Thousand Steps by Sarah Maxwell

Sarah Maxwell, owner of Designs by Sarah J, early experiments with fabric began at a summer sewing class at age 13. Undeterred by the teacher’s recommendations, Sarah chose to start her sewing journey with a pattern for pleated, fitted pants. After that disastrous experiment, Sarah was convinced she hated sewing until she unearthed a treasured family quilt as she was packing for college.

The 1930s Dogwood Kit Quilt served as a bed cover throughout college and inspired Sarah to learn to quilt. Armed with a “Teach Yourself to Quilt” book, scissors and cardboard templates, Sarah cut out pieces and hand stitched a baby quilt to welcome her first daughter. Fast forward to today, and Sarah is now a prolific pattern designer and author. With more than 200 original designs published over the last 20 years, Sarah’s quilts have been juried into QuiltCon and various AQS and IAQ shows.

Inspired by the color combinations seen in nature, Sarah’s passion is design that melds tradition with a contemporary feel. With a family farm in Missouri and daughters living on opposite coasts, she finds inspiration and potential palettes across the United States.

Follow Sarah on Instagram at: @sjmax105

Find her patterns, thread collections and template sets at:

https://www.designsbysarahj.com