Resonance Tester Parade
Every quilt designer knows they would be nothing without their testers, and I was lucky enough to have another absolutely fabulous group for the Resonance quilt! They all absolutely knocked it out of the park with their makes and their feedback and advice really helped make the pattern the very best it could be.
Don’t forget to check them out on Instagram and give them some love!
The rainbow ones
Rainbows clearly continue to be firm quilter favourite as over half my testers went for this option! I love how different each of their makes look despite following the same instructions just from the different fabric and print choices.
Melissa Forrest @stitch_make_bake
This scrappy rainbow wall-hanging by Melissa is so full of joy, I absolutely love it! I’m a real sucker for scrappy rainbows so I was really excited when I saw her pull with such a darling mix of prints. The final top looks so great and I can’t wait to see how she quilts it!
”The Resonance quilt is a fantastic, modern pattern. The design is very clever and the brilliant instructions will guide you through from fabric selection to binding. I love the option to raid your stash and make a rainbow version, which is perfect for those tiny, treasured scraps!” - Melissa
Lisa Collins @thequiltdr
This Tula Pink rainbow throw by Lisa packs a real punch! I love pretty much everything Tula despite never getting my hands on any myself, so I was definitely living vicariously as Lisa sewed this one up. The dark charcoal background really makes those gorgeous prints pop and the braided quilting just adds that perfect finishing touch. If I could steal this one, I definitely would!
“The Resonance Quilt uses the simple flying geese block to create a new and modern look. Although the quilt requires a lot of trimming, it is an easy to sew pattern and the end result is absolutely stunning in it's perfection. I made the extended rainbow and was blown away at how gorgeous it turned out, the impact is greater than the amount of work needed to make those flying geese!” - Lisa
Talena Gandy @thetalenaquilts
A slight miscalculation when strip cutting her flying geese pieces with her Stripology ruler meant that Telana’s rainbow throw has grown into a Jumbo Resonance thanks to the extra 200 (!!) geese she ended up making! I love that when pulling her fabrics instead of picking two similar prints for each colour in the extended rainbow she mixed bold geometric prints with a softer floral fabric line, it makes for such a lovely contrast, especially when paired with the mint green background. I can’t wait to see this Jumbo version come together!
“If you’ve never made Flying Geese before this is a great place to start. Cait gives you 2 different methods and after making the baby or throw sized one you’ll definitely be an expert in trimming geese! The colour options pages are also a great touch, as I have a hard time imagining a quilt pattern in different colour schemes. I love how she lays out several approaches.” - Talena
Sally Carter @sal1103
Normally I’m not a big fan of batik fabrics, but Sally’s batik rainbow baby quilt might just have changed my mind! The subtle texture paired with the white on white floral background fabric works so well and really helps the rainbow pop. I may have to give them a go in a future!
“This pattern is very clearly written, and takes you through all the stages with pictures and charts. There are swatch charts and full project charts for colouring in, making it easy to know which fabric goes where. There are a lot of pieces to be made but these can be made in batches and then sewn together. I loved the final look of my throw!” - Sally
Fiona Jeferies @tigsowner1
I love how Fiona has twisted her simplified rainbow around for a diagonal effect, it looks so great! This is the perfect example of how you can really make this pattern fit your vision using the colouring pages. Fiona’s planning to donate her finished quilt to the Linus project - how perfect will this be for a teenager?
“A challenge but worth it! Top tip - use the colouring page to help with the layout!” - Fiona
The scrappy ones
I was thrilled when two of my testers went down the scrappy route as I absolutely adore scrappy quilts and think they’re just such fun to make. Plus anything that helps keep fabric waste to a minimum is A-Okay by me!
Kerry Smith @thatssewkerry
Somehow in all of my playing around with different colourways and options for the Resonance quilt I never thought to put the print in the background and the solids in the geese, but now I’ve seen Kerry’s scrappy rainbow throw I just can’t stop dreaming up new fabric combinations! The Masasai Village print from AGF works so well in this quilt and adds a whole new depth to the design. I can’t wait to see how she quilts it!
“Resonance is a fabulously modern quilt pattern suitable for quilters of all abilities due to the clear instructions and detailed diagrams. It offers so many different opportunities to show off a favourite fabric or two that you could make it several times and always have a unique outcome” - Kerry
Stephanie Forster @bookendsquilting
This blue and red baby quilt uses a great mix of some more traditional quilting cottons to breathe fresh life into them in a modern layout, and the overall look is wonderful. I love her picture of the finished quilt top on the washing line too - how have I never thought of that when my quilt holder/fiancée is busy?? I’m looking forward to seeing this quilted!
“The Resonance quilt pattern uses the flying geese block to create larger, diverse blocks throughout the quilt. I love the movement this creates and the number of options for colours - from rainbow to scrappy!” - Stephanie
The monochrome and ombré ones
When I was playing around with colourways for the Resonance quilt, I loved the idea of the impact that a monochrome pull would have, so I was really happy some of my testers agreed and went the monochrome route. The three colour ombré option has had me dreaming of sunset and ocean themed fabric pulls, so imagine how pleased I was when I saw Heather’s dusky sunset wall-hanging!
Sierra Gibson @madebeayoutifulstudios
The cool blue and white in this wall-hanging by Sierra is so soothing to look at, I love it! It feels like the perfect quilty addition to your wintery décor and I might just have to make my own for next winter. I can imagine the quilting being really impactful on this fresh palette and can’t wait to see what Sierra chooses to do!
“Cait has designed an absolutely stunning pattern in her new Resonance Quilt. Not only is it so versatile with all the colour layout options, but she has multiple size options included in the pattern as well! I've made this pattern twice and neither colour version has failed to impress me! This is definitely a must have pattern!” - Sierra
Debbie Fife @debbiefife
Combining the monochrome and scrappy looks, Debbie’s all grey wall-hanging looks great with the dark navy background. I really like her use of scraps in all one colour, so much so that I’m making my own all-pinks Strawberries and Cream version using just my pink scraps pile!
“Making this pattern was a real pleasure. Rather than be intimidated, I followed Caitlin’s very clear instructions like a good recipe, and was really thrilled with the end result. I have had some lovely compliments on the finished quilt top” - Debbie
Heather @nepeanquilter
The shot cottons in Heather’s dusky sunset wall-hanging really shine against the black background and looks just as amazing as I hoped when I added the ombré option. I love that she used her spare geese in an improv pieced back for the wall-hanging, and that she’s decided to spin her quilt 90 degrees - it’s amazing how much it changes the energy of the design!
“Cait's pattern is detailed and showcases the versatility of the flying geese block. For me, it is a great use of fat eighths to make the wall-hanging and I was able to see the beauty of my F8 shot cottons. I used my leftover geese in my back, thus no goose left behind!” - Heather
And there you have it - what a wonderful group of testers and quilts. Don’t forget to check them out on Instagram and give them some love!