Obrigado Quilt Pattern

This is the Obrigado Quilt Pattern and it is a brand new pattern from Darcy Quilts!

These quilts exceeded my wildest ideas about what they would look like. I am so, so happy with them!

If you want to jump past the pictures and the information and go straight to the quilt pattern, that is an option. You can find the pattern HERE.

But, I think the story behind the quilt is just as much fun as the pattern itself.

Thank You, Thank You

Obrigado Quilt Pattern started as a Thank You card I received. I liked the gentle chevron pattern in the background of the card. My subconscious immediately started working through block construction to mimic the shapes.

Imagine my surprise (and delight!) when I realized that the Obrigado quilt block had the same block construction as a pattern I had already written!

While Obrigado and the Sensation Quilt Pattern look NOTHING alike, they are made from the same basic block shape.

For this reason, I bumped Obrigado Quilt Pattern to the top of my pattern writing list. I knew it would be a quick and easy one to pull together. The measurements, graphics and trimming templates already existed in my files.

Obrigado Quilt Pattern – What’s in a Name?

A big question with this quilt pattern release – how to say obrigado?

It’s easier than it looks!

Oh-bree-gah-doh

The other big question – what’s an obrigado?

Obrigado is Portuguese for “Thank You!”

Obrigado Quilt Pattern – White Sample

While planning to make my quilt samples for the Obrigado Quilt Pattern, I wanted to make sure to highlight both a light background and a dark background, to show off the versatility of the quilt pattern.

This light version of Obrigado is made from Cross Stitch, which is one of the Bee Basics by Lori Holt. All of the blue and green fabrics have little white X’s scattered throughout. The white background fabric has green X’s.

I love that this next photo, which shows off the X’s, also makes the columns look like a radiating spider web. I assure you, this quilt is made from square blocks and is put together in straight columns. It’s a fun optical illusion, but don’t let it make you think that this quilt is harder than it is.

Obrigado Quilt is made from Half Rectangle Triangles. That sounds like a big, messy word, but what it actually means is that a rectangle is cut in half from corner to corner. Then, a blue or green triangle is sewn to a white triangle.

The result is a fun zig zag that is sort a gentle herringbone pattern across the quilt.

Quilt Pattern Fabric Requirements

Both of the samples I made for this quilt pattern release are the Large Throw size, but the pattern is written for five sizes of quilts, from a small throw/baby size up to King Bed size.

I also used yardage for both the quilts I made, but included instructions for Layer Cakes as well. I know that fabric pre-cuts are preferred by many quilters. Fat Quarters and/or large scraps would work as well.

Behind the Scenes

Many quilters have design walls, but I am one of those extra cool quilters who uses a design floor instead.

This is what it looks like to lay out quilt blocks when they are already sewn into pairs or groups of four.

In addition to having a design floor, I also have a very helpful cat who likes to rearrange quilt blocks.

I try to sew them into small groups before laying them out to get the colors just right, so that there is less sewing remaining and I can get them back up off the floor in a hurry before nap time ends and the chaos begins.

This just draft one of putting the pieces out, there will be some rearranging for a better color balance across the quilt.

Here is a quick look at what it looks like to single handedly take marketing photos of large quilts in the backyard.

This is the photo taken in the video above:

Obrigado Quilt Pattern – Navy Sample

The dark background sample quilt of Obrigado Quilt Pattern is made from Dapple Dots fabrics including a navy background and green binding.

When I bought the Dapple Dots fabrics last fall, I bought more than just the colors seen in the finished quilt. The Dapple Dots line also contains some pinks, bright orange, yellow and gray.

While shopping online, they all looked like good options, but then having them in person to touch and pet, I didn’t like the bright orange or gray with the rest of the palette.

Once I took those out, the pinks and yellows wanted out too, leaving behind this soft rainbow that reminds me of the southwest desert.