Geesey Geesey: Style + Fabrics
This post is part of the Geesey Geesey Sew-Along! See all posts.
Over the course of seven weeks, I’ll be making a Geesey Geesey quilt alongside you. I’m so glad it’s time to get started!
Are you sewing-along? Please share your progress pictures, wherever you are in the process, on Instagram with #GeeseyGeeseySAL. It really sustains momentum and spurs new ideas to see everyone else in the process. We can learn from each other, inspire each other and just generally have a good time!
Make sure you follow @StitchedinColor, and @CharmAboutYou in order to be eligible to win prizes. More on that at the end of this post!
Week 1: Choose Style + Fabrics
What style Geesey quilt you will make? Now’s the time to nail down your direction and gather fabrics for our project. It’s not too late to order the fabrics you need, as we will really start sewing the last week of October. These first two weeks of the sew-along are a time of preparation. This week you’ll create a vision for your quilt. Next week I’ll share some cutting tips for those of you who are ready to jump in.
Ok, so let’s talk about style. The Geesey quilt pattern is written with two distinct style options: Palette + Flight Pattern. We’ll also explore three ideas for a scrappy version!
Palette
Palette is what you’ll choose if you’re sewing with the Indie Folk quilt kit or if you’re using a single fabric collection for your Geesey quilt. This approach requires very little planning. If you don’t want to be thinking about low vs. dark value fabrics, go with Palette. You’ll simply make blocks in the combos that please you and let flocks of them mingle. Use your copy of the pattern to access the cutting templates, sewing tips and block layout.
Are you sewing with the Indie Folk kit? I’ll have a fabric-specific cut sheet for you next week, so that you can easily reproduce my Indie Folk quilt.
Flight Pattern
Flight Pattern is another version included in the Geesey quilt pattern. While Palette is great for beginners, Flight Pattern assumes you have some experience working with value in quilting. You’ll use value concepts to create strong contrast, which draws the eye to errant flight patterns among the geese. The pattern is pretty detailed about how to accomplish this - fabric requirements, cutting instructions and placement of different types of blocks.
If you’re going with Flight Pattern, your task this week is to gather fabrics as per the requirements list. Having trouble decided the value of your fabrics? Try taking a photo of them and change the color to grayscale. With the color removed it is much easier to compare the relative lightness/darkness of the fabrics. It also helps to stand back and sort of squint your eyes. That’s what I do, haha!
background fabrics
medium value fabrics
contrast fabrics
For my Maple Leaf Geesey quilt, my dark value 1 fabrics are very dark as compared to my medium value fabrics. However, my dark value 2 fabric (brown floral) and my pop fabrics (yellow fabrics) don’t actually contrast much with my medium value fabrics. Less contrast yielded a calmer, more gentle aesthetic. So you see, you can push the boundaries a bit and it’ll all work out.
I can’t wait to see your Flight Pattern versions! Even with the same fabric recipe and block layout, our quilts are going to have their own character.
Palette Scrappy
How about a scrappy version of a Palette quilt? Browse your scrap collection to see what colors you have in abundance. Consider fabrics that can be cut in 3.5” wide strips, so bigger scraps and leftover yardage bits. Choose 3-4 abundant colors that you like together. These focal colors form a loose color palette for your quilt. You’ll also add lots of other colors, from your scraps, but having some repetition will create cohesion.
Nettie of A Quilt is Nice made this flying geese quilt which is a good example of how a Palette Scrappy quilt could turn out. She repeats colors like pale aqua, golden yellow, pale pink and peach.
How much fabric do you need? That’s always hard to estimate with a scrap quilt. Let’s put it this way, assume you are cutting 3.5” strips that are full width of fabric. You’d need 46 strips total to make all the blocks in a Geesey quilt!
When you sew your Palette Scrappy quilt, you’ll pair two pleasing fabrics together and make 8+ flying geese blocks in the exact combination. Repetition and chaining is key to reigning in the chaos.
This quilt will look more like my Indie Folk quilt, but be based on your scraps. Don’t have enough bigger scraps? Consider using (2-3) 1/2 yard solid cuts if you need to create some color direction. Of course, you can also incorporate your fabric stash as needed.
Flight Pattern Scrappy
You can also make a scrappy Geesey quilt that looks more like Flight Pattern. The key to Flight Pattern is to have a consistent background fabric theme. To accomplish this, I suggest you buy 2.5 yards of solids in one color or quite similar colors.
When you sew a Flight Pattern Scrappy quilt, make each goose a combination of solid + print scraps. Group scraps in similar color themes (blues, greens, neutrals) to create chains. For example, you could make a chain of geese with yellow solid background and orange print scrap geese.
How do you create the high contrast geese that draw attention to errant flight patterns in the Flight Pattern version? You can do this by using very dark value scraps for the dark value 1, dark value 2 and pop fabrics. Another options is to make reverse geese for those three contrast types. A reverse block would have the print as the background and the solid as the goose!
Super Scrappy
Ok, scrap lovers - this one’s for you. Don’t want to buy any fabric? Eager to use your smaller, random scraps? Shake off the rules and let your scraps guide you. A Super Scrappy quilt uses scraps for both background and geese. There may or may not be use of value involved to create contrast geese. I think this is one you figure out as you go!
Penny Layman’s recent finish is a glorious example of Super Scrappy in action. Isn’t it amazing? You can catch her on Instagram as @SewTakeaHike.
Notice that there is method to the madness. She’s grouped blocks with similarly colored geese combos together. These color groupings create chains of geese that help the eye follow the movement without becoming overwhelmed. Fantastic!
Kick-Off Giveaway Winner!
Congratulations to LunaQuilts who wins the Indie Folk Geesey quilt kit from Sojo Fabrics! I know you’re going to adore working with those fabrics.
Thanks to all of you who shared the I’m In button to enter the giveaway and share the news of our event. It’s so much fun to sew with a community of enthusiastic quilters. There are more prizes coming up when we start sewing later this month!
