Prairie Queen Remix Quilt Pattern: A Fresh Take on Traditional Quilting
Why Prairie Queen?
When I was 8, I asked my grandmother, Mama, to show me how to quilt. For a couple of years, I practiced making small patchwork blocks and then hand quilting them into finished wall hangings or table toppers, but eventually I got the itch to make my first bed-sized quilt. My Mama was a great sport, and she helped me choose a pattern from her collection of books and magazines. The pattern that we chose was a variation of the traditional quilt block design from the 1800s known as “Prairie Queen”, set with sashing and cornerstones. The finished quilt has a special place in my heart because it was a project completed by myself and my Mama, and is a tangible piece of my own quilting heritage. To learn more details about his original Prairie Queen quilt, be sure to tune into the Patchwork Revival Podcast where I dive into all the details in Episode 2!
Details of the original Prairie Queen quilt I made with my Mama.
Revisiting the design:
The original Prairie Queen pattern that my Mama and I followed was written such that the HSTs were pieced one at a time using cut triangles - so many bias edges to deal with! The four patch units were also pieces of individual pieces, not strip pieced, so I got a lotttttt of practice piecing! - I think this is where I developed my love of nested seams. (I REALLY wish I could find this pattern, I have no idea if it was from a magazine or a book, but I’ve searched and searched and can’t find it anywhere!)
As the years went on and I used my original Prairie Queenquilt, there were some areas of wear and tear that I started noticing, which isn’t bad, and is honestly part of a quilts life cycle. But this was a bed-size quilt, and it just got to the point that I didn’t want to keep using it daily so that I could preserve its structural integrity. Since a full-sized bed quilt is just a little too big to use as a throw when you’re lounging on the couch, I decided that I would revisit the design.
I searched the internet and found a few free patterns for an individual Prairie Queen block, but I wasn’t really satisfied with what I found. I knew I wanted the blocks to be much larger for a more modern feel, and I wanted to make an entire quilt, not just a single block. After realizing that 1) I had a need for a throw-sized quilt, and 2) I didn’t have a pattern for what I really wanted, I decided to re-visit Prairie Queen and re-vamp it for myself. To me, it felt like a special way to re-connect to my roots.
Details of my re-imagined Prairie Queen Remix quilt.
The quilt:
What I decided to do was scale up the subunits of the Prairie Queen block so that the finished block would end up finishing at almost double the size of the blocks in my original quilt, then I made some pretty wide sashing strips to set the blocks in such a way that each one really had its own space to breathe. I also used a different fabric for the center unit in my re-imagined version, rather than the same exact fabric as the HSTs. I used a woven fabric with a decorative top stitch to add a fun textural element to the quilt. I also chose to set the blocks with plain square cornerstones instead of pieced 4-patch cornerstones.
I quilted this quilt on my domestic machine - I chose organic wavy lines using my walking foot. The backing I chose was a white-on-white print that I had in my stash from my Mama. So this quilt really has a lot of connection to her, it represents our bond through our love of quilting, and I absolutely love it.
This quilt finished at 61” x 80”, so it;s not quite twin-sized but definitely a generous throw. I really love using it, and I still use it to this day!
It’s difficult to photograph it well, but the vintage white-on-white print I found in my Mama’s stash to back this quilt is stunning!
The pattern:
The other thing about this quilt is that it was the first time that I sat down and did the math for my own original design, cut everything and had it ready to go - I did all of the leg-work of drafting this as a pattern. I didn’t have diagrams or instructions because all of that was up in my head, but I did use updated techniques compared to the original pattern, like making multiple HST units at a time and using strip piecing for the four patches.
At first, I was hesitant to share a pattern for such a traditional design, but my perspective began to shift when I realized how much I connect with these traditional blocks and how difficult it can be to find updated patterns to make them approachable to contemporary quilters. It took me three years to really figure out a way that I felt comfortable publishing a pattern that truly honors this block design that has been around for over a century - but I finally did it!
I have officially written a Prairie Queen pattern that I’m calling “Prairie Queen Remix”. The pattern includes some history of the design, including links to references and reference material that I found helpful in learning about the design. I’m really proud of this pattern, and I hope you will enjoy it. I have shared it with some of my quilting friends, and making these blocks reminded them of their moms or grandmas or their own personal quilting journeys. It’s really special to connect to quilting tradition by doing what we love most - QUILTING!
The Prairie Queen Remix pattern is written as a three-color quilt that uses yardage, AND as a more scrappy design that is fat quarter friendly. It can be a fun way to use a fat quarter bundle that you’ve loved but haven’t yet found the perfect use for.
I made sure to write the pattern in three sizes, because I think it would be the sweetest little baby mat or quilt, and of course I love a gigantic throw sized quilt, but there’s also a more restrained small throw size included.
I tried to make it have a little something for everyone and be approachable to everyone, because as you might have noticed, I’m on a MISSION to revive classic patchwork and I want everyone to feel like there is something for them. Even if you’ve never made a quilt, you could make this quilt! It’s patchwork - that means each unit you make is building a skill.
Remember, patchwork never has to be perfect, it just has to be fun!
The Prairie Queen Remix pattern cover quilt.
