right – FREE! And that doesn’t mean it’s some skimpy abbreviated form of one of my regular patterns. You’ll get everything one of my regular quilt patterns normally includes.
Complete instructions – including yardage requirements, cutting instructions, and assembly diagrams – for six different sizes.
- Baby (36″ x 48″)
- Crib (50″ x 52″)
- Nap (65″ x 76″)
- Twin (65″ x 88″)
- Queen (86″ x 92″)
- King (104″ x 92″)
Detailed instructions – you’ll never feel lost or wonder if you’re doing things wrong.
Instructions (and diagrams) for pieced backs for all the quilt sizes.
Links to videos teaching you all the skills you’ll need to complete the project – including basting, quilting and binding.
Detailed quilting instructions – none of this “quilt as desired” single line of instruction at the end. 🙂
This is a very easy quilt – easy to cut, easy to sew, and easy to machine quilt.
Want the pattern? Here’s the link to download it – free!
Download the Thick & Thin quilt pattern here.
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Happy quilting, everyone!
Best,
Wendi
Hey Wendy! I just discovered your QAYG videos on YouTube and love this approach, I can’t wait to try it out! What I don’t see is any info on how you handle borders with this technique. Is there a video somewhere already that I am not finding?
I don’t usually make quilts with borders, but you can handle them just like any other block. Cut and piece your border, layer it on the backing and quilt it, and then join it with the rest of the quilt. I wouldn’t recommend it with a very skinny border, but one with some width to it should be just fine.
Hello Wendi! I was reading through this post and I love the quilt, but I think I love even more that you gave fabric option suggestions for it. That’s turning into a real problem for me in my learning-to-quilt process. For instance, there is a quilt called “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” I’m chomping at the bit to do. It’s in Melissa Mortenson’s book “Project Teen” and she did it in bright and cheery fabrics by Sandi Henderson called Meadowsweet. It’s just vibrant pinks, magentas, greens, and turquoises. Even though the book is fairly new, the fabric collection is impossible to find. I tried to find something similar and found a great Amy Butler collection but when I ordered it, I found the print to be too large. Long explanation for this questions: When you don’t have access to large quilting shops and do most of your shopping online, how do you go about finding similar fabrics to the hard-to-find ones like you did in this post? Would you consider doing a post on how to choose fabrics? thanks so much!
I’ll think about that! I’m not sure I’m the best person to write that post since I usually work with tone-on-tone prints for my applique work and when I use those nice fabric collections I often opt for a dead-simple quilt like Thick & Thin. 🙂
Try Tula Pink fabrics?
Hi Wendi,
I’m so excited to have found your UTube videos and now your Blog and Shop. I think your directions on the video were so great and easy to understand. I KNOW I can do this. Lookiing forward to ordering some patterns. Again thank you!!! Diane
Thanks so much! 🙂
I want to try some quilting, but I’m a bit intimidated by a whole quilt. Would it be possible to use this pattern/technique to make a cushion cover, say? If so, do you have any tips? Thanks. (And thanks for your wonderful site, generally. 🙂 )
Yes – it would work great for that! Just cut your strips the width of the cushion cover. That would be a great way to use up some scraps. 🙂
My 4 1/2 year old granddaughter loves foxes, so I used your pattern to make her a fox quilt. I used a pocket on the back with my label on it, & put a small stuffed fox inside.
This good for my dollhouse
I’m very impressed with your work. I can’t wait to make some of your projects!
This fabric isn’t that hard to find for those of us who couldn’t stand to part with it when it was new! Seriously, I did use some of it but I believe I could make another quilt with the pink line. Thanks for the inspiration!