I have a confession to make. While designing the sample quilt for my newest charm square quilt pattern, I realized I have a love/hate relationship with Kaffe Fassett fabrics. I'm not alone in this. Most quilters either love these colorful, flamboyant and sometimes gaudy fabric prints, or they don't. I fall somewhere in between.
While I tend to really like the individual prints in the Kaffe Fassett fabric lines, throw them all together in a single quilt and I'm overwhelmed...its just too much for my taste. Having said all that however, I have made several quilts using Kaffe Fassett fabrics and loved them all. That's because I allowed plenty of negative space, using a neutral background to space out those loud prints and give the eye a place to rest.
My most recent charm square quilt pattern, Cascading Charms, is one such quilt. I used Kaffe Fassett charm squares, setting them off with a white background so they are toned down and don't clash with one another. By using both whole charm squares and rectangles made by cutting charm squares in half in the same block, each print has its own "space" to shine. This method works well for scraps too! Cascading Charms is the perfect pattern to use those scraps that don't necessarily go well together. As long as you have 5 inch squares in your scrap pile, this pattern will work for you. The negative space between the focus fabrics and the sashing between the columns, allows a place to really showcase your quilting as well.
Cascading Charms is a great pattern for beginners because there are no seams to match. It goes together easily and is perfect for anytime you need a quilt completed quickly, or just want to relax and enjoy some quiet piecing time.
This pattern is now available as an PDF instant download here, as a printed pattern here.
Until next time, Happy Quilting!
