We made it! 5,473 days of January are behind us and we can now feel like we have 2024 into routine and can be ready to tackle the rest of the year!

I spent some time reflecting on the quilt world recently. I’ve been around for quite a while. I first started a quilt blog 13 years ago when blogging was just taking off. I’ve seen a lot of ebbs and flows in quilting and a lot of trends over the decade. In my reflections, I was contemplating things that I think are going to be trends.

So without further adu…my top five 2024 quilt predictions. 

All predictions are my own thoughts and have no scientific or sponsored backings.

1. Upcycling and Repurposing

This was a big one in the second half of last year. I think a lot of people are still wanted to reduce footprints and the amount of waste getting put into the world. A huge one was turning old and damaged quilts into coats, hats, bags, pants: you name it. I haven’t personally done any of this, but if a quilt is sitting neglected and full of holes, I would much rather see it be turned into something that can be used and cherished. I think people are going to cringe less at repurposing finished quilts into accessoirise and may even start to make new quilts to be turned into clothes (I will forever think of Sew Sweetness and her Tula Pink dress when I think of this!)

• 2. Two Color Quilts

This is also a carryover from 2023. I think it was pretty big last year, but is going to become a lot more mainstream. 

• 3. Solid and Print Mix

In a similar fashion, I can see a solid and a print mixed together in a quilt with the solid being more of a purposeful design opposed to just a background. For a long time solids were the background, and the prints were the focal points. I imagine more blurring of those two and having solids play a more dominant design feature but also having pints mixed in, and less all solid quilts.

• 4. Foundation Paper Piecing

I feel like there is going to be a huge resurgence of paper pieced patterns. There was a huge influx of new quilters during the pandemic, and now four years later, these quilters are becoming confident with their skills and ready to learn something else and expand their knowledge. 

• 5. Community

My last prediction is going to be community. A strong community has been formed on social media in general, but I see more small community forming. More reminiscent of the old school flickr days. Little public sub-community that isn’t controlled by the “algorithm” and lots of swapping and bee making within the little communities. 

And most importantly:

Even with these predictions, the number one most important thing to remember for 2024 quilting trends is DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY! Do you love it? Great! Make it. Share it and love it big. Quilts are art, and if you don’t have your true heart and soul into your art, then are you really doing right by you? Don’t worry about the “it” fabric, or making something because you think that that is what everyone wants to see. Make what you love and it will always be on trend!