Your approach is so different from other KZfaq quilters. I have never heard such thoughtful, scientific analysis in quilting. It’s refreshing. I love the use of Kaffe fabric. I purchased a bundle of Kaffe small squares of varied sizes. I am definitely going to make this quilt with them. I don’t like Kaffe prints touching each other. It looses emphasis of each. Bravo 🤩👏

You are so thoughtful in explaining everything, making it very understandable for us quilters.

How interesting, yes its definitely visual. Christine

Of course, I could not keep my eyes off the lovely gray quilt in the background.

And this my friend is WHY I love to watch your videos. I would say it appeals to my inner nerd, but there is no INNER nerd. I am a complete nerd who appreciates the hows and whys of everything... including why some quilt patterns are more pleasing than others! Thank you for this video!

Thank you, Kathy Martin. Always a joy to watch your cheerful instruction on quilting. I will be a great grandmother in December. I plan on making a quilt with some of my husband's dress shirts. He passed away 7 years ago. I think it will make the quilt much more special.

Such a great and interesting video. I learnt so much from this and could have carried on much longer listening to your explanation on this method. Thank you very much for this and perhaps you could do more videos like this.

Very interesting have enjoyed this video 🤔😃

You’re an amazing teacher. Thank you for taking the time to make extra visuals and adding all the information and the why. It makes everything easy to understand. And I’ve not been a fan of Kaffe fabrics because they look chaotic to me but I’m excited to see your finished quilt. You seem to have found a wonderful way to calm them.

I love quilt math. You make math more fun!

Yahooooo! The first half of the video I was typing my message to you about using the golden ratio to create your blocks! I’m sooo happy that you actually devoted this episode to the beautiful, simple and effective concept of using 1.618 ratios to designing quilts! Thank you for providing your viewers with the tools needed to create beautiful things. You’re videos never fail! And three cheers for the golden ratio! 🎊 🎉❤️

I thought ugh “math talk”, but as I listened & watched I learned ALOT! Thanks for taking the time & the visuals. It helped me get past the math block 😂. Ps. The quilt behind you is FABULOUS ❤❤❤

Don’t you just love Kaffe fabrics 🥰 Adding a ‘plain’ border definitely adds something to each block 👍 Can’t wait see the finished quilt 🤔 Thanks Kathy and Paul 👏👏🇬🇧

Excellent lesson in ratios! 🎉 I have plenty of Kaffe fabric and you have given me a great idea on how to use them with the quilt behind you. Red Kaffe prints would look awesome with various grays I think. Thank you! ❤

Your approach to design is so thoughtful and your articulation of the research is so interesting. The quilt world is so blessed to have you as a member. Thank you for sharing your talent and skills

Cathy, you have a real eye for proportion and color. You certainly have me looking at quilt patterns in a different way and evaluating what I like/don't like about them or how I might change them. Thank you for such a concise explanation. I'll be watching again and taking notes!

Nice lesson on design! Thank you. I went out this morning and bought my first all cotton men’s shirts at Goodwill. I only bought the yellow tagged that were half off- so $2.50 each. Got six mice ones. Now to go back to your processing video to review how best to cut them up. I am loving your videos.

Some great info!! That final block is perfect! Can’t wait to see this quilt come together!!🥰👏🏻❤️

I change patterns often to suit my taste! Bordering the Kaffe Fasset fabrics was such a great solution for you! I can’t wait to see the resulting quilt!

Good morning Cathy, once again you have taught me so much about my own quilting style. Golden ratio...new to me but makes so much sense! I look forward to Friday mornings with your videos.🥰

We all know Kaffe are busy, don't be afraid to call it like it is 😅 We still love them

As always, I loved today’s video. I like to make my own patterns, but have never thought of using this ratio in my quilting - I guess one is never to old to learn (as they say). Thanks again, Cathy and Paul.

Thanks for this episode Cathy....I just wish I'd seen it before cutting out my fabric as I've used the 1:1 ratio but maybe it'll look OK 🤷‍♀️ I'll remember this lesson for future projects though. My dad passed recently and I want to make my mum a quilt using his shirts. ❤

I just watched your "Shirley quilt" yesterday and thought I would follow it up and watch this one. Oh this was so interesting and I had never heard of the golden ratio or the Fibonacci Sequence even though I've quilting most of my adult life. This gives me so much to think about.

It never occurred to me that proportions might turn me off certain patterns. You gave me new insights.

I would like to see your sewing room. Also I would like to see how you cut up a shirt, what you save and what you throw away. Good talk.

Those rulers are the best! I believe they are Missouri Stars line. I enjoy how thoughtful you are. This was very helpful, thank you!

You got me into shirts…and I have take a few and waiting for more to finally figure out what to make with them……this video is very informative, thank you.

I have always loved the Fibonacci sequence ever since I heard of it. Thank you for teaching us to use it in our quilts.❤

I loved the video. It is nice to see a different perspective when it comes to patterns, but...... Alice you have definitely followed that rabbit down the hole. That is so cool. You must have been gifted with synesthesia. Keep on sharing I shall be watching!

Ok I had to rewind you 2x to get the spelling of FIBONACCI SEQUENCE... so interesting. I will be reading up on that. Thank you for all that. I just made a square in a square. 5 in the middle and 2.5 border. Turned out fabulous. My BFF loves it. Thanks again. HUGS... from Tampa.

I wondered if you'd get to "The Golden Ratio" Love it !

Ok. Once again I began your latest video with a glance at your background (😍) then your shirt. Way back (Paul, insert image of Mr. Peabody's Wayback Machine) you mentioned that you often get your shirts - to wear - from the thrift stores. Time and time again I admire your shirts thinking wow, that would be lovely in a quilt! But girlfriend, this block today and that shirt...yes, please! I have been guilty of finding thrifts that I wear (or hubby wears) until I'm ready to use in a quilt. Repurpose/reuse multiple times 🤣 Thanks for the informative lesson for ratios - and sharing your time with us all. You're a great friend who I've never met!

I’m going to be watching this again to take notes. Thank you!

Thank you for this packed full of info tutorial/video! WOW! And yes that little ruler is my go to - I have that one and another 2 1/2” that is 15” long. Tthey are almost always on my sewing table. BTW not a math person and I am a quilter - I just praise Jesus for calculators! LOL😂

Brilliant! 💥 Thank you for sharing. 😊🌹🍁

thankyou , the explanations are wonderful

The golden ratio can also help in determining the size of your outside borders

What you call a 1:1 ratio is actually a 1:8 ratio, square-inch-wise, which is why the center looks so small. I would think that a center square that is twice the width of the border would be pleasing (ie., 2:1) because when my eye extends out the lines of the center squares, the two border stripes would be the same distance as the center square. That, to me, would appear more "equal". Square-inch-wise, it would be a ratio of 4 to 12, or 1:3. Your golden-square-ratio square ends up being close to a 1:4 ratio (technically 25:96) square-inch-wise. But the sample you used and called 2:1 was actually 5:2, and that difference was visible to me. Square-inch-wise, it ends up being 25 to 56, which is close to 1:2. ❤ Just some fun math--not sure what it means! I usually tend to just eyeball things, and know what I like or don't like. Thanks for another great video! I don't comment every time, but I watch them all!

I gained so much knowledge from this video. Thanks!

I like the 1:1 ratio better. To me it feels more like art. As opposed to the 1:2 which feels like framed art.

Thank you so much for this explanation! I just finished my first quilt a couple of months ago, loosely based on one I saw on KZfaq. It was a square in a square in a square in a square LOL. Sounds weird but it actually came out pretty and VERY colorful. Not too bad for my first attempt at a full-sized quilt (I'd made a small memory quilt for my husband many years ago). We use it for camping and it works out well.

Fabulous video thank you for explaining the Golden Ratio.

Excellent video!! Really enjoyed the examples and explanations. Looking forward to the Kaffe Fasset quilt!

So interesting, I am going to put this to work immediately on a quilt I've been thinking about! BTW that shirt/blouse you have on would be so perfect in a baby girl quilt. I need to make a baby girl quilt for my ultra-feminine kind of fussy niece, think eyelet ruffle border. So if you ever decide to retire it, let me know. Thanks for all your helpful videos, you have helped me become a true fabric recycler.

Designed a square-in-a square quilt some time ago. The finished blocks were all the same size and the inner squares were always the same size. I just had different sizes of the borders (one side bigger, one side narrower). I mixed patterned fabric and 4 solid fabrics. In the end it really stood out and my aunt loves it😅 So yes, designing your own patterns can be so much fun and quite straight forward with an easy pattern. I'm so curious how your Kaffe quilt will look in the end!

Great discussion of ratios and proportion. Once knitted my husband a hat using Fibonacci sequence stripes--very pleasing outcome. BTW am I the only one who is not ga-ga over Kaffe's designs? I first encountered him with his knitting designs. He has remained true to form as he has moved into quilting fabric design. Too garish and too busy for my taste. I'll be interested to see if you can create a harmonious quilt design using those donated problem fabrics by Mr. Kaffe. I have always found your use of sashing in your quilts (sashing is your friend) a great way to tone down the busy and garish.

What a fun discussion - thoroughly enjoyed. I noticed that your quilt layout is 5 blocks x 6 blocks. If you kept with the Fibonacci ratios, do you think that 5 x 8 would be more pleasing?! 😂

😁 I just bought a remnant piece. It's a Beautiful floral digital print. This will make a Outstanding will hanging! I Thank You❣️ I also make memory wall hanging. Great idea.

Now, if you had cut a 4.5 inch square and 3 inch "border" you would have ended up with a 9" finished block with 2.5::4 (golden ratio of 1::1.6), which would be the same scale as the test blocks. 😊

Thank you for the math lesson! And for breaking it down so even I could understand it! Math is not my talent. 😉But you made it very understandable. And I love your quilt block! ❤

Love your take on this and how you broke it down! Who knew that the Golden Ratio was what made it pleasing! When I was watching I was thinking about matting a picture for framing. Wider (to me) makes it more modern looking. (Not sure why I think this.) XOX

Very interesting video...now l know why l like certain things better than others ...😊

You read my mind. I was up all night trying to figure out the best square in a square layout. 1) if I use a 10" block , should I use a 5.16 / 6 " border or 2) use an 8" block with a 4/5 border? I rounded up/down lol. Thanks

Interesting perspective. A different and also effective approach uses various sizes of scraps surrounded with a square border in Terry Rowland’s color wash quilt. She squares the blocks to the same size. I’ve made, and combined them in different sizes and shapes which obviously gives a totally different look.

I'm having this exact issue in designing a quilt pattern, square in a square.

I’m going to throw out the “golden ratio” and “Fibonacci sequence” terms to my non-sewing math nerd friend and maybe I can lure her into quilting.