Hunt Harriot Quilt and Hunt Acrylic Templates

I’m finally getting around to sharing more images of some of my newest projects! First up is my Hunt Harriot Quilt.

Have you had a project where you can’t wait to see it come together? My Hunt Harriot Quilt has totally been one of those for me.

I had the design in mind, and when I finally had all of my newest fabrics in hand I couldn’t wait to get everything cut and layed out. I just couldn’t wait to see what it would look like.

The cutting itself was really fun because you can figure out where in the fabric to cut your shapes. Not to play favorites, but the scallop print in the collection was especially enjoyable to strategize over. In cutting from different parts of the scallop or from different sides and colors of the stripe you can get variety not only in color but also in shape. Some of my favorite parts are where there’s a partial scallop. It makes the appliqué look like a totally new shape! What’s also neat is how it can give the appearance of making neighboring shapes join together if that’s something you’re into. (I definitely am.)

After cutting the pieces out, the layout itself was another engaging endeavor. I wanted to loosely group things by color and fabric, but I also liked the idea of playing with value (light/dark) and how that makes the shapes blend in and stand out from the background. Of course, I could totally see a project like this taking a very different layout direction with everything mixed up in different ways.

In terms of the appliqué itself, the shapes are really approachable if you’re new to the appliqué game, but still fun if you’re an experienced appliquér. Using wildly different colors can keep it engaging, and the repetition of the same shape also makes it nice for refining how to work with outside curves. This particular shape is great because there’s no extra clipping, which saves you a step as you go along.

After sampling the pattern, I quickly realized some acrylic templates would make the process much easier. The pattern includes a line drawing of the shape which you can transfer onto template plastic yourself, but for me, I wanted something sturdy and with some reference lines for if/when you want to line something up (like a plaid, etc).

Having the templates manufactured has been a great experience, and I hope anyone using them finds them to be helpful too!

Because there are many ways to appliqué, and because there are many things you can use the templates for, I decided to create a couple of different options. First is the 1/8″ seam allowance option, which is great for using the pattern as written. This version of the template is what I used to make the versions of Hunt that I’ve made so far.

But I know there are about a million ways to appliqué, and so I wanted to offer up an option for those possibilities too. I also have a NO seam allowance option, which is great for any raw-edge, fusible and/or wool appliqué (which I think would be lovely). The NO seam allowance option is also a good one for customizing a seam allowance by way of a seam wheel. Have you used one before? They’re pretty handy. Jen Kingwell has one, and I also found this handy set while doing a bit of research. (PS if you like sewing from Japanese pattern books or any other patterns that don’t include a seam allowance, this new tool set has been a game changer for me.)

I also have been playing around with using the seam-free option for embroidery, and I have goals of using it for a quilting guide too.

And finally, it made sense to me to group these two options into a set. I know that I plan to use both, and I figured others might want to do that as well.

There we go. A new pattern, some new templates and lots of possibilities.

pattern: Hunt Quilt Pattern

acrylic template(s): 1/8″ seam allowance, NO seam allowance, and Set options available

fabric(s): My Hunt Harriot Quilt is made with my Harriot fabrics (shipping in March).