Suggestions for orange & blue batik quilt for 15 year old DGD
 

At her 7 year old brother's birthday party last week, where I gave him a huge Spiderman quilt, she asked when I was going to make her one. I was floored! (this is the same DGD who asked me make her a dress about 5 years ago, which also floored me--and I did make her a dress). Now I'm not very good or experienced, and it takes me a looong time to get one finished, but of course I want to make her one. It has to be one that she will like when she gets to college because that's probably how long it will take me! Anyhow, I'd like suggestions on fairly simple patterns that a teenage girl would like. She has already specified orange and blue, and she likes batiks. She is also pretty artsy and musical, and is in all her school plays. Thanks for the suggestions!

How about a Disappearing Nine Patch - they are easy and fun to make. Very modern and in right now. Just google it and you will get many ideas.

I've seen some beautiful bar-type quilts that are modern and what an artistic girl might like. Basically, they're mostly a solid color with maybe 2-3 columns of 2 x 6" fabrics. The batiks would go great with that. Try Google, Images, Bar Quilts.

I'm not sure of any specific pattern (or even what the style is called), but I immediately thought of a positive/negative quilt. Think of a two color image (orange flower on blue background for example). Draw a line down the middle and on one side reverse the orange and blue. I typically see these with appliques.

How about the 10 min block, so that you can finish it a little faster!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbTHlGGKMPM

This would be nice, not too difficilt and I don't think she would grow out of it
http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?p=1016

I thought of a braid. I'm actually doing one out of blue and green and cream batiks for my daughters 18 th birthday. She loves stars. I wasn't ready to tackle pp yet so I'm doing carpenters stars. You can do them two colors. Lots of pieces but easy to put together. The prep is what takes me the longest.

Braids work nicely. French braids look harder than Prairie braids, but are actually easier.
Columns of French braid look pretty spiffy but are not too difficult. I have attached 3 patterns that look good but are not hugely difficult. I did a demo of the waves quilt at one of my guild's overnight retreats. Everyone c ame out with a great quilt, with no 2 looking like the others. People played with all sorts of variants on block placement.

QM - Your quilts are lovely! That Wave quilt took my breath away!!!

A friendship star would be pretty done in these colors and not to complicated. You could do half with orange background and half with the blue background, then you wouldn't need a sashing.
A rail fence done in 2 shades of blue and 2 shades of orange would be another option.

Long ago my son over heard me telling someone I would not make quilts for someone unless they specified type and/or color. (this was right after an AOL chatter friend found the Double Wedding Ring, hand quilted gift quilt she gave her DD on the floor of the garage with the DOG sleeping on it!). He waved his hand and announced "I want one..an ORANGE one' (AAACCK! my LEAST fav color!). I was a trooper and did as he asked. This is just a double 4 patch variation. We still have this quilt and its used DAILY. (oh, and orange is not my most hated color anymore!)

Stitchin Heaven in Quitman Texas sells on line a pattern (also with kits, but can buy pattern) called Gumballs. It is a very easy quilt to construct and goes fast. I have made five. If you haven't purchased your fabric yet, the ladies at the shop are very good at color. On several of mine, I phoned and asked them to pick fabric for me and I was delighted at their choices. It is my very favorite store and I live 5 hours away so I don't get to just zip up there often.

I am doing a Stacked Coins quilt for my niece for graduation. She likes hot pink and orange. I am using a variety of batiks but more of those two colors. This is a simplified version of the layout I am using http://sewcraftyjess.blogspot.com/20...ins-quilt.html

This would be very simple to do and looks bright and modern.

Those are pretty! Thanks for the idea!

Thanks, MaryLane. This might work, too. Are you using white, or something else inbetween?

Ha, I had the exact same reaction when she said "orange!" I don't hate it, but I've never heard of orange being anyone's favorite color! That is a beautiful quilt, BTW!

http://www.bellaquilting.com/splitrailpat.htm

I would probably change the pattern a little and make the center rail 1/2 the block and then the blue 1/4 of the block on each side. I would use an orange batik print for th larger center rail and a tone on tone darker blue batik for the narrow rails.

Pretty orange batik print as a border and bind in dark blue. all in Batik. Use orange for the back. Either tie or quilt using a walking foot.

I love Orange! Every quilt needs atleast a little of it. Just look at my avatar picture.

These are fun and easy! I thought of that, but wasn't sure how it would look in batiks. Would you make it scrappy, just all shades of orange and blue?

I thought you might like this pattern, or at least get some ideas from it, it's really easy - called "wickedly easy". I made it in all orange batiks but I could see blues in there too.

Orange WIP - looking for some affirmation :)

Ok, that was supposed to be a link, I must have done something wrong. If you type in "orange wip" in the search field, you'll be able to see it. Sorry it didn't work like I planned.

I am using white. I considered black but the white just pops so much. I am using stacks of 8 strips 2.5" x5" wide. Then they are sashed with a 1.75" strip. That makes three stacks and two strips a 16.5" block. I am actually going another element but that is the simplified version. I plan to put a scrappy border around it and I may used a pieced binding. I am quilting it in bright orange. WAY outside of my box but she will love it.

That's a great idea. Love your two quilts...I'm starting to rethink orange!

I love your avatar. Is that a bento box? I wonder how my fabric choices would work in a bento box.

That is beautiful, luvnquilt! What a gorgeous example of orange batiks!!

You ladies have posted some great suggestions and some great looking quilts. Love all of them

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions and pictures, you've all given me a lot of inspiration!