Attic Windows - Design a Personal Quilt at Quilt University

My Attic Windows class at Quilt University is OPEN for registration. This class is a bit different from what you might expect.  Theme (or scenic) prints are great candidates for an Attic Windows quilt.  I will show you  how to explore a variety of window options to suit your fabric and how to design your own one-of-a-kind quilt. You will learn to select the supporting fabrics and sew traditional mitered windows with my fool-proof technique.

This is a 3-lesson class. It opens on March 16th and the classroom remains open  until April 21st. Be sure to check the Gallery of previous student work - some inspiring ideas!

I hope you will join me to design and make your own Attic Windows quilt.
Here's an excerpt from the first lesson. Why not try this exercise in your home and you will have a taste of where you will begin your design discoveries.

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An Attic Windows block is a quilter's representation of something in the real world, just as a traditional log cabin block is a quilter's representation of the placement of real logs to construct a building. In fact, it is not what we see.

We all have windows in our homes. For this first exercise, I'd like you to stand in front of a window (on the inside of your home); it can be any window but a bedroom window or kitchen window is the best height for this exercise. Stand right in the middle of the window, about 2 feet away and look straight ahead. Look around the window by just moving your eyes; don't move your head. What do you see? I'd like you to pay particular attention to the frames and sashes of your window. What do you see? Do you see a frame all around the window? Does it appear to be the same size on the top and bottom and right and left? Now look at the sashes . These are the wider wood pieces that are as wide as the depth of your walls. How many sashes can you see? Top and bottom and right and left? Compare that to the traditional Attic Windows block and you will see that the block has been greatly simplified from what a person really sees.

Now move to the right edge of the window, still about 2 feet away and look at the centre of the window. Don't move your head and look around with your eyes and see how different this view is from the first view. Move the left and repeat. Crouch down or sit on a chair in the middle, right side and left side and look again. Isn't it amazing how different the structure of the window looks depending on your point of view.