Dear Son is a sampler quilt that will be divided up into 12 sections. If you’ve followed along with Dear Daughter or Dear Diary previously, you already know that I refer to these twelve sections as Chapters. Dear Son will also be divided into twelve chapters but things may be a little different this time around… Dear Son is a row quilt much like my Modern Montana Quilt… but a lot more intricate in design.
Due to this design, the chapters could be a row, or they could be a section… no worries tho, it’s going to be spectacular no matter which way you slice it! This is a rough idea of what we will be filling in over the next year…
There are A LOT of blocks! And much like the logo suggests we will be making use of some half-square triangles to get the southwestern vibe I’m going for! The design measures 64″ x 88″ which is a good twin size bed quilt OR a nice man size throw quilt.
You may have noticed that some of my quilts are typically on the feminine side – so this design is truly a challenge for me! Choosing the fabrics is also tricky… but I’m always up for a challenge so it’s game on!! I’m also challenging myself to use fabric from my stash… so I went and pulled some fabrics for color inspiration…
Originally I was going with warm tones… yellow/gold/orange/burgundy and some whites, grays and blacks (of course!) Then the more I thought about it, I wasn’t sure I could stay on one side of the color wheel!
Don’t get me wrong… I love quilts that make use of limited colors, but I just don’t like to box myself in… So I went back for more fabric… I know you understand lol.
If you look at the fabrics I pulled (above) you’ll notice they read as solids. For my quilt I’m primarily sticking with this idea. I will try to avoid any large-print multi-color fabrics that will compete with the pattern I’m creating with color.
Now with that said – I am not limiting myself to these fabrics you see… This is just inspiration to get us going – so pull some fabric and keep them handy to refer to as we move along. In any colorway of your choice… Make sense? Yes!
When I was planning the QAL I happened to be looking through my gratitude journal and It has some great inspirational quotes that are going to help me express myself in this quilt so I’m excited about that… I was going to share some with you… but I think I’ll wait to let it unfold organically the way it should.
Thank you to everyone who has already signed up sight unseen! I appreciate your confidence in me and I’m super excited for this quilt!!!
Here are some FAQ to get us going…
What Can I expect after signing up?
After sign up you will be added to the monthly email list. Each month (on the last day of the month) you will receive an email with the new chapter’s pattern. Be sure to carefully check your email for accuracy when you sign up. The first Pattern will be emailed on January 31, 2020 and the last pattern will be emailed on the last day of November 2020. That means I will double up on a month so we can be on track to finish our final chapter (#12) for November.Can I sign up anytime?
Yes, if you sign up after January, You will receive your email with the patterns to date and any remaining patterns will then come monthly. If you sign up after the quilt is complete (after the qal is over) you will receive the entire pattern at once.Will I be charged Monthly?
No, the sign up fee is a one time charge that covers the entire series from start to finish and you can sign up any time, it will not expire.How will patterns be delivered?
As a printable PDF via the email you provide when you sign up.Will every block be different?
There are a lot of different blocks, but in this design, there are also a lot of blocks that will repeat throughout the quilt to get the row effect. There might be four identical 6″ blocks that come together to make one larger 12″ block…. or several identical blocks to make a row design… you follow?How much fabric will I need?
Good Question! This quilt is intended to be scrappy, so (as usual) I will not be posting a fabric list. I am working from my stash on a month by month basis. The blocks are small so little bits from your stash will work on most blocks. You will need a few larger pieces for the text blocks but don’t sweat it, they will be manageable sizes. If you don’t have a stash a fat quarter bundle is a great place to start.Do I have to use your text? Or any text at all?
No, I will provide you with my text to use if you like it ~ and the entire alphabet (in reverse for applique) so your quilt can say what’s on your mind! This is Your Quilt, do what makes you happy!Will you be posting progress?
Yes, I’ll post complete pictures monthly on my blog with my progress.How else can we follow?
I will post progress on instagram @ rebeccamaedesigns using #dearsonquilt. And also on the rebeccamaedesigns facebook page.What if I have questions?
You can ask questions through the facebook page (above) or on instagram (by commenting on my photos or tagging me on yours) or in the comment section of the website. If you ask in the website comments section, I will answer there so everyone can benefit so please check back.What type of applique will be used for the text?
I am using double sided fusible to applique most of the text, specifically steam a seam lite by the Warm Company.What other piecing methods will be used?
We will be mostly sewing straight piecing with a little bit of applique (other than the text).Do I have to have a son to participate?
Haha… of course not! This is your quilt! You can make it for the man in your life… or anyone really! Thanks for checking out this BOM! I”ll be back soon with Dear Son, Chapter 1!
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Will there be a final pattern sent out? Or do we need to print out every month? I’m a pattern collector
Hi Cherrie, Each month I will update the pattern. At the end of the year you will have the entire pattern. Hope this makes sense! :)