Shabby chic is a warm aesthetic with a lot of versatility and a maximalist flair. It’s balance of cozy charm and vintage elegance. This shabby chic quilt design creates layers on layer of vintage favorites – florals, ginghams, ruffles and more, perfect to complete (or inspire!) the shabby chic bedroom of your dreams. Sew a beautiful quilt with our free pattern and tips below.
A shabby chic quilt that sets the tone for a soft and romantic atmosphere requires three things: a balance of pattern prints, a harmonious soft color palette and lots of texture.
Choosing Shabby Chic Fabric & Prints
Floral, gingham, scallops, poka dots, plaids, toile are just a few of the pattern combinations to look for when choosing fabric for a shabby chic aesthetic. I wouldn’t recommend using less than 5 fabrics for this look. Monochromatic prints are easiest to work with as there aren’t as many colors to match to.
Use a few solid prints to fill in any gaps in the color scheme. You may sense a “gap” in your scheme if it feels too high contrast. The Shabby Chic look is soft – create a group of colors that softly fade into one another. While it’s hard to be “too busy” in shabby chic aesthetic, adding solid prints creates blank areas to build rosettes on later. If you feel your quilt is too dark use solids to brighten areas.
Tip: This pattern is a great opportunity to use your scraps! Don’t be afraid to incorporate a few random fabrics if they fit the palette of your idea even if you don’t have a large amount.
Creating a Harmonious Soft Palette
Though shabby chic look is often seen in a very light earth tones, it doesn’t mean the quilt has to be all creams and browns. Muted colors, pastels and even deep dusty colors are within shabby chic color realm. Lavender, light pinks and corals, sage greens and pastel blues are all colors that suit a the french country feel.
Almost always, shabby chic bedrooms incorporate white repetitivly. Because shabby chic pieces (whether furniture or a quilt) are a bit busy the excess amount of white in the space keeps everything from feeling overwhelming.
Below are a few ideas color ideas to explore in this pattern:
Texture
The patchwork alone adds lot of texture but adding more detail to this quilt is key to making the colors look harmonious. In this pattern, use a combination of machine quilting, hand quilting and raw edges for a completed look.
Quilting
The machine quilting used is a meandering technique.
In addition to the machine quilting you’ll notice there are also many hand sewn details. At random choose a number of rosettes to outline or embellish with hand stitches for a custom additional detail. I incorperated a thread that had a sheen to it for contrast and variety that is seen with a shabby chic bedroom. Remember, worn items and imperfect items are key focal points in shabby chic decor.
Raw edges
True shabby chic blends used and new together. To create another layer of dimensions this quilt design features appliqué rosettes. The rosettes are grouped in arrangements of 1-4, all adding more variety and texture to the design.
Cutting Fabric:
This is a king sized design but can be adjusted for smaller sizes. Each square should be cut at 10.5 inches by 10.5 inches. The larger squares gives it a country, informal feel and the floral balances the look.
Do not cut an even number of each squares from your fabric chocies! In order to get a “random” look choose one of the fabrics to dominate the quilt. White, cream or a lighter option will lend itself to the shabby chic vibe best. Aim for a roughly one third to little less than half of the quilt be that fabric. Divide up the rest of your fabrics in random quantities as you see fit – all totaling 100 squares. Don’t overcomplicate it!
Sewing the Quilt:
Chain piece the quilt together. Do not worry if some of the same fabrics prints touch in your design. Once the quilt is pieced, learn how to sew the appliqué on using the link below or clicking here. Sew the rosettes on following the grid pattern below – save your eyes and print this diagram. Feel free to add you own additional roses if you see fit.
Tip: Use your scraps to create roses! The trick to using a few one off scraps in the quilt is make sure they are incorporated well. Only use scraps that match and layer them with the existing quilt fabrics, don’t let them stand alone.
Quilting:
Quilt the quilt using your favorite machine quilting and sew a binding using the method of your choosing. To finish, bind your quilt in corresponding print.
In the end, this quilt becomes more than stitches and carefully measured blocks. Whether this quilt becomes folded at the foot of your bed or on the backs of the shoulders of someone you love this quilt is sure to come alive with all the patience, joy and intention you gave it.
One response to “Shabby Chic Rosette Quilt: Free Pattern and Templates”
This quilt is so fun! I have quilting a few blankets this year on my goals list. I love this inspiration.