Buckeye Bloom is Here
It is with so much joy and excitement that I share my
debut pattern, the Buckeye Bloom quilt!
About the Design
My favorite quilt designs are those that marry heritage and modernity through the use of traditional blocks and contemporary, playful colors and patterns. For Buckeye Bloom I chose two quintessential blocks, the Ohio star and the diamond in square (sometimes classified as an economy block). The Ohio star is rooted in the abolitionist history of Oberlin College in the town of Oberlin, Ohio. Serendipitously, it's also evocative of the twinleaf flower, a darling eight-petaled wildflower native to Ohio. This is paired with a classic nine patch block featuring a diamond in square which recalls an Ohio icon, the buckeye nut. As a girl from Ohio and a floral fanatic, it only felt right to highlight these elements in my first quilt design.
Why a Charm Pack
The inspiration for Buckeye Bloom began in 2024 when I attended my first QuiltCon. I had written a blog post about quick quilted jackets during my time as a Spoonflower ambassador, and it continued to be one of Spoonflower’s top performing blog posts. They asked to display my jackets in the booth and kindly invited me to attend. My time in the Spoonflower booth was so much fun as I chatted with attendees, answered questions about my jackets, and helped with some of the Spoonflower make and take projects.
Naturally I couldn’t leave QuiltCon without a few goodies, including a Meadow Star charm pack designed by Alexia Marcel Abegg. I am not exaggerating when I say Meadow Star is one of my all time favorite fabric collections. It's got pink, it’s got florals, it's got vintage vibes…it truly is an exceptional surface design collection.
The thing about charm packs is that they’re really fun to buy–they’re cute, they contain a variety of prints and colors, and at $10-12 a pack they’re pretty inexpensive (compared to say, a fat quarter bundle) for a little bit of lots of designs. Even with a limited budget, there’s a sense of abundance when you walk away with a charm pack or two.
While there’s a lot of versatility with charm packs, I soon realized that they can also be quite limiting. Frankly, there’s just not a lot of fabric, and if there’s limited availability like some design collections out there, it can be difficult to get your hands on supplemental charm packs to add to older ones already in your stash. As I explored potential projects and patterns for my beloved Meadow Star charm pack, I struggled to find options that 1) resonated with my aesthetic, 2) worked with one charm pack, and 3) made a quilt. I began to experiment with different ways to arrange forty-two 5” squares to produce a design that was cohesive, intentional, and most importantly, a useful size.
Buckeye Bloom is my answer to the treasured charm packs or prized fabric scraps languishing in our fabric collections. With some supplemental fabrics, those special charm packs get off the shelf and into beautiful quilts.
Quilt Size
Because Buckeye Bloom is designed around a singular charm pack the pattern comes in one size, a 58”x58” throw/lap quilt. I find that this is a great all purpose blanket size, perfect for snuggling on the couch or taking on road trips, and works great for kiddos as well. I also constrained the size of the quilt for ease of quilting. For those that might be new to quilting on a home sewing machine, larger quilts can be quite cumbersome to maneuver. Buckeye Bloom balances functionality and ease of quilting for makers of all skill levels.
However if you find yourself with an extra charm pack or are clearing out your fabric scraps, Buckeye Bloom can easily be scaled up. Included in the pattern are charts detailing the number of fabric pieces per block so you know exactly how many additional pieces you need for your expanded layout. Don’t forget to adjust the backing, batting, and binding to fit your custom sized quilt top!
Pattern Features
It was important to me that the pattern document itself was equally beautiful and functional. Not only do the instructions need to be clear, but page layouts and illustrations should be visually engaging and easy to navigate. You’ll notice that margins and spacing is generous throughout the document. Lack of visual differentiation can lead to confusion and confusion can lead to mistakes. It’s so disappointing to work on a project only to be slowed down by crowded formatting! Whether you prefer written or visual instructions, you’ll find it easy to navigate each section and it’s steps. Pattern illustrations are also optimized for various viewing methods, so no matter if you use a mobile device, computer, or print in black and white, you’ll be able to differentiate all of the pattern elements.
In the Buckeye Bloom pattern you’ll also find planning pages with space for notes, swatches, and a quilt mockup, Insight into the pattern creation, plenty of tips and terms for a smooth experience, and colorful illustrations. With thoughtful details, Buckeye Bloom is a fun and engaging sew no matter your experience level.
Fabric Requirements
Fabric Inspiration
I had a wonderful group of testers that sewed up the Buckeye Bloom quilt with their own unique perspectives. Click through to see their versions in the tester portfolio.
The pattern test for Buckeye Bloom was generously sponsored by one of my favorite fabric shops, Camberville Threads. They have a great collection of charm packs and other precuts, plus lots of coordinating yardage for your next Buckeye Bloom quilt!
And check out how Buckeye Bloom looks in these new and upcoming fabric collections below!
Thank you for all of the encouragement and support as I set out on this new venture! It has been so meaningful to have countless folks cheering me on through every step of the design process. I’ve already learned so much and I’m looking forward to sharing more designs with the world.
