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Free quilt pattern: Zen
During these unsettling times, each of us has been looking for ways to find just a little bit of “normal” in our daily lives. “Home” has never had a bigger impact as the country and world struggle to cope. If you’ve been going a little crazy lately, you’re not alone. APQS Dealer Lauren Jackson’s life as a military wife means that “home” can change every 2-4 years—even during a pandemic when the world’s on lock down.
This month, her family is moving from Florida to Texas. The pandemic put travel restrictions on military personnel, creating a very stressful time for selling and purchasing a home. Combined with the logistic of moving halfway across the country, this has by far been the most challenging move to date for the Jackson family. To help ease the stress, Lauren designed a new “calming” pattern that will be a new quilt for her 12-year-old son, Dylan, at their new house.
Aptly titled “Zen”, the quilt’s two-color scheme is definitely soothing, especially thanks to the generous use of white negative space. The colors in the finished product reflect his new room’s color palette. Dylan was instrumental in helping Lauren finish the design. She was struggling with composition and found herself wanting something more balanced and structured, but that still had a modern vibe.
Lauren’s specialty is custom quilting, and if left to her she admits she’d have quilted the quilt to death! But Dylan chose an edge to edge pattern that is very reflective of the world’s theme for this year—he chose a biohazard quilting design!
As we all know, kids outgrow room decorations quicker than we would like, so Lauren forced herself to let go and not invest tons of quilting time–only to have her heart broken when Dylan was ready to move on! Together they chose a light blue thread for both the top and bottom, and Quilter’s Dream wool batting to give it a heavy, puffy feel. The batting really sets off the pantograph pattern and makes the quilt look reversible.
Lauren’s love for quilting came out of necessity for her children, then it became a hobby that has morphed into a full-fledged business that—unlike brick and mortar buildings—can move with the family. As a self-described Type A personality, Lauren’s “all or nothing” attitude means she has the passion and talent to be successful no matter where “home” may be next! Her business name, “Bold Notion Quilting”, perfectly describes her feelings about how quilting has changed her life.
“I am so grateful that quilting found me and pulled me in! Without it I am not sure where I would be. Over the years when my husband would go overseas and be away for long lengths of time, I would find my mind challenged with the struggles of being a ‘single mom’. Often without being able to even speak to my husband, managing work and children was a struggle. I have anxiety and quilting was something I could eagerly focus on that is challenging and always evolving. It serves as a wonderful distraction from the world when I need it. My Zen space, so to say!”
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the world today, why not take a page from Lauren’s playbook and find peace and contentment by creating your own “Zen” quilt!
