I’m so excited to share my very first quilt pattern, Valerie’s Tiles Quilt, with the world!  I designed and named this pattern for my mom, Valerie, who recently remodeled her kitchen and family room.  My mom and I bond over our mutual love of interior design, and I wanted to make her a quilt that would look at home in her new Ethan Allen showroom-caliber room.

I was inspired by her gorgeous Italian marble arabesque backsplash.  I was surprised to find that even though the arabesque motif is very common in home decor, there wasn’t a quilt pattern honoring this timeless design with a modern spin.  So, with the help of the Quilters Candy Pattern Writing Course, I wrote one!

You can get your copy at the link below. You can get 20% off of your total purchase as a member of The Wannabe Grandma Family.  Click here to get a coupon code sent to your inbox!

Get Valerie's Tiles Quilt Pattern
                                             

This pattern is traditionally pieced and includes 6 templates to help you cut the curved pieces.  It is an intermediate-level quilt, but definitely easier than it looks!  This was my second time sewing curves and the first for one of my testers, so it’s doable if you’ve you’ve never sewn curves before.  The key is starch, starch, starch (I prefer Terial Magic) and to go slow and practice – you’ll be surprised how quickly you get the hang of them.  I find that using a quarter-inch seam foot is also very helpful.  

Construction

There are only 2 basic unit types in Valerie’s Tiles Quilt, included the ABC units in the photo above.  The DEF units are similar but do not include the cap piece that is on the left of the ABC units.  Flipping the templates over on their bottom edge allows you to create mirror-image ABC and DEF units that are assembled into blocks like the one below.

These blocks are then combined with plain rectangular blocks to create an arabesque tile motif.  I tested several different constructions during the design process and found this to be by far the most straightforward.  Looking at the quilt, you’d never know there are only 2 unit-types needed to make it!  

Fabrics & Sizes

For my cover quilt, I made the one-color throw option.  I used Moda Grunge in Creme for the tiles and Linen Texture in Maize by Makower UK.  

There are 3 size options for this pattern: Baby (39.25″ by 51″), Throw (55.25″ by 70.5″), & Bed (87.25″ by 90″).  You can customize the size by adding additional columns (8 inches of width) and additional blocks to each column (10 inches of height).  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about how to size the quilt for your needs! 

Here are the fabric requirements:

Quilting

I sent my cover quilt to Jenae at Vintage Stitch By Jenae for longarm quilting.  I knew that I wanted an elegant, swirling design, and she totally nailed it with this Delicate Vine pantograph.  I know it will be absolutely perfect for my parents’ new family room.

Binding

Jenae also uses her longarm machine to attach the binding to the front of your quilt, and I love this service!  I am a big fan of hand stitching the binding to the back of the quilt, so I am so thrilled when my quilt arrives with the binding already attached to the front.  Relaxing and stitching while watching Netflix is one of my favorite activities.  Productive procrastination – am I right?!

I used a mirrored blanket stitch for extra security to attach this binding.  For a mirrored blanket stitch, I use a single strand of No. 12 thread.  You can find my tutorial and a custom sticker to make this stitch a breeze in the Quilters Candy Membership.

Pattern Testers

I definitely could not have done this without my amazing pattern testers.  These ladies were all so wonderful and agreed to test my first pattern over the holidays – I will owe them for life!  The quilting community really is a treasure.  Check out each tester version below.  I also want to thank Claire (@claireandhercrafts) & Kacey (@kaceycrutch) for testing block construction and providing me with invaluable feedback.

First up is Dayna McCarthy of First Sprice Quilt Co and @firstsprucehandmade.  Dayna made a gorgeous pink and white version, and I crowned her Binding Queen for her rose gold striped binding.  So delicious!  Be sure to check out Dayna’s Etsy shop.

Next is Chelsea Cruz who can be found on Instagram at @sewaddicting.  Chelsea made a multicolor version featuring an AGF Cinnamon accent color that is extra cozy in my opinion.  Can you believe it was her first time sewing curves?!  

Summer (@squatsandrunningstitches) made a Valerie’s Tiles pillow in Moda Grunge.  A pillow is definitely on my list of makes after seeing this beauty.  Summer is also a quilt pattern designer – be sure to check out her website!

Last (but definitely not even close to least) we have Petra of @craftyquiltymom who cooked up this solid ombré pink version with a printed accent color.  I could stare at this one all day!  To create the ombré look, Petra used fat quarters instead of half-yards.

I’d love to see your beautiful version of my Valerie’s Tiles Quilt, too!  Be sure to tag me on social media at @TheWannabeGrandma and use the hashtags #valeriestilesquilt and #thewannabegrandma.

As a reminder, 10% of my proceeds from my blog & your pattern purchase go towards organizations that help children and youth who live in foster care.  Thank you so much for supporting my small business!