Kaleidoscope Quilt Patterns
Made Easy!
Tips and tricks for
guaranteed success!
Imagine a beautiful print on fabric. So beautiful that you can't just cut it in countless pieces. You want to preserve its beauty and moreover, you want to multiply it!
Imagine a quilt with lots of blocks and each one has a UNIQUE design created by the print on fabric. Look, this one is the most beautiful - oh, no - look at this one, this is the most beautiful! Look further, examine each block - each one has something beautiful that is unique to that block!
This is the power of the KALEIDOSCOPE technique. I discovered it in my first years of quilting, almost 20 years ago, in a book by Bethany Reynolds.
What require the Kaleidoscope quilt patterns?
The kaleidoscope quilt patterns is all about pieces of fabric (in various shapes) with identical print; you arrange the pieces with corners with the same design at center and you get a beautiful, circular design at center, created by symmetry.
You can cut shapes with the same print using different techniques: for just a few blocks you can fussy cut the pieces or for lots of blocks you can stack multiple layers of fabrics with the same print, matching the motifs of the print design. This requires lots of pins, lots of patience, lots of time...
Lately I just don't have patience for this. But I love so much the kaleidoscope effect on blocks so I started again sewing kaleidoscopes, but with a little modified technique, that does not require pins at all and does not stretch my patience to the roof!
You can make kaleidoscope blocks with how many pieces you want (at least three), the more pieces you use, the more complex the work.
For these patterns I decided to work with 4 pieces, in order to simplify the instructions and offer you a quick and easy pattern. But once you learn this preparing and cutting technique, you can use it to cut as many pieces for a block as you want.
Introducing my new
Kaleidoscope Quilt Patterns
Kaleidoscope Fun
A Double Quilt Pattern that teaches you everything you need to successfully sew any kind of kaleidoscope designs
What's the tricky part at these kaleidoscope quilt patterns?
This technique is not about piecing, is about preparing the fabric and about cutting. And A SINGLE TRICK makes it EASY and FUN!
Instead of large pieces of fabric, you will work with strips! That trick shows you how to cut STRIPS with identical pattern. It's easy and quick and it produces ACCURATE results!
Then all you have to do is stacking strips (matching the designs of these PERFECT strips is piece of cake- NO PINS, I promise!) and cutting squares.
Cut the square sets into quarter square triangles and piece them into the kaleidoscope blocks.
Once the blocks are sewn you can use them in any layout you want. I like to sew two borders to my blocks and use them in the setting below.
Here is my top!
Unique fabrics - unique quilts!
Once you learn the technique, I promise you will not remain indifferent when you will see a beautiful print! You will use these kaleidoscope quilt patterns a lot!
Different types of prints...
This double pattern teaches you everything you need to know about pattern repeat - that big design of fabric that repeats lengthwise and crosswise. Depending on how the design is positioned along the width of the fabric, the cutting technique is different that's why I made this DOUBLE pattern.
No triangle involved!
And to make the second part of the pattern entirely different, I chose to make the kaleidoscope blocks out of squares (no triangle involved!).
Exciting experience!
Each block can be sewn in 4 different ways (each of the four corners can be placed at center) - which one will be the most beautiful? I can imagine your excitement while sewing!
Add borders to your blocks in the size you need for the final size of your quilt.
These kaleidoscope quilt patterns are easy!
They require ACCURACY, yes, but even a beginner can do it! Lots of instructions that explain each step are included in the pattern. You just need to follow them!
The easiest quilting
The intricate design of the blocks does not require fancy quilting - stippling is perfect! A straight line quilting done with the walking foot is great as well.
How much fabric do you need for these kaleidoscope quilt patterns?
Once you learn the technique, you can calculate how much fabric you need to buy for your project, but you can also work with any fabric you already have at home, starting from half yard.
This is my table runner made from one yard of fabric (I still have a few leftover pieces for pouches). All you need to know in order to work with such small piece of fabric is included in the pattern.
Orphan blocks?
Use them to sew a few coasters or placemats or a pillow cover.
Ready to enjoy these kaleidoscope quilt patterns?
Here is what you will learn:
- how to choose your fabric
- everything you need to know about pattern repeats
- how to calculate the yardage needed
- how to cut the strips with identical pattern - two different ways
- how to avoid making identical blocks
- what width to use for your strips so you don't waste fabric
- how to choose the size of your blocks
- how to preview your designs so you know what size to cut the strips
- how to calculate the size of your blocks
- how to add two borders to your blocks to increase their size
- how to create kaleidoscope blocks even from a small piece of fabric (even half yard)
Excited to learn all these and start sewing your own kaleidoscope blocks?
Buy the pattern below.
KALEIDOSCOPE QUILT PATTERNS
This is a double pattern (two patterns in one). I don't sell the patterns individually because the information in both patterns is essential and will help you better understand the technique. There are two different ways of cutting the pieces for your blocks and it is best to learn them both.
This is a downloadable pattern.
Please check your email (including SPAM) for instructions about the download.
PIN FOR LATER REFERENCE
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