Ask Penny Halgren

Designing a Clamshell Quilt

I'll admit that for years, I looked at quilts that used a clamshell pattern and just stared wondering how to sew them together - let alone design one.

I thought it would be much too difficult for me to stitch together, so I didn't even consider buying a pattern and following someone else's design. What was the point?

Then I decided to go to a quilt camp, and since I was going to have uninterrupted time, I decided to take a class about sewing with clamshells. After all, what did I have to lose?

From the beginning, I was in awe of the quilts the teacher showed, and then when she handed us a design grid, I'll admit that I stared at that paper with lines for quite a long time before I ever started coloring in the spaces.

When I finally finished drawing and coloring, I was pleased enough with the design, that I actually decided to make the quilt.

The quilt is made using clamshell-shaped pieces.

For some reason, when I started coloring in the spaces, these little fish popped out.

While I could have made them all lined up, I decided to make them facing each other - as if they were kissing.

Using several hand dyed fabrics in bright colors, this turned out to be a fun quilt to make and have. The bodies of the fish are solid fabric, and their tails are marble-dyed fabric that I had made just the day before in a different workshop.

This quilt presented several challenges - the design, making sure that all of the pieces were sewn in the correct place, sewing the curves, and what to do about the border.

I ended up making squares with the same curved shapes as the fishtails. But, how much more interesting would the quilt have been if I had finished it with curved edges?

Ah, a design idea for another quilt.

In the meantime, here are some basics of my process. I have made larger images that you can print out on your computer and possibly use for your design.

	The first step is to take a grid that has been marked with an overall clamshell design. As you can see, this can be a never-ending design. Click on the image to get the larger version.
The next step is to color in the shapes in order to create your design. The thing that is cool about this basic shape is that you can sub-divide it further. Click this image to see a larger picture.
	If you look closely at the picture on the left, you can see how the clamshell design (in the dark black) was sub-divided into sections that look ovals with points on the end. By dividing the clamshell this way, I was able to create the fishtails.

Visit the article that tells how to make the templates.

Happy Quilting!

Penny Halgren

©2009, Penny Halgren
Penny is a quilter of more than 27 years who seeks to interest new quilters and provide them with the resources necessary to create beautiful quilts.

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