Just like Dino Tracks and Summer Glow, Sailor Girl was created in partnership with Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. When they asked me to write a quilt pattern for the Sailor Mary fabric collection, I was immediately smitten. The fabrics, created by Carolyn Suzuki, reminisce old sailor tattoos with feminine flair. I immediately thought about how easy it is to get turned around on the water, and how you could go in any direction you pleased. With that idea in mind, I created a pattern of modern arrows.
I enjoyed using this fabric collection, which was a treasure hunt for the eyes. Because of how this quilt is constructed, non-directional prints work best. If you don’t mind which direction your prints face, then feel free to use whatever you fancy!
For the quilting, I chose to use one of the decorative stitches on my Janome, stitch #096, which creates a wavy line. It reminded me of waves on the water. I quilted it with Aurifil 50 wt thread in #2024.
The quilt is hand bound with big stitches. You can find the tutorial for this type of hand binding here. I backed my Sailor Girl quilt in PBS Fabrics’ Cotton Sateen which is so soft and drapes so well. I’m looking forward to washing this quilt, I have a feeling it will make it that much softer and cozier. Plus, all that quilting will crinkle up nicely!
Sailor Girl finishes at the generous throw size of 60″ x 72″, but would be easy to scale up or down by making more blocks. I really love how this quilt turned out, and I already have another bundle set aside to make a second one! See all versions of this quilt on Instagram under #sailorgirlquilt and be sure to use the hashtag when making your own!
Hi there,
I just subscribed and downloaded your Sailor Girl pattern. It is not only cute as can be, but so cleverly constructed. I love to find a pattern that is efficient to make and yet looks so great. Congratulations!
Marjorie
Thank you so much!