Remember those fun camping vacations? I mean the really fun ones when the bear got into the food, you caught the biggest fish ever, and your dog chased a skunk. All those memories can become part of your quilt with these great patterns.
One of our most popular sets, this grouping will make any nature-lover happy.
It includes: Backwoods Moose Quilt, Backwoods 11” Pictogram, Ponderosa Pinecone 4.5” border. Although I didn’t quilt the border with the little Pinecone, but I think it would be a very useful pattern in this set if you wanted to add another border, etc.
Hike through the Pines of this woodsy quilt to enjoy glimpses of your favorite Backwoods scenes. If you’d like you can see a video of this quilt. https://youtu.be/nkpTKH8Qcro
Finished top: 60″ x 74″ (55″x 69″ option).
I started making a blue and gray version of this quit but never finished it. I do like the gray and brown boulders.
This pattern is 11″ wide & 12′ long with no repeats.
The distinctive feature of a Pictogram is that it’s a pantograph with NO repeats. It’s a complete 12′ roll comprised of 4 panels of 3′ each, all “hooked” together. I’ve added a dotted line at each 36″ section. While they can be stacked up as shown in the picture, they can also be quilted like an E2E or B2B giving lots of pictorial subject matter to your quilt.
To avoid placing an animal or image on top of itself all the way down the quilt I recommend starting at a different 36″ division for each “pass.” After starting, continue quilting through as many sections as needed for that row. You won’t have to stop – the line is continuous. For a full sized quilt I might make 7-8 rows, starting at various sections of the panto.
“Backwoods” includes the following designs: Horned Owl, Bobcat, Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Elk Buck, Wolf, Moose (2), Black Bear & cub, Grizzly Bear, Mink, Mountain Lion (Cougar), Mule Deer and Fawn, Fleeing White Tail, White-Tailed Deer & Doe, Pine Trees, Quaking Aspen, Spruce, and Wild Raspberries. Here’s a video showing this pattern unrolled. https://youtu.be/tfL4mPWbosc
Jodi Damman has shared pictures of some quilts she has made with this pattern.
How do you decorate for the Holidays? Do you have a Christmas Quilt in the master bedroom? Is your family room festooned with strings of apples and garlands of holly? Or perhaps you’ll be skiing for the Holidays at your mountain cabin decorated with homespun plaid and flannelette quilts? If so you might want to snuggle-up with a cozy throw in front of the fireplace or display a quilt proudly over the railing on the balcony. Enjoy these super savings as you plan your beautiful rooms.
Fish Tales 3 1/2″ and Fish Bait 2 1/2″ sashing/border patterns. And for a great deal on this and coordinating patterns check out the Big Campout Set for 20% OFF. See it stitched on the edge of the Backwoods Pine Quilt. OR buy the quilt pattern and all it’s stitching as the Backwoods Pine Set for 20% OFF.
Did your Dad take the family on fishing trips when you were a kid? Being from Minnesota, my Dad was a big fan of boating and fishing. Truthfully, there’s no better way to eat fresh fish than cooked over a campfire.
We all want to make those special quilts for the men we know – but there’s always the dilemma of how to quilt them. Worry no more! Here’s a big selection of man-friendly patterns. Stock up while they’re on sale THIS MONTH!Hooray!
Modern Skylines 11″ Interlocking My Dad took took us on a Kiwanis Convention to New York City.
Backwoods 11″ Pictogram One son loves hiking up into the Backwoods.
Campout 11″ Pictogram My Dad always took us Camping every summer! My son-in-law takes the family camping in their “pop-up.” Another takes his family camping at the lake.
Fish Tales 3.5″ w Fish Bait Dad was from Minnesota and loved sitting in a boat all day fishing.
Who is a Father in your life? Is it your own distinguished Father? He might enjoy a lap-quilt for his recliner.
Is it your husband – the strongman who lifts things for you. He’s the one who reaches the high shelves and the one who checks the oil in your car. He might like a new quilt for the yacht or your family vacation cabin.
Or is it your collegiate son or the fun-loving guy who has made your daughter the luckiest girl in the world. They’d like rugged quilts for backpacking or camping with the kids!
Pictorial patterns offer an additional focus. They provide a secret ingredient to the quilt. Visible only as the viewer steps closer “for a better look.”
Large whole cloth patterns that unfold or unroll were the originals in this area. They often contain flowery medallions or subject specific motifs or even figures (eg. angels) that are to be centered on the quilt. Generally custom work surrounds the central motif. They give a large image for focus and are generally used on solid fabric quilts, hence the term “Whole Cloth.”
But what about the name “Pictogram?” What we designed weren’t simple repeating Pantos! So what were they? As I researched for a name I noticed “pantographs,” as quilters knew them, weren’t the device that architects had used for a couple of centuries. However, the longarm machine did have close similarities to that original wooden device. So, I explored other terms related to the reproduction of pictures. In doing so I began looking at other techniques, even cave drawings. You’ll recall how many cave paintings depicted a whole story, the riders, the buffalo, the arrows, etc. It was there I came upon the term Pictogram. Should that be our choice for a name? I even polled my customers and friends and finally decided upon this, a new to quilting, term — Pictogram.
Angela developed a pseudo-interlocking format for this new category that we called Pictograms. Although they were pictorial and “non-repeating,” and told a story as it were, they were still in roll format for easy handling. They weren’t the large, cumbersome whole-cloth patterns which had to be unfolded and traced onto the quilt. These could be unfurled down the length of the table on the longarm machine and traced with the laser light or stylus. The stitching could travel in a “continuous-line” across the whole quilt. These are patterns which paint a mural across the “canvas” of the quilt.
Quilts can be “Memory Filled.”
Pictorial patterns carry the viewer with them to the South Seas, or to the Farm or swimming with the Penguins. They can remind us of our vacations around the world or of a weekend skiing.
When I was a child, our family built a desert cabin in the high desert of California. The boulders of Rattlesnake Hill were my playground. Later as a college student I went with friends to explore rock formations of several western states. I was at home on the desert rocks. Recently when someone suggested I do a Southwest pattern I leaped right in. It was fun remembering climbing on boulders, feeling the wind and chasing the jackrabbits. Of course, there were plenty of giant Joshua trees and snakes, too. The adventure turned my thoughts to the fun times of my childhood. I drew all those memories into my “Southwest Vistas” pattern. “Campout” and “Backwoods” are two other patterns that take me back to those happy-go-lucky days. Didn’t you ever go camping as a child? Did your Dad make you sit in the boat for hours to catch fish? With book in hand, it seemed like forever. That was tedious, but it’s fun to remember now. Re-discover such memories when you stitch pictorial patterns on your quilt!
When you care enough to send the best, give your gifts added appeal.
Theme specific patterns are great for gifts. They make it more fun for children, husbands and special friends with whom we have shared experiences.
A few years ago I made quilts for several of my Grandchildren. The piecing was of a variety of methods; Stack n’ Whack with tigers, Peaky and Spike fish in bright colors, and traditional 30’s Cat’s Cradle blocks with Prairie Points. They were fun piecing and as I sewed I planned how each would be quilted with Pictograms. The fish quilts were covered with the tropical fish of “Fishy Business;” the spinning tigers with “Jungle” foliage and animals; and the cat’s cradle with “Kitty Cats” playing through the maze and highly visible in the setting squares of the piecing. When these quilts arrived at my Grandchildren’s homes, they were gleefully spread across the floor where the children lay playing, “I spy,” with the stitching. The quilts are equally interesting when Mom makes the beds with the back side up, so they can enjoy the stitching to its fullest effect. (Wear n’ tear is lessened too!) I had achieved my goal. My quilts and gifts of love were truly loved in return.
Although this type of machine quilting is ideal for children, it is not only for the young. All of us enjoy memories such stitching designs can bring. Pet lovers will love images of their pets stitched over a quilt. We can remember New Orleans with images of the “French Quarter.” Nautical designs bring our thoughts back to summers at the seaside, while cherries carry the remembered fragrance of summer orchards. Pumpkins and pinecones, jungle bells and wedding bells, all have a place in our specialty, and sometimes even prize-winning, quilts! Helen Baczynski’s first-place quilt “Turning Twenty Again on Halloween,” was quilted with a Pictogram –“Pumpkin Patch.”
While my husband was in the military, we lived in Southeast Asia and made many friends there. A few years ago when my husband went back to visit, a friend sent me some beautiful presents. I wondered, “How could I ever send something that would be cherished?” Then I hit upon the idea of making a special quilt. I have some puppets from Indonesia – Wayang Golek (wooden puppets) and decided to draw them and the story they portray, the Ramayana, into the design. As I sat at my drawing table I remembered our home in Malaysia; the sights and smells of the marketplace, the monkeys that sat on our shoulders in the parks and the wonderful friends I had there. Making the quilt and the pattern became a gift not only to my friend, but to me as well. The next year this pattern was very creatively used by Bonnie Bosma to quilt an amazing batik vest, “Indonesian Inspiration.”
Last year another friend told me of a touching experience with her quilt guild. The National Guard from their hometown was being deployed to Iraq. Of course, they wanted to send quilts with them. After asking permission, they were told the quilts would need to be “sand-colored” and of a specific size. Unable to decorate with vibrant colors, many of the members quilted up their sandy quilts with my “America’s Pride Pictogram.” I was thrilled to imagine images of the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln as well as other symbols of the Land of Liberty warming these brave soldiers with memories of home.
How about the man in your life.? He might feel a quilt was definitely made with him in mind when the pieces are laced together with images of “manly” interests like golfing, camping, hunting, fishing, dragons or cars. My son loves cars! Not a day went by that he was not telling me this and that about driving systems, historic models, etc., sharing his interest with me. One day the pictures he was showing me, clicked. I started drawing cars, all the time thinking of him. I should call it my “Joe” pattern. Those “Classic Cars” became another prize-winning quilt for Helen Baczynski, “Sunday Drivers in the Land of OZ”
When a car lover receives a quilt like this, he knows it was made for him!
Expanding your theme adds new dimension.
These days quilting Pantographs and Pictograms are available in so many varieties that they needn’t be relegated to the edge-to-edge category. A myriad of borders, sashings, blocks, etc. open the door to amazing framed Theme Quilts. With a Pictogram or medallion in the center, compatible border designs can parade around a quilt to create a well unified masterpiece.
Recently, I wanted to make a special quilt with New England in mind. I always think of the Nor’easters that plague that part of the country as being typical. They seem somehow romantic! (Really, wouldn’t it be great to be snowed-in so you had nothing to do but quilt? No electricity? That’s why I keep my old treadle sewing machine!) So, I drew a “Nor’easter” pattern with frothy seas, boats and docks and even a one-horse sleigh braving the storm. It was fun looking at lighthouses and a friend in New England told me Portland light was the proper icon.
Angela quilted all this over a bargello sea topped with crashing white waves. The quilt would need borders too, so she stitched whales swimming around the inner border and a “Salty Seas” rope with lobsters, anchors and lanterns encircling all, in the quilt’s outer border.
Planning a Theme quilt is challenging, creative, and fun. Patterns must be chosen that compliment each other and carry out the theme. There are plenty of these available. You may find one piece of your master plan on one website and the next on another. Feel free to mix and match! (Shopping, yippee!) Yes, there are adjustments to be made. Pieces of the pattern might have to be omitted or added to enable it to fit your quilt. Borders must be centered and sometimes motifs must be separated out of a pattern to be used in a corner block.
Does it all have to be a “Theme?”
Suppose your quilt top is made up of Log Cabin blocks or any of a thousand standard block designs, Well, Decorate the Quilt you have with unique Pictogram stitching.
I don’t mean to infer that all these ideas should be only stitched over solid “Whole Cloth.” I love placing amazing stitching over interesting and theme-specific pieced fabrics. I can’t give up that part of my quilting fun. I just add another layer of interest.
Yes, one must be creative and skillful. But the end result can be amazing. The more effort you put into it, the greater the satisfaction!
When my quilts are completed I re-open them to enjoy the designs over and over. Don’t you love looking at something you’ve made, again and again? ( I hope I’m not the only one who goes back and unfolds a quilt, just to enjoy the finished masterpiece once more.)
Explore the world of patterns, and I hope you’ll agree that using them can be creative and interesting. It’s fun quilting motifs that pop out to decorate and enhance. You can expand from the ease of edge-to-edge into the fascinating assortment of non-repeating patterns and theme quilts. As for feeling comfortable on the other side of the machine—It just takes a little practice!
So oil up that machine, and add another layer of interest to your quilts.
Several years ago I wanted to draw some dog patterns so I sent out a request for dog pictures. Wow! I got some of the cutest pictures. Of course everyone loves their dogs and I could see why. You can spot “Lady” in my Dogpatch Quilt.
Anyway, I drew up separate blocks of the dogs and then the “Dawgs” Pictogram (A non-repeating pantograph 12′ long)
. Eventually I pieced the Dogpatch quilt using both patterns with their fun dog-bones sashing. Angela Meadows (my business partner and founder of MeadowLyon) quilted it and I painted in the dog faces everywhere they went over a white triangle.
I remember I had it spread out on our pool table in the basement with plastic trash bags draped over it to protect the rest of the quilt. (I was terribly afraid of ruining it!) My high school son came down, stood still a minute, and said, “Mom! You can paint!” Yep! But I hadn’t had time for that pleasure with 8 kids.
The first show I took it to was MQX in New Hampshire. As I was setting up, the photographer, Jeffrey Lomika, came rushing over. “I was photographing the quilts in the exhibit and looking through the lens, all of a sudden I saw Norman!!” Yes, his dog was in that quilt – the cutest little wire haired terrier ever. Look closely, maybe you can spot him. He was so cute, I used his face two or three times!
Do you remember I promised you a tutorial on inserting round patches into T-shirt Quilts. It’s Here: Making circular insets in T-shirt Quilts. You might also want to re-visit the Blog about T-shirt Quilts.
FINALLY, Don’t miss the SANTA BLOWOUT SALE NEXT MONTH
I always enjoy reading the top 10 lists that start appearing at this time of year. My family and I also always write a few of our own, remembering the best and worst experiences of the past year.
In that spirit of year-end reflection, I thought I should list MeadowLyon’s top 10 best and worst selling patterns of 2015.
Our best selling patterns are also 10% off this January. If you don’t have these yet, you will surely use them, so why not get them now?
1-Star Banner It is not hard to see why this one is so popular! All those waving stars and stripes- I love it!
2- PsychedelicThis pattern is so popular it is hard to keep it in stock. Go ahead and order it if you like it, I’ll be getting more soon.
3- Backwoods A cozy backwoods quilt, a country cabin, and a roaring fire- I guess I am not the only one who thinks that is the perfect combination.
4-Funny Bones Yes, quilters do have a sense of humor!
5- Ponderosa Pine Spray One of my favorites too! It looks great with everything!
6- Spinning Kokopelli This one is so much fun, it’s no wonder so many people love it.
7-Cloudy Skies This pattern is so easy and all-purpose!
8- Modern Squares I love seeing the modern masterpieces quilters create with this pattern.
9- Flowerburst This one is featured as the background of our website design. It is also available as a 15″ pattern and a PDF.
10- Maori Moko Maori Moko is such a lovely pattern, it is no wonder that it is always a favorite. It is available in multiple versions to fit any quilt design.
Of course even our “worst” patterns are still pretty amazing, they just may not appeal to as broad a range of quilters. Maybe our 30% off sale for these patterns will help them find just the right home and get them off this list for 2016!
1- Indonesian Puppets If you love Indonesian Puppets, you will love this pattern. Maybe more people should love Indonesian Puppets.
2- Didgeridoo If the Didgeridoo was just included in more orchestral scores or used in just a few rock bands I am sure this pattern would be much more popular.
3- Mayan Glyphs Any of you have any Mayan friends? I bet they would love this pattern!
4- Fleur-de-Lis Spread the word, the fleur-de-lis is not just for Boy Scouts! (What, you mean I was the only one that did not know that?)
5- Bengali Mosaic I am sure there is someone out there looking for just this pattern. If you meet them, please let them know it is here and on sale this month!
6- Ski Slopes Maybe not many quilters like to ski?
7- Egyptian Papyrus These pretty, modern, and stylistic flowers would work for so many designs, not just in an Egyptian themed quilt.
8- Geisha Gardens Doesn’t everybody need at least one Geisha quilt?
9- O Canada It’s pretty chilly up there in Canada and I bet they need a lot of quilts. This should be a perfect combination.
10- Interlocking Anastasia This one is so lovely, I think it just must be overlooked. You won’t pass it over, will you?
Now in an easy to use 12″x 12″ book format, featuring 12 full size stitching medallions and Lewis and Clark Trails Quilt instructions.
Special introductory price of $19 (regular price $22) This May marks the 211th anniversary of the “Corps of Discovery” Expedition. Celebrate by following along the Lewis and Clark Trail with these patterns!
MeadowLyon Pictograms pack tons of story into your stitching! Get used to hearing “I didn’t even notice that before!” and seeing their smiles every time they find something new in your quilt.
I love this pattern! Doesn’t it spark memories of our favorite camping disasters? Sister is moments away from getting sprayed by a skunk, bears have helped themselves to the food (hung from the tree to keep them safe of course), Mom is going to get quite a surprise as she rows right up to a swimming moose, Dad is inches away from a bee sting, snakes slither and poison ivy abounds! Does this sound like any of your camping trips?
My family just took an overnight camping trip to Roman Nose State Park in Oklahoma. We are definitely not experts! (Confession: we always watch a movie on a tablet in our tent at night.) This time, our near disaster was having a cooler full of food, four hungry kids and then realizing at dinner time that the firewood we brought had the words “not for cooking” on the bag! Luckily, Dad, our hero, saved the day by hunting down some wood from a farm nearby (what happened to the days when the woods were actually filled with wood you could use?) We were happily chomping on s’mores by dusk. What kind of camping disasters have you had? I would love to read about them! Tell your story in the comments section below!
Each animal and plant in this pictogram has been realistically and accurately depicted in this beautiful nature scene. It is such a lovely work of art that it is shocking to remember it is all made from one continuous line! This popular pattern is a favorite among outdoorsmen (and women).
I love the fern rich undergrowth of the Northern Pacific Forests. Maybe I expect a leprechaun or two. What I know I will find is pine scented scenery filled with salmon, bears, eagles, elk, wolves, foxes and even owls. What’s that? Do I hear a woodpecker knocking at that tree? There are even some Totem poles nestled in the forests.
If you love the Northwest, you’ll love this pattern.
Birchbark looks amazing quilted out and it hardly matters if you make a mistake, because it’s all wriggly anyway. It can be used as a Border or a vertical E2E. It comes with a 3” border of Canoes – birchbark of course.
This is a perfect companion to the Pacific Northwest Pictogram. The right borders and sashings really customize the look of your quilt. This set includes totem borders, totem sashings, Haida canoes, and an orca border.
Riverflow is a really easy pantograph for the quilts that need to be finished up in a hurry. Of course, it needs to be interesting to pass my test. I think this one does and I know it will become one of your “go to” patterns for a variety of projects!
Did your Dad take the family on fishing trips when you were a kid? Being from Minnesota, my Dad was a big fan of boating and fishing. Truthfully, there’s no better way to eat fresh fish than cooked over a campfire!
I remember one spring our family went to the Ozarks. We camped alongside a beautiful stream that was as clear as glass. It was a delight to walk out over the smooth stones and look straight down to the bottom. I hope you’ve had an experience like that too. If you haven’t, try an Ozark vacation!
Ponderosa Pine Spray 9″ is one of our most popular patterns. Whether you’re the out-doorsy type or filled with holiday thoughts, or recalling great family vacations, Pine boughs just about have to be part of the picture. You’ll find lots of uses for this pattern.
Owls are so popular right now. The little ones are cute bits of fluff. Our baby grandson’s carseat is newly covered with the cute little birds and so are fabrics and decorator items galore. Everyone just has to have owls!
You’ll have lots of fun with these 2 great images of Santa! This unique dual pattern gives you lots of variety and fun. Let them spin around the border of a special, woodsy Christmas quilt. I love the rustic backwoods look for the holidays.
Don’t you wish you could stay in the woods for Christmas? Sheltered in a cozy cabin with a roaring fire, while being “snowed in” high in the Sierras or the Alleghenys, has always been a romantic dream of mine.
BLOCK PATTERNS
We have a limited supply of these printed block pattern sets left. However, after they are gone you will still be able to purchase these patterns as PDF’s.
You’ll have lots of fun with these 2 great images of Santa! This unique dual pattern gives you lots of variety and fun. Let them spin around the border of a special, woodsy Christmas quilt. I love the rustic backwoods look for the holidays.
Don’t you wish you could stay in the woods for Christmas? Sheltered in a cozy cabin with a roaring fire, while being “snowed in” high in the Sierras or the Alleghenys, has always been a romantic dream of mine.
Northwoods Santa on his rustic sleigh speeds through the forest pulled by his holiday Moose (11″x 6′). Yosemite Santa on his sledge, is pulled by the local Bears (8″x 6′). Both Santas with their teams are separated into two 36″ panels making each span 6′ in length. You can extend the borders by adding another panel of animals. Fill up the center of your quilt with Christmasy “Potpourri” or “Ponderosa Pine Spray.” Buy it for 20% OFF in the RUSTIC CHRISTMAS SET!