The Reflections Quilt Pattern: A Modern Strip Quilt
Over a year and a half after its inception, the Reflections quilt pattern is now available for instant PDF download!
The Reflections Wall Hanging & Pillow Extension pattern is also available. Shop here!
I hold this quilt very dear to my heart. What started as hand quilting therapy to get through a miscarriage, ended with a birth announcement 8 months later. Thousands of stitches sewn through tears of pain and then tears of joy will never be forgotten.
I love feeling its texture and reflecting on my battle wounds, scars and triumphs. My hope is that no matter what fabrics you choose or how you quilt it, the Reflections pattern will give you reason to slow down and take a moment of calm, conscious reflection, whatever that means in your life.
Not only does this quilt cause me to reflect internally, it's also a clean, symmetrical design that reflects upon itself. A double meaning – how exciting!
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Alternative Trimming Method for the Reflections Quilt
Trigger Warning: If math throws you back to a dark time sitting in the middle of 10th grade geometry looking at a whiteboard full of triangles while a buzzing sound in your ears grows louder and louder and a hopeless pit in your stomach feels heavier and heavier, I encourage you to skip this section and follow the illustrations in the pattern.
Now that our numbers have dwindled, nerds, you with me?
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The Reflections quilt is very simple in that it is made up of four identical isosceles triangles. Once these triangles are trimmed, the height and half of the base length should be the same.
The pattern instructions show you how to trim the blocks by lining up the 45-degree guideline on your ruler and cutting each side separately. However, if you are worried about wavy sides or blocks not being identical, the alternative trimming method is to fold each block in half as seen below. Measure the height, then trim the base to be the same as the height.
Now that math wasn't so hard! I may have been a little dramatic with the trigger warning 😉
These example photos are brought to you by Nicki of Woven & Woolly.
Line Up Those seams
If you're a stickler for lining up your seams (you're a quilter, so I'm assuming you are a little bit) be sure to read this blog post on glue basting. A couple dots of liquid glue can make all the difference if your pins aren't cutting it. A Complete Guide to Glue Basting Seams.
Sage Floral Throw Reflections Quilt
Even though I originally designed the Reflections quilt with the intention of loading up each strip with hand quilting, that's not at all necessary. These wider strips are also a great opportunity to showcase a beautiful print or a time to practice your machine quilting skills!
If quilting is completely not your jam, a longarm quilter could work beautiful magic too. Check out my posts on Hiring a Longarm Quilter and also a list of Longarm Quilters in the USA and Canada.
This quilt uses a couple shades of one of my favorite colors – light sage. The solid cream fabric is from Birch Fabrics and the gray and white stripe is a cut up IKEA duvet! That luscious Nani Iro Fuccra double gauze backing is a splurge, but completely worth it – especially when paired with bamboo batting and hand quilting. Lawd have MERCY is this quilt cuddly!
Black & White Lux Baby Quilt
Inspired by the two beautiful metallic fabrics I chose for this lux black and white baby quilt, I decided to attempt free motion quilting with 12 wt. thread. I have quilted with 12 wt. thread before, but only straight line quilting. Read more - 5 Secrets to Machine Quilting with 12 wt. Thread.
The first 30 minutes were a blast! The stitching was looking great, my Bernina Stitch Regulator was keeping my stitches at a perfect size 3 and I was feeling very confident. Then, my top thread broke. Then broke again...and again...and again. It was getting to the point that I could only sew 5 inches before my thread would break.
I tried changing my needle, cleaning my machine, switching to a different bobbin thread. I think I tried everything! I don't know what happened! The only thing I can think is my Bernina did not like free motion quilting with 12 wt. Aurifil. Previously I used 12 wt. Sulky with no issues.
I still need to run more tests before drawing a conclusion, but that's my hypothesis. Have you free motion quilted with 12 wt. thread? If so, tell me your secrets!
Red, White & Blue Reflections Pillow
Because mom life is what it is, and I've been battling with some postpartum insomnia, I wasn't able to get the Reflections Extension pattern fine-tuned to the point where I feel comfortable releasing it at the same time as the pattern. However, it is finished, and simply in the double-checking process.
The Reflections Extension pattern will include fabric requirements and instructions for a 30" wall hanging and a 18" pillow. Here are a few pics of my patriotic pillow! Isn't that Carolyn Friedlander Harriet print amazing??
Reflections Quilts in the Wild
Pretty in Pink Baby Reflections by Homemade Emily Jane
Tropical Reflections Wall Hanging by Modernly Morgan
Modern Magenta Reflections Quilt by Sarah Holst
Pom Pom Baby Reflections Quilt by Caitlyn Williams
Red Power POP Reflections Throw Quilt by Coby Hobbs
Coby's fabrics include: Prima homespun in pearl, shot cotton in charcoal, spotlight monotone houndstooth and spotlight monotone red spot blender. The backing is a check flannel and the hand quilting is with DMC variegated red color 115 size 8.
Black and White Reflections Wall Hanging by Dash Masland
Blue and Green Reflections Wall Hanging by Nicole Wiles
I love this new pattern. Can’t wait to try it out💗🌹🦋😘
I’m so happy to hear that!!
Do you have any product information on the powder that’s used for basting your quilt layers together? I’ve heard it truly is like powder and you sprinkle it on the desired area and iron (up and down, not moving the iron in a sliding motion) and it works just like the spray baste without the fumes. I don’t know the name of the product or anything else. Thank you!
I don’t know about this product, but it sounds amazing! Let me do some research right now… OK I’m back! It looks like their is a fusible powder called Free Fuse Basting Powder. I just watched a video on how it works and apparently it’s just like spray basting, but you shake it like a salt shaker instead of those messy aerosol cans. Looks really neat!
Suzy, if I purchase this quilt pattern will I get the extension later or should I wait to purchase it when the extension comes out?
Great question! The extension will be a separate, less expensive pattern – similar to the Maypole pattern and its extension pillow pattern.
Yeppers… totally want this with a stripe and those mitered corners! Love to do that! ♥
Very fun looking pattern!
And oh.so.happy to see I can order IKEA things via Amazon! Ikea shipping is outrageous!
It is! However, I think Amazon jacks up the prices sometimes. I actually couldn’t find this stripe duvet on the IKEA site. I hope it hasn’t been discontinued!
We were passing through a city with an IKEA and I stopped in to look for it…it was on sale insanely cheap….but sold out. I’m guessing that town has a bunch of Suzy quilters 🙂
Hahaha! That’s definitely it 😉
What a beautiful pattern! After reading how it came about I just wouldn’t feel right about machine quilting it, but maybe……
I would love to make this and am thinking of all the possibilities of fabrics. I also love math (nerd here). Thanks for putting this one out for us Suzy. BTW Your little Desi is just precious!! I love seeing your stories on IG with him and Scrap.
Thank you, Pam! Since making my first Reflections quilt, I’ve machine quilted a couple, so no shame in that 😉
Wow! Usually when you release a pattern I’m partial to this one or that one but I am in love with every single one of these color ways! They all look fabulous and I can’t wait to get my grabby little hands on this pattern. Take care of you.
That’s so wonderful to hear! Thank you, Jill 🙂
Suzy, I am very excited to buy your new quilt pattern. I love it! I make throw size baby quilts for all my grandchildren and nieces and nephews, and there have been a lot of those in the past several years! I let the moms pick out the patterns and fabric, but I always encourage them to look at yours, and several of them have picked your patterns. This time, I am buying a pattern with no plans for who will get it or when or what fabric will be used. It is a very small way to say thank you, Suzy, for your great blog, your fun videos and posts, and all your quilting advice. Thank you for sharing your life with your readers and for being real. I hope that your insomnia ends soon. I’ve suffered from it, but never to the extent you have, and so I am very sympathetic.
Thank you so much, Janet! This phase of insomnia has been really tough, but one thing I remember every morning when I pull myself out of bed (after much complaining, of course), is that I’m tougher. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the Reflections quilt pattern and I look forward to seeing pictures!
Hi Suzy, iam loving your reflections quilt pattern & would love to make a baby quilt. I purchased the pattern, but…. cannot download without my computer. We are traveling in a motor home – iPhone only!
Is there a way to send a pdf to my email? Thanks
I sure can! I’ll send it to the address here.
Beautiful quilt! And beautiful quilt ladder – I’ve never seen one with a top like that. Where did you get it?
Thank you! I got this latter from The Citizenry.
Thank you!
Suzy
I had the same issue with one of my spo0ls of Aurifil thread. I was halfway through the spool and it kept breaking. Did everything you did but put in a new Aurifil spool and it didn’t happen. I figured out it was a defective spool for some reason. Frustrating for sure
You figured it out! I’ll just have to give it another go with a different spool then. Thanks, Karen!
I completely relate to your story of why this quilt is so meaningful to you. Quilting really is healing. Thank you for your openness— it brings us all together!
Hi Suzy! Do you have a favorite pillow insert?
I really like the inserts from The Company Store.
Hi Suzy! I am beginning to trim my first block. I lined up my 45 degree line on piece F and cut partway up as far as my ruler would go. Then I adjusted but when I got to the top triangle, the top triangle was too short. Should I be using the top triangle as my cutting line? Or could I make the top triangle a little bit bigger? I double checked all my measurements and they are all correct. I posted this on Facebook and got a couple of ideas but I’m not sure which way to go. Thanks for the help!
I am at this point as well and I am having problems with the 45 degree angles. I am making a king size so the triangles are large. It doesnt seem to line up any which way I try. And my measurements as well are all correct.
Have you figured this out? Thanks
I absolutely love the sage green reflections quilt and want to make it my first with hand quilting. Can you tell me the fabric name/brand or colors for the sage green fabric?
Isn’t that a pretty color? It’s Mint by Birch Fabrics – https://www.fabricworm.com/mbs-mint.html
I’ve been eyeing this quilt up since you first posted it and am finally about to embark on my first try making it. 🙂 The greens you used are SO lovely. I saw that the sage green is Mint by Birch Fabrics. Would you mind sharing what the lighter green is too?
Hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy. Thanks for all you do to inspire creativity and kindness!
Thank you, Elizabeth! The lighter color is Moda Bella Ruby Ice.
Suzy, thank you for sharing! You are always so kind!
I’m a very, very beginner at quilting. I ha e no idea how to hand stitch. Would you recommend this for the ultimate beginner.
This quilt pattern is simple, but for your very first quilt I’d recommend something even more straight forward. Here’s a list – https://suzyquilts.com/the-best-beginner-quilt-patterns-for-new-quilters/
Do you have the name of fabric for the reflections quilt with for the black and white lux baby quilt
Hi Phyllis! We don’t track each of the fabrics used in quilt samples, both because of the seasonal nature of fabric manufacturing and because lots of fabrics are pulled from a stash and we don’t always have selvage information. The black and white baby quilt is so cute! Unfortunately, because this sample was made in 2019, the prints are most likely out of print now. Our best recommendation is to take a picture of the quilt to your local quilt shop and see if they have anything similar that’s currently in print! Best of luck!
Can this pattern be altered to make a baby quilt either 40”x50” or 50”x60”.
Hi Deb! You can add borders to any Suzy Quilts pattern to enlarge it beyond the sizes listed, including Reflections!