Beverly's French Braid Quilt
There are some quilt patterns out there that just defy explanation. You know the ones, where you see them and instantly know that they are way too hard for you to even attempt to try. But then you look closer and see that the construction of the block is actually simpler than you first imagined. Beverly’s French Braid quilt is one of those quilts. Look at how amazing this quilt top looks!
It is intricate and appears to contain loads of y seams and other challenging piecing techniques. I suspect, though, there is a trick to creating this that makes it easier than it seems. Beverly still did an amazing job with this quilt.
I love the fabric choices she made with this as well. The sharp contrast between the colors make the piecing stand out. You can really see where the name “French Braid” comes from. The gray, black, and gold are striking together, but the addition of the hot pink just really pops. Beverly has effectively alternated the gray and a black as well as the gold and a different black. In contrast, the pink fabric lines up giving us some striking chevrons across the quilt top. Beverly then framed the quilt with a border of blue fabric.
For the backing fabric, Beverly found inspiration in the many floral and leafy prints in her quilt's top. She loved this luscious fabric from Michael Miller called Vine Maze in black and white. I think she also fell in love with how soft and silky this fabric is. It's perfect for snuggling under!
She had me quilt this with the IntelliQuilter computerized quilting system with a design called Square Spiral. The Square Spiral is a super popular design with my quilting customers. It adds a lot of texture to a quilt without adding an additional theme or design that can fight with a quilt top. But don’t let the name fool you, it is not made of straight lines. There are a whole lot of curves in this pattern which can add some movement to a quilt top with a lot of straight lines. It was a great choice for this show stopper!
Beverly’s French Braid quilt can definitely serve to inspire a few quilts. What top are you imagining that could use a pop of hot pink? Or maybe that french braid design would make an amazing border in that other quilt? What quilt top do you have that would be fantastic with the Square Spiral quilting design on top? When you are done with them, just remember where you saw it first, Beverly’s French Braid.
It is intricate and appears to contain loads of y seams and other challenging piecing techniques. I suspect, though, there is a trick to creating this that makes it easier than it seems. Beverly still did an amazing job with this quilt.
Fabric Choices for Beverly's French Braid
I love the fabric choices she made with this as well. The sharp contrast between the colors make the piecing stand out. You can really see where the name “French Braid” comes from. The gray, black, and gold are striking together, but the addition of the hot pink just really pops. Beverly has effectively alternated the gray and a black as well as the gold and a different black. In contrast, the pink fabric lines up giving us some striking chevrons across the quilt top. Beverly then framed the quilt with a border of blue fabric.
For the backing fabric, Beverly found inspiration in the many floral and leafy prints in her quilt's top. She loved this luscious fabric from Michael Miller called Vine Maze in black and white. I think she also fell in love with how soft and silky this fabric is. It's perfect for snuggling under!
Quilting Choices for Beverly's French Braid
She had me quilt this with the IntelliQuilter computerized quilting system with a design called Square Spiral. The Square Spiral is a super popular design with my quilting customers. It adds a lot of texture to a quilt without adding an additional theme or design that can fight with a quilt top. But don’t let the name fool you, it is not made of straight lines. There are a whole lot of curves in this pattern which can add some movement to a quilt top with a lot of straight lines. It was a great choice for this show stopper!
Beverly’s French Braid quilt can definitely serve to inspire a few quilts. What top are you imagining that could use a pop of hot pink? Or maybe that french braid design would make an amazing border in that other quilt? What quilt top do you have that would be fantastic with the Square Spiral quilting design on top? When you are done with them, just remember where you saw it first, Beverly’s French Braid.
I’m Angela- Co-host of the Fons & Porter’s Love of Quilting PBS show. APQS Long arm Dealer and Educator. Triplet Momma. Designer. Thread Bimbo.
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