I was talking the other day about kinds of creative people. The first image that pops into your head is some sort of painter covered in splotchy acrylics and wearing an ear-to-ear grin. There are so many ways to be creative though. I am not a fan of messes and I like to have a plan before I start a project, even if it goes off the rails along the way. I think a concentrated frown and tidy piles of supplies are just as probable when describing a ‘maker’.

Overture is the pattern that I feel captures that notion best; the elements are abstract and all over, but at the same time, each shape feels like it’s exactly where it should be. Strange and satisfying, the perfect combo. In that vein, I’ve used Winterglow to create a quilt that shows off a winter that can be warm.

Winterglow is a fabric collection that’s the result of a collaboration between all the talented designers of Ruby Star Society. The result brings forth that image of sitting in a log cabin with a mug of hot cocoa, hidden in a blanket and watching scattered snowflakes that might melt as soon as they touch the ground. It reminds me of going to pick out a Christmas tree; standing outside in the absolutely frigid weather, covering my numb face in a colorful scarf and watching the family playfully debate and judge the evergreens on the most arbitrary points.

The first version of Overture I made was for my youngest (who, yeah, has the audacity to be taller than me already). It was all in different blues, his favorite color,  steered away from florals and focused on making it something I knew he’d use daily. After using such cool colors, I went the opposite direction, going for sharp primary colors that reminded me of a fresh box of colored pencils. Winterglow is a happy center I’d never considered: mixing the cool and the toasty to create the most authentic hibernal vibe.

On the technical side, Overture is as straightforward as it looks: traditionally pieced, straight line sewing; I promise you won’t find a single diagonal seam. I incorporated strip piecing which saves SO much time, and the pattern is 18 pages of lovely detailed graphics, concise instructions, and even a coloring page to help you visualize your own version of this quilt.

For this one, I went with throw size (70 x 70 in), though the pattern includes instructions for a bed size. I went with a binding that’s navy with a slightly light blue design on top.

For the quilting, I chose these flowery snowflakes because their curves serve as a really excellent contrast to the straight lines of Overture, not to mention it brings us back to the wonderful paradox of warm and cold: flowers and snowflakes. (My friend Kaitlyn did the quilting, perfect as always!)

Now, an Overture is a beginning of sorts, but I don’t see it as the start of everything. Rather, it’s the start of something. There are countless little beginnings in our days, and I find it incredibly refreshing, calming even, to know that you can have a new start anytime you like.

Happy quilting!

Mariana

You can find the Heart Bits Pattern in my shop.

Don’t forget to use the #heartbitsquilt and #sewmarianapatterns so I can see your progress in social media.