Even though improv quiltmaking has become my main squeeze, I still enjoy designing my own quilt patterns to sew from. While I’ve always known there was quilt design software available, I never bothered looking further than my beloved Adobe Illustrator. For those who are new to AI, the number of settings and tools and can be overwhelming, so I wanted to give you guys a detailed walk-through of the process. I use Illustrator CS5 on PC and CS6 Mac (but I'm using the CS5 PC version for this tutorial), so your mileage may vary depending on what version you use.

This will be a multi-part tutorial to keep it from being a novel. For our first lesson, we will start off with the basic preferences and settings I use when designing quilts in Illustrator.Open your preferences by clicking CMD/CTRL + K.

General Preferences

General

Keyboard Increment - When you tap one of your direction arrow keys, the object (any path/shape you create) you selected will move by the increment you input in the field. I change the keyboard increments frequently to quickly and precisely move blocks. By default, I usually put it at .25 inch for quilt design. NOTE: If you hold SHIFT when clicking an arrow key, your object will move 10x your increment. So if my increment was set to 1 inch, clicking SHIFT + LEFT ARROW, your object will move your object 10 inches to the left.

Double Click To Isolate - I check this. It’s handy for moving an object in a group without ungrouping it (we’ll discuss grouping later).

Selection & Anchor Display

Selection & Anchor Display

Tolerance - This setting determines how easily you can select an object.The higher the value (the range is between 1-8), the easier it is to select an object. I keep the setting at 1 because I find I have difficulty selecting the correct object when it's turned up.

Object Selection by Path Only - I do not check this box. When designing quilts, your paths will all be touching one another, making it difficult to select the right shape. By keeping it unchecked, you can click in the filled area of an object to select it.

Snap to Point - Leave unchecked, for the same reasons as described under Tolerance.

Units

General - Inches. Always inches.

Stroke - Points, it’s simple. I always use a 1pt stroke.

Guides & Grid

Guides & Grid

You can turn on a graph paper-like grid by clicking CMD/CTRL + ".

Gridline every - Set to 1 inch.

Subdivisions - Set to 4. It’ll give you a grid line every .25 inches.

Grid in Back - Uncheck. This keeps your grid visible in front of your objects, which I find to be more useful.

Show Pixel Grid (Above 600% Zoom) - Check. Why not?

Smart Guides

Smart Guides

Smart guides are super helpful tools that make quilt design way easier. They're not as complicated as the look, but you get a quick overview of them here.

Display Options - Check everything!

Construction Guides - 90º & 45 º angles is the option I usually select, but if you are doing shapes that use different angles (like equilateral triangles), you may want to pick a different option.

Snapping Tolerance - This setting is like one of those online drag-and-drop dress-up games. When moving or creating objects, it will "snap" your object or points to line up with existing objects. That means you will have an easier time lining things up precisely. I set it to 10pt, but if you feel like it’s too strong of a snap, reduce it. TIP: Zoom in when lining up objects. The snapping will be more accurate when you are zoomed in closer.

Once you have your preferences set, make a new document by clicking CMD/CTRL + N. Set your artboard size to the size you want your finished quilt top to be, in inches. If you don’t know what size you want, just give yourself a square with enough space.

Now, turn on your rulers by clicking CMD/CTRL + R.

Now you’re set up to start designing quilts. In my next post, we'll learn how to start building quilt blocks.

Scrappy QAYG Foldover Tote

I am starting to notice a pattern in the way I approach new kinds of sewing projects. Maybe it will sound familiar. When I start thinking about branching out to something new, like when I started quilting or sewing clothes, I find myself making excuses for why I can’t and shouldn’t try this new craft. A little voice inside keeps saying it’s going to be too hard, that I’ll just be wasting money on materials, etc. Thankfully, I’ve gotten better at telling that little voice, “Shut up, loser. We’re going shopping.”

One of my latest sewing adventures was sewing myself this lovely patchwork foldover tote bag. I’m always delighted by the pictures of handmade bags I see in books, magazines, and online, so maybe that’s what motivated me to try making a bag.

I started off by browsing bag patterns, but I couldn’t find a design that met would meet my needs as an everyday purse AND be easy to make. I knew I wanted a crossbody bag that would allow me to keep my hands free while out and about. It would have to be large enough to accommodate at least my giant sandwich-sized phone, fatass wallet, and my water bottle (which I take literally everywhere). Sometimes, I travel with my iPad mini, a small sewing project, or my sketchbook, so I wanted it to be big enough to fit those things in there too. A foldover tote seemed like a perfect solution.

some simple sketches

I did some basic sketches to determine the shape, size, and position of the D-rings, and everything else fell into place. The exterior of my bag was made with two QAYG panels on 100% cotton batting with a layer of medium-weight interfacing on the back. Right after finishing the bag, I regretted including the interfacing because it made the bag a little stiffer than I wanted. However, as I’ve used the bag over just a few days, it’s become more supple, so it worked out.

I did small boxed corners after sewing the shell together, just to give it some dimension. The hardest part of the whole bag was attaching the D-rings just because there were so many thick layers in a tiny area. I did a ton of backstitching just in case those d-rings had any escape plans!

Super pretty lining!

The lining was really simple: I cut the same shapes as the exterior from the Patty's Big Blooms print from her Emma's Garden collection and added a basic pocket to one side before sewing them together. Then I added a magnetic snap to the top before I moved on to assemble the bag. I put the lining inside the bag shell (wrong sides together), and stitched around the top with a .25” seam allowance. From there, it was exactly the same as binding a quilt. On a side note, trying to photograph the inside of a bag is just...not fun.

Although I did by the hardware to make the strap, I ended up just stealing the strap off another one of my existing purses. Thankfully, most of my bags have detachable, adjustable straps, so I can swap them out as I please!

I’m really happy with my finished bag, and the fact that I made it without a pattern makes me even more proud of it. Maybe this project will give me the courage to try making more bags!

Free Geo-Kitty Pattern

I'm super excited to be hosting the Kitty Mini Quilt Swap on Instagram! I hope you've been following everyone's progress on the #kittyminiquiltswap hashtag. I just finished up my mini for my partner over the weekend, and I wanted to share a super cute kitty pattern I came up with.

my finished kitty mini

When I started on my mini for my partner I knew I wanted to make something that would be one of a kind. I started off with some Scatterbrained QAYG blocks, but I didn't feel like there was any real superstar in the craziness. I started sketching some ideas for a paper-pieced cat. I'd like to say the rest was a cinch, but oh lawd...it was not. 

I've only made like...three (?) FPP blocks in my life, and never designed my own. It was a struggle on both frontiers. But as they say, persistence prevails. Don't worry. The pattern isn't hard. I'm just a FPP tard. 

You can download the PDF for the Geo-Kitty pattern HERE. 

Click the download icon at the top of the page and print at 100%. There are four templates, and once you finish them all, join A & B. Stitch that unit to template C. Lastly, stitch that piece to unit D. The finished block (illustrated above) is 8" wide and just shy of 4.5" tall. You'll want to add some borders to the top and bottom, but you can make those any height you wish. 

Enjoy and happy stitching!