Challenge Traditional Designs With Victoria Findlay Wolfe
Sewing With Nancy guest Victoria Findlay Wolfe has one foot in the midwest, in Minnesota, and the other in the hustle-and-bustle New York City. She ties her two lives together through her amazing quilts. The second episode of Double Wedding Ring Quilts is this week’s Sewing With Nancy online video feature. Watch the 30-minute TV show online.
Victoria Findlay Wolfe uses the Double Wedding Ring quilt pattern as a palette to tell her life stories. During this episode, watch and learn how to assemble all the pieces of a Double Wedding Ring design.
Victoria’s Quilt Showcase
Greatest Possible Trust
The featured photo is of Victoria’s quilt, Greatest Possible Trust. “If my grandmother and I were able to make a quilt together, this quilt—Greatest Possible Trust—is what it might look like,” explains Victoria. The design, a contemporary Double Wedding Ring, combines modern and traditional quilting and brings two worlds together. The quilt is also on the cover of her book, Double Wedding Ring Quilts.
Remembering Christmas Past
Remembering Christmas Past is filled with images from Victoria’s childhood. The concave square of the Double Wedding Ring design is the perfect palette to showcase memories using fabric. With this quilt as the backdrop, learn her secret to piecing this traditional design.
Retro Poly Mod
If you asked most quilters, “What’s your go-to quilting fabric?” My guess is that polyester double knit would NOT be the response. Yet, polyester knit is what Victoria chose for this quilt! The look is modern; the stretch in the fabric makes piecing curves a breeze, and the durability is second to none.
The inspiration for the above quilt, was a design created by Victoria’s grandmother Elda, again using polyester double knits.
Bright Lights Big City
One hundred and fifty fabrics make this scrappy quilt extremely lively. The Bright Lights Big City quilt vicariously tells the story of Victoria’s move to New York City and the life she built there. It’s also a study in pushing a design, combining the New York Beauty quilt element with a Double Wedding Ring design. This quilt defines the term Improvisational Quilt!
Victoria’s Book is Visually Inspiring
If you need a boost of quilting adrenaline, a walk through Double Wedding Ring Quilts will provide the remedy. With full-size patterns for ten quilts, the book will teach you the Double Wedding Ring basics plus Victoria’s unique fabric slashing and made fabric methods to create with personality.
Watch Double Wedding Ring Quilts (Part One and Part Two) on Sewing With Nancy online.
For a chance to win Double Wedding Ring Quilts by Victoria Findlay Wolfe, leave a comment sharing your favorite historic/traditional quilt pattern.
Happy Sewing,
Team Nancy Zieman
Nancy Zieman Productions, LLC.
judy
I love the look of pinwheels and also stars.
Mary O.
I have always loved the Baltimore Album quilts.
Jan Baudin
log cabin for its simplicity, yet your ability and vision to make it complex.
Nancy
I have always loved Trip Around the World. My mother made many of these, using whatever scraps she had.
Rosalind Gutierrez
I am fascinated by the simplicity and versatility of the 9 patch pattern for quilts.
Peggy Bibb
Have always loved double wedding ring quilts. Will someday become brave enough to make one!
Carol Netzler
What beautiful quilts! I like the log cabin block.
scarter
I have never tried making a double wedding ring block, or even anything with circles, but the quilts in the book are beautiful and is inspiring me to try it out. Thanks Nancy for introducing Ms Wolfe’s creations to me.
Max
I enjoy the log cabin patter for each quilt can be so different.
Laura
Log cabin in my favorite traditional block. I do love the curves in the double wedding rings, so certainly would love to try one.
Barbara
Fifty-Four Forty and Fight and Log Cabin
BevM
My favorite traditional quilt patterns are double wedding ring, lone star, and log cabin.
Donna
Irish chain quilts always catch eye.
Anne Z.
I love the LeMoyne Star.
Twyla Johnson
Favorite traditional quilts are the Double Wedding Ring, Log Cabin, and Cathedral Window!
Linda Erickson
I’m a log cabin fan from way back. Thanks!
Donna W
I am always drawn to Log Cabin quilts.
Charleen
I’d love to make one of Victoria’s non-traditional/retro/modern quilts. Maybe this book could help me get out of my ‘gotta do it right’ ideas because I know it’s all OK.
EllenB
I always love a traditional, square Log Cabin, but the ones made with rectangles and diamonds are wonderfully different.
Brenda Ackerman
I would have to say that the Double Irish Chain is my answer.
Julie Kill
My favorites are: tumbling blocks; Log cabin; Applique
Jane
It’s a toss-up between 9-patch and churn dash for secondary and tertiary design versatility depending on fabric choices and further cut options.
DebbieW
Scrappy bow ties quilt.
Marsha Nelson
My favorites are 54-40 and log cabin.
Karen A
My favorite is the churn dash.
Clovis
I don’t have a favorite one. Just go by what looks good to me. Thanks for the chance to win.
Nicki
My favorite traditional block is a log cabin. But I saw a picture of a similar double wedding ring in royal purples and whites….absolutely stunning! I’d love to try that one.
Julie
Though the double wedding ring pattern is a beautiful quilt, I think my all time favorites are the vintage crazy quilts. Like Victoria, my grandmother made three quilts for each of us girls out of polyester scraps from clothing we had made in the 60’s and 70’s, and I still have it.
Cindy K
The log cabin, double wedding ring, churn dash, and Jacobs ladder are some of my favorites but have to say there are many more I like. I love old quilts and reproductions of the old ones.
Kathryn Smotryski
I’ve taken a shine to the Irish Chain quilt block. Recently I made one for a friend with whom I celebrated St Patrick’s Day every year with a dinner and a shot of Tullamore in memory of her father and uncle. She loved the quilt, by the way.
Cindy Teta
My favorite traditional pattern is Hunter Star.
Yolanda Cypher
I like the “fan” pattern. I have two quilts of that pattern pieced by a great aunt.
Karen Miskunas Sheridan
Victoria has matched up the sensibility of traditional quilt blocks with a modern energy creating some of my favorite designs by a contemporary quilter~ sheer inspiration!
Margie C
Silly me, I thought I had left a message already. I have made two double wedding ring quilts. one for my niece and one for my daughter. I swore I would never make another, but these designs are so out-of-the-box, I love them and have all sorts of ideas for my own adaptations, with Victoria’s guidance. Thank you, everyone at Nancy Zieman for continuing her work and inspiring her legions of fans.
Nancy Hansen
My favorite historic/traditional patterns include 9-patch, log cabin and crazy quilt. After seeing some of Victoria’s modern takes on the double wedding ring, I would love to win a copy of her book.
Bonnye
The wedding ring is beautiful. I like to make log cabins but would try a wedding ring quilt.
MoeWest
I love the LeMoyne Star.
Chris
I guess it would be New York Beauty.
Sheila Idol
I love the log cabin quilts. My great great aunt made me a “Dutch Doll” quilt before I was born in 1943. Love it too.
Janet johnson
-I love log cabin quilts and crazy quilts.
Peggy S
I made a Tessellating Stars quilt for one of my granddaughters and it came together so easily and is beautiful. The next one I want to make is the Log Cabin, they can be changed in so many ways, I think this is my favorite pattern.
Crystal Conrad-Kauffman
Civil War Blocks and their stories!
Lily Kamikihara
My favorite traditional design is the double wedding ring. I have tried to make it twice and now they are UFO’s. They were done with two different instructors with two different methods. Maybe the 3rd attempt with Victoria’s method might be a charm.
Diana Pals
I love the crazy quilt!! It provides such a wonderful opportunity to use fabrics and stitches to create and preserve memories. When I made my daughter a crazy quilt from all the fabrics that had been used for ballet skirts, pajamas, clothing, Halloween costumes and special Christmas dresses, she remarked: I don’t need a photograph album. All my memories are right here in this quilt!
Gina Growe
Log cabin and bear paw are my favorite patterns. I’ve always wanted to do a double wedding ring quilt but find it very intimidating without a class. Your work is inspiring! Thank you for the chance to win.
judy
Any thing that is simple/ not too busy and no scrappy.
Christi
I love so many of them. I guess my favorites are the double wedding ring, log cabin and granny squares.
Christi
I love so many of them. I guess my favorites are the double wedding ring, log cabin and granny squares. The old ones are all great.
Earline
I so miss Nancy, I lived for her Saturday morning show here in Texas. I love a scrappy quilt they always hold my attention with the story they tell. Why did the quilter use that fabric and what or who inspired them to put it together. They hold such a mystery. I could not take my eyes off of Victoria’s polyester maze that her grandmother made, totally drew me in. LOVE IT!
Blueberry Mary Kubenik
Mmmmm, between Grandmothers Flower Garden, and Double Wedding Ring. Love Flying Geese also. Guess I better stop there!
Kim Grady
Nine patch and pinwheels are wonderful to me but I love a challenge! I have a quilt top that my great-great-great-grandmother did for me when I was born, way back in 1962, whew! Yes, it is from my 3 times Great Grandmother, it is hand sewn. It is done with polyester pieces. I have had it all this time with absolutely no idea what to do with it. It deserves more than just binding and being done with it. When I watched Nancy and Ms. Wolfe with the Double Wedding Ring technique, I now know what I am going to do with this quilt top! Thank you Ms. Wolfe and Nancy! Thank you for the opportunity to win one of your books also!
Elaine
There are so many designs I love. It is hard to beat a good log cabin. But right now I have am fascinated by the Hunter Star. It is challenging but so satisfying when all of those points are perfect.
Bonnie
My favorite traditional quilt block is the log cabin. It is so versatile and can be arranged to create many different designs. Thanks for the great giveaway!
Donna Fecteau
i love the log cabin.
Dorothy
I had a class with her in Brainerd. It was fabulous! Her encouragement has brought me to new experiences. I don’t have this book but 15 Minutes of Play is a great way to start!
Karen Poole
I think my favorite old style quilt pattern in traditional style would be the Irish Chain, but I really really like how she did the wedding ring quilt in reds and whites! It’s really pretty and different then what I’ve seen done before!!
Carmine Cossin
Shared to my facebook wall, hope it can promote this informative article.