Appliqué- History of quilting

Creating the Stained Glass Look in Quilts
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Creating the Stained Glass Look in Quilts

Stained Glass Technique

Creating the Stained Glass Look in Quilts

A stained glass quilt borrows its look from church windows: bright, glowing pieces of colour separated by dark lines that imitate the lead between panes of glass.

The Key Ingredients

Dark “leading”: black or very dark fabric, bias tape or sashing outlines every shape.
Bright “glass”: vivid solids or batiks give the impression of light shining through.
Simple shapes: bold, clear shapes read best once the outlines are added.

Quilters create the effect in different ways. Some fuse shapes onto a background and cover the raw edges with narrow bias tape. Others piece bright blocks with dark sashing strips between them, which is a beginner-friendly way to get the same glowing result.

Watch: A Quick Stained Glass Quilt Demo

Quilt Snips Mini Tutorial: Stained Glass Quilt — Missouri Star

See more on our Stain Glass Technique page.

By quilting|2026-10-30T05:42:29+00:00November 21, 2024|Stained Glass Technique|0 Comments

The Beauty of Hawaiian Quilts
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The Beauty of Hawaiian Quilts

Hawaiian Quilts

The Beauty of Hawaiian Quilts

Few quilting styles are as instantly recognisable as the Hawaiian quilt. A single large design, usually in one bold colour on a white or contrasting background, spreads across the whole quilt like a paper snowflake.

How the Design Is Made

Sewing was introduced to Hawaiian women in the early 1800s, and they soon made quilting their own. The classic design is cut from one piece of fabric folded into eighths, which is why Hawaiian quilts have their striking symmetry. The cut design is then hand-appliquéd to the background.

The quilting itself follows the outline of the appliqué in rows that ripple outward, a technique known as echo or contour quilting. Patterns are often inspired by island plants and flowers, such as breadfruit, and many carry personal or family meaning.