This new Union Jack pattern is the latest to be released in our Etsy shop. I have been wanting to create this quilt for quite a while and finally felt that my Foundation Paper Piecing skills were up to snuff.
I love the Union Jack. It was the original flag of Canada until we got our Dominion of Canada flag which was then replaced by the Maple Leaf flag in 1965. As a teenager in the late 80’s / early 90’s I was a major British heavy metal band fan and attended many concerts thanks to my high school boyfriend. (Basically, every one that came through Edmonton at the time.) I saw Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne and Def Leppard (of course! That was my first concert) just to name a few. So the Union Jack was, and is, naturally cool by association. As an homage to my heavy metal fan days I have put Tula Pink’s Heart Eyes Skulls on the back of my quilt.
I think too that for those of us in Commonwealth Countries like Canada that the Union Jack is like the flag of the Mother Ship if you will. I am very proud of our monarchy. HRH, The Prince of Whales is Colonel in Chief of my husband’s regiment and we see the Union Jack in several buildings around the military bases as well. We also sing “God Save the Queen” at major events such as Remembrance Day.
I felt the best way to achieve the degree of accuracy needed for the National Flag of the United Kingdom was to foundation paper piece it so my pattern does require a knowledge of how to foundation paper piece. I have created a demonstration video for my YouTube channel but it is not a comprehensive tutorial. Check it out if you want a peek in my sewing studio.
I quilted the Union Jack in a Pixel Heart quilt with stippling in the heart and background. I quilted wavy lines and loops in the flag and half feathers in the border.
The background is almost all Lizzy House Whisper Palette fabrics with the exception of the city houses print. These have been treasured in my stash for a couple of years now and were from Studio 39 Fabrics.
So, I am very happy with how this quilt turned out and I made it within a week. 🙂
The Union Jack in a Pixel Heart Pattern is 25% off through Sunday June 16th. Newsletter subscribers will be receiving a discount code in the next newsletter for an additional 20% off. Subscribe to the newsletter here.