Welsh and North Country Designs

I'm in love with the bold, geometric, seemingly random but still symmetrical designs found on traditional Welsh quilts. Quilts were often wholecloth, but some tops had added borders and some were pieced strippy style. Regardless of how the top was made, the patterns were generally arranged around a strong center motif, with several quilted borders repeated around. Favorite motifs included rosettes, paisleys, hearts, leaves, coins, and spirals. However, I've read that traditional Welsh quilts didn't include feathers. It seems every motif was echoed to help it stand out from the background quilting. Designs were not contained within the pieced structure, but were generally quilted outside the box. Many were finished with a narrow border all around and a knife edge, rather than an applied binding.

North Country quilts share some of those same design aspects but also had distinct differences. North Country quilters loved their feathers. Quilts were often pieced strippy style or with a center diamond and the quilting was contained within the piecing seamlines. North Country quilts were also finished with a knife edge.

During my design work (and play) with this design group, I tended to mix the two style together. I found it difficult to think outside the box, still wanting to place patterns within seamlines and I loved mixing the Welsh geometrics with my feathers.

Below is one example of Welsh influence on a strippy quilt, but with feathers rather than a large rosette, in the center. The leaves, paisleys, spirals, and Welsh Trail border finish the design plan.

I tried to stay true to many of the traditional patterns, but added some others, and then went off on my own when choosing how to put patterns together for the overall design. I hope you will enjoy that sense of freedom, too, as you design your own quilt.

Projects!

Many people have asked if I would be offering my Welsh and North Country patterns in sets. I had to think a bit about what the best way to group and present them might be.

Strippy style seems to be a good way to begin. The layout is simple, can be done on a pieced top or on wholecloth, and does not require a large number of patterns.

I've designed four patterns to get you started. The zip file will include a v7 Project which includes the full layout shown on the CAD, all of the patterns sized to fit, and a pdf with instructions for piecing and quilting.
If these projects prove to be popular, I will add more,

As always, there is a discount in pattern price when purchased in sets.
Please note that as I design, some small motifs, such as coins, spirals, roses, etc. may be repeated. Because pattern prices are reduced when sold as sets, I am not able to replace or refund money on duplicate patterns received.

Cable Twist Strippy

Welsh Trails Strippy Quilt

Diamond Cable and Feathers

North Country Cable and Crosshatch

Individual Patterns - Mix 'em Up!

I've had great fun mixing and matching individual patterns to create new designs. Look down the page to see the variety of patterns in the whole collection.

Patterns are laid out on this sample quilt in a somewhat typical Welsh style,
which ignores seam lines and lets the quilting speak for itself.

Medallions Centers

Frames are a good addition
to any central medallion.

Read about creating Medallion Centers and see more samples here:

Church Windows Border

Repeat the arches for a border, then fill the spaces with small motifs.

Suggested motifs to use in
the Church Windows

Instructions for creating a North Country Church Windows with Fill.

Border P2P Wedge

Wedges in repeat patterns along both sides of a border, create boxes which can be filled with small motifs.

Small Repeat Borders

Large, Long Borders

Welsh Trails, Tram Line Boxes, Tram Lines, and Boxes Borders.
Tram Lines are double quilted lines, sometimes used as mock seam lines
to separate one area from another on a wholecloth quilt.
Box patterns take the place of the seam lines one would find in a pieced top.
The long, bead line will work the same way.

Welsh Tram Lines Boxes for border

Sample of patterns to fill the boxes.

New pdf here with inspiration for Combining Patterns for a More Complete Design

Corner Patterns

Small Leaves with fill, plus
a plain one for you to add
the fill pattern of your choice.

Use Circular Array to create these multi-motif patterns.
In most cases, the leaf pattern will tie off each time, but is still a beautiful and useful pattern.

Large Leaves

Sample pattern ideas for combination borders

New pdf with inspiration on Combining Leaves with Other Motifs for Borders

Medium sized motifs

Small Heart Motifs

Large Heart with Curved Fill

Paisleys to be filled with the pattern of your choice.

Floral Motifs

Small Motifs

Coins and Spirals

Welsh Beehive Fill
cropped to fill a border

Fill Patterns designed specifically to stitch within hearts, leaves, paisleys, etc. without unnecessary retracing. Note, these are not background fills.

Filled Leaf sample

Filled Heart Sample

Filled Paisleys sample

Inspiration

Quilt layouts here are for inspiration. They were quick mock-ups and are not stitchable projects. Follow these guides or choose patterns that you love and
put them into a new design of your own. I can't wait to see how you use them !