I've said this before and I'll say it again: One of my absolute favorite parts of making quilt patterns is seeing how different they can be when being made by someone else!
Norwegian Chain started out as a pretty graphic, two-tone quilt idea, inspired by bunad headscarves. But look at what these wonderful testers did with it. I’m still a bit blown away!
Andrea Jarvis (@quiltifact)
Andrea made the small throw size in the two-color version, but in a totally unique way. She used green scraps and combined them with vintage embroidered white tablecloths for the background. And she even fussy cut the embroidery motifs so they would fit perfectly into the different pieces of the pattern.
I just love this so much. It feels like such a full circle moment: Using embroidered materials in a quilt that's inspired by embroidery! It's a beautiful homage to the crafters before us.
Andrea says:
“The only tips I would share would be to starch any vintage linen to help with stability, and to cut a template of the block size you want to cut (or use your ruler with tape on it). Helps when auditioning lots of vintage tablecloths as you can immediately dismiss them based on whether the motif is the right size for the block.”
So smart. And so beautiful!
Dee Patton (@yallstitchedup)
Dee made the baby size in the two-color version. By coincidence, one of the fabrics she used is the same one I used in my five-color version: Ruby Star Society Starry small in multi. She also used Starry for the background, in the light blue that’s just a little bit warm.
This version feels very crisp and calm and graphic — and I think it would be perfect for a nursery in soft, muted colors.
Dee wrote this about her process, which I love:
“I had originally planned to make a B&W scrappy version, but ended up doing yardage again in the interest of time. Which only took me about 3 hours from start (cutting) to finish!”
Three hours from cutting to finished top is… not bad!
Kari Greenberg (@nordic.calico)
Kari is originally from Minnesota, and she now lives in Trondheim, Norway. She's a trained artist, which you can totally tell from this stunning quilt!
She made a bed size version as a colorwash in deep blues and vibrant greens, with pops of pink. The gradients run in opposite directions, so the whole quilt just feels full of movement and life. It almost doesn’t look like the same pattern anymore — in the best possible way.
As if that wasn’t enough, she also made a small throw in vibrant lime green, red and turquoise. Here she's captured in on a beautiful sunny day in Trondheim!
Little side note: Kari also longarmed my two sample quilts, and if you’re ever looking for a longarmer in Norway, I can’t recommend Nordic Calico enough. She does a wonderful job and is very easy (and lovely) to work with.
Madeline Jensen (@crinkly.and.cozy)
Madeline made the bed size in the five-color version, using a really beautiful palette of muted pink and moss green, together with a warm white.
The way she has played with lights and darks makes the whole quilt look almost woven. It’s soft and calm and very, very pretty — and such a nice example of how this pattern can look calm and quiet, too.
Vanessa Moon (@silvermoonquilts)
Vanessa made the baby size in the five-color version, and hers is just pure energy!
All the fabrics are from the Hello Alice collection by Sara Watts for Ruby Star Society, which features intense pinks paired with pops of red, a purple-ish blue and cream, with lots and lots of fun details. Vanessa says:
“All of my fabric came from Hello Alice by Sara Watts, Ruby Star Society. I got them for Christmas and thought it would be a perfect opportunity to use the panel.”
And that panel really does seem to be the perfect size for this quilt. The different background of the various panel pieces add another layer of interest to the pattern, and there are so many little details to look at. I discover something new every time I look at this photo.
I feel so super lucky to have had such creative and talented testers for this pattern. Thank you all for your time, your ideas, and your beautiful work! And go check out these talented quilters on Instagram if you haven't already – their handles are all found above!