Modern Patriotic Flag Quilt Pattern

There is something about a patriotic quilt that feels so nostalgic and inviting. That nostalgia is what I wanted to capture with this new, modern quilt pattern. “Betsy” is an American flag quilt pattern that has a modern spin on traditional Americana. It’s a big, bold, flag-inspired pattern that comes together super fast!

Although the details surrounding the origins of America’s first flag are debated, Betsy Ross has become a notable figure representing the contribution of women to the American Revolution. “Betsy” is named for the maker of the United States’ first official flag.

In 2016, we had the chance to visit Philadelphia and see tons of historic sites, including the Betsy Ross house! This little house, built in 1740, is where the seamstress Betsy Ross was thought to have lived and worked. If you ever get the chance to visit Philadelphia, be sure to stop and see this historical gem.

This easy pattern is written for three sizes: a wall hanging, two vertical banners (also known as pulldowns), and a large throw. The throw is a great size for Memorial Day or a Fourth of July picnics and the wall hanging is the perfect addition to your Fourth of July decorations. It is now available for purchase as a downloadable PDF pattern.

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Modern Design

For me, patriotic quilt patterns often feel outdated. In my opinion, modern quilt designs are simple. I wanted this Old Glory-inspired quilt to be bold and modern, which meant simplifying the design to include 13 large stripes and 3 simple sawtooth star blocks.

This pattern also includes instructions for creating a wall hanging and two vertical banners, called pulldowns. The extra-long pulldowns feature 3 simple stripes and a lone star at the top. The pair is perfect for flanking a front door for Independence Day.

Modern Patriotic Color Inspiration

For the cover quilt, I decided to create a large throw size. I wanted a slightly muted, but classic, color scheme. I chose three solids from Art Gallery Fabric’s Pure Solids collection. The red fabric is Weathered Brick, the white fabric is Creme de la Creme, and the blue quilt fabric is Nocturnal.

For the backing fabric, I also wanted something classic. I found this perfect patriotic toile from Tim Coffey’s collection, Colors of Courage.

If you want to learn more about color theory for quilters, check out this ultimate guide where I dive deep into color theory and how different colors work together to create harmonious combinations.

Skill Level

This pattern is a perfect first quilt for a beginner quilter! It is incredibly fast and easy to piece together. The red and white stripes couldn’t be easier and the flying geese blocks are large and very forgiving. For a full tutorial on four-at-a-time flying geese, check out my other blog post and YouTube video.

Planning

When designing a quilt, I prefer to use solid fabrics for my quilt tops and large-scale prints for the backing. A lot of times, I start by finding a backing that I love and then I pick the solids for the quilt top, to coordinate. Often I will order my backing first and then use my color card swatches to find the perfect colors!

I also like to do lots of digital mock-ups to make sure I love the color combinations before I start ordering fabric yardage. Check out a few of the variations I came up with!

If you want more color palette inspiration, then be sure to check out this post. I put together some modern patriotic color palettes using Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids.

Quilt Top Construction

This quilt top comes together incredibly fast. It’s built of 13 stripes and 3 large sawtooth stars. The vertical bars make up the majority of this quilt stop.

The flying geese were quick and easy to make. In fact, I made a YouTube video on how to make them 4-at-a-time. You can watch that here.

Finished Modern Flag Quilt Top

Modern Wave Quilting

Lilo of Trace Creek Quilting quilted the cover quilt! For this quilt, I wanted a pantograph that mimicked a waving flag to give this quilt some “movement”. This design, called “Modern Curves” by Anita Shackelford. And it was seriously made for this quilt. It is the perfect pantograph for a flag-inspired quilt.

Finishing this Modern Patriotic Quilt

It’s no secret that my favorite way to finish a quilt is with big stitch binding. This is a relatively new way to bind quilts and is a great option if you are looking to add an extra hand-made touch to your finished quilt. I always start by machine sewing the binding to the front of the quilt and then, depending on the size of the quilt, I typically finish by hand sewing onto the back. DMC Perle Cotton in size 8 is my favorite thread to use for big stitch binding. I opted for an ivory thread to compliment the rest of the off-white fabrics in the quilt.

Hand Embroidered Quilt Label

For all of my cover quilts, I have been hand embroidering custom quilt labels and this one was no exception. I used some extra ivory fabric from the quilt top and embroidered “Betsy No. 005” in a cute little script. I wanted it to look simple and classic, just like the rest of the quilt.

Want to learn how to make your own custom hand embroidered quilt labels? Check out my digital course Hand Embroidered Quilt Labels.

Fabric Requirements

See the chart below for fabric requirements for Betsy

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Get a Free Quilt Pattern

If you would like to try a free pattern that is a perfect beginner quilt, check out this awesome quilt with a minimalist design. It is one of the easiest quilt patterns and it can be adapted for pre-cut fabric like fat quarter bundles or charm squares. Submit your email address to our newsletter subscription and get an instantly downloadable PDF.