Inspiration and Ideas for Nest

One of our favorite things about the Nest Sweatshirt pattern is the endless possibilities for the center panel.

Even the provided Saw Tooth Star block gives you so many options and ways to explore color and pattern. Will you do the star all in one color? Break the center square into smaller squares? Use multiple colors for the points? If you, like I do, sometimes have trouble deciding and want to envision a few possibilities before cutting into your fabrics, we have a couple of easy solutions.

Save the line drawing to your computer, and print it out. You can fill it in with colored pencils or even fabric scraps to see if the color combination in your head looks how you envision. 

The other option after downloading is to upload the illustration to a photo editing app. If you don’t have creative cloud, a great free one is Inkscape. Upload the illustration and use the paint tool fill in the colors. This is also a great way to edit the block itself if you want another pattern, like a flying geese, nine patch or more complex star.

When choosing colors, think about the amount of contrast, as well as the hue

Generally, aiming for a dark, medium, and light will give your block movement, and help it to stand out, with strong lines. But a low contrast look can also be beautiful. Try mixing and matching colors from many small scraps for a multicolored points. Or even use one color, like in Meg’s all cream version with a contrast thread to highlight the patchwork.

You might want to pull a color from your block for the sleeves or cuffs. Also consider using the same color as you sweatshirt for the background of the star, if you want it to really pop. Break up the center square into smaller squares, or squares and triangles. Substitute with strip piecing, improvisational patchwork, or another block of your choosing. By sketching out your colors or ideas first, you can get a good sense of how your finished piece will look, before cutting into your fabric. Check out some quilty inspiration from testers Tania, Cindy, and Romy!