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Family Heritage
Debra Finan has been a passionate quilter and sewer since she was five years old, when she started sewing her own doll clothes. This quilt, Family Heritage, is one of those classic quilts that Deb is so wonderful at designing.
Family Heritage is a one-block quilt. Surprising, isn’t it? Yes, the quilt block is called Duck and Ducklings, and is repeated to create the quilt: No sashing, no borders, just one block repeated in alternating colorways.
‘Colorway’ is a word we use frequently, and it essentially means ‘a particular color arrangement.’ So this quilt has one block design, but that block is sewn in two colorways. One colorway, which we refer to as the “cheddar block” in the instructions, features four cheddar-colored patches framing the center white patch, and also uses cheddar fabric in the corner units. The second colorway, which we refer to as the “indigo block,” reverses that, so that the indigo prints frame the white center patch, and are used in the corner units.
To make things more fun, the cheddar and indigo prints are an assorted collection from the fabric line. So, yes, there are only two colorways, but there are five assorted cheddar prints, seven indigo prints, and five white prints used. The result is scrappy, yet cohesive—because only two colorways were used! And the 19th century reproduction prints give the quilt a dignified look, despite the playfulness of its scraps.
Great quilt, Deb!
Pattern Details
Quilt by: Debra Finan
Skill Level: Intermediate
Finished Size: 60″ x 70”
Finished Blocks: 42 (10”) Duck and Ducklings Blocks
Fabrics: Fabrics in the quilt shown are from the Cheddar & Indigo collection by Nancy Gere for Windham Fabrics.
