ModernScot

FINISHED SIZES: Square lap quilt: 57½˝ × 57½˝ ♦ King quilt: 92½˝ × 92½˝

Maitland square lap quilt, 57½˝ × 57½˝, made by Kathy Allen, quilted by Shannon Ryan-Freeman, 2016

The three sub-patterns of this square lap quilt, made with fabric in the traditional colors, are easily distinguishable against the olive green background. The tiny stripes of the outer color ring give the Maitland tartan its distinctive look.

Maitland king quilt, 92½˝ × 92½˝, made by Kathy Allen, quilted by Shannon Ryan-Freeman, 2016

There are three sub-patterns against a Christmas-green background in this version, but the subtlety of the blue/green merge makes the largest of the sub-patterns almost disappear into the background, with the blue blocks seeming to appear from nowhere. Although, it is doubtful that anything would be noticed in this quilt other than the thin, bright color ring which gives the Maitland tartan its distinctive look.

The Maitlands are a lowland Scottish clan who originated in Normandy and traveled to Northumberland with William the Conqueror. The name, originally spelled Mautalent, means “foul-tempered” or “evil genius” in old French. (The men of those days wore their nicknames with pride!)

Thirlestane Castle is the historic seat of the chiefs (and later, earls) of Clan Maitland. During the Jacobite battle of 1745, Charles Stuart, who the Scots considered the rightful heir to the throne, stayed at Thirlestane Castle and had his army pitch their tents on the castle parklands. The Maitlands were considered neutral in the Jacobite wars, and so the English allowed them to keep their lands. A couple of hundred years later during World War II, Field Marshal Sir Henry Maitland Wilson commanded in the Middle East and succeeded U.S. General Dwight Eisenhower as supreme Allied commander.

The Maitland tartan, a beautiful pattern dominated by blue and green, has several tiny stripes that give the overall design a real pop. The Maitland tartan is actually a modification of the Lauder tartan, which is similar but doesn’t have the thin yellow stripes.

In this loose interpretation of the Maitland tartan, the large, subtle stripes of blue against a green background are surrounded with dominant black stripes. The pattern will show best if the merge fabrics F and L are dark compared to the base fabrics A and E. The thin stripes give this quilt its dramatic effect (and why, along with having fifteen fabrics, its skill level is designated as experienced).

Fabric Selection To make the thin stripes of the color ring stand out, I suggest that fabrics C, D, G, H, J, K, M, N, and O be tone-on-tone or a solid, and that fabrics C, D, G, and H be a lighter value than fabrics E, I, L, O, K, H, and M. Personally, I like to choose warm zinger fabrics for C, D, G, and H because they give the quilt a real pop against the cool colors of A, E, F, and L!

A single woven pattern in my interpretation of the Maitland tartan. The green background (fabric E) is intersected by base colors black (fabric B) and blue (fabric A), creating the two large patterns. The third pattern, a bright color ring, is created with base fabrics yellow (fabric C), blue (fabric A), and red (fabric D).

Lauder tartan in ancient colors. The Lauder and Maitland clans—and their tartans—are closely related. The Maitland tartan is actually a modification of the Lauder tartan, which is similar but doesn’t have the thin yellow stripes.

Cut all strips across the width of fabric. These strips will be used to create triple-strip sets, seven-strip sets, and connectors. See How to Build a Tartan Design for detailed instructions. Put a swatch of each fabric on the fabric organization worksheet to help you keep your fabrics in order.

Refer to the following lists to make strip sets from three fabrics for triple-strip sets or from seven fabrics for seven-strip sets. From the strip sets, subcut triplets and septets.

Maitland has a group of small strips, so instead of a triplet there is a septet, cut from a seven-strip set for the warp, and a “multi-row” for the weft. The multi-row is made by sewing the septets together side to side instead of end to end, and this should reduce the amount of distortion that is possible when using such thin rows. I like to make the two (square lap quilt) or three (king quilt) multi-rows first because they are the most time-consuming part of this quilt construction.

Stitch Length Don’t forget to make your stitches smaller, since these strip sets will be subcut into segments. This is especially important for the seven-strip sets!

Make 4 strip sets for the square lap quilt or 9 for the king quilt. Subcut triplets 1, 3, and 5.

Make 2 strip sets for the square lap quilt or 3 for the king quilt. Subcut triplet 2.

Make 2 strip sets for the square lap quilt or 4 for the king quilt. Subcut triplet 4.

Make 1 strip set for the square lap quilt or 3 for the king quilt. Subcut triplets 6, 8, and 10.

Make 1 strip set for the square lap quilt or 2 for the king quilt. Subcut triplet 9.

Each strip that makes up the seven-strip sets is 1˝, finishing to ½˝. Create the seven-strip sets by first making 3 double-strip sets, sewing them together, and then adding the last strip.

Make 4 strip sets for the square lap quilt or 9 for the king quilt. Subcut septets 1, 3, and 8.

Make 2 strip sets for the square lap quilt or 3 for the king quilt. Subcut septet 2.

Make 2 strip sets for the square lap quilt or 4 for the king quilt. Subcut septets 5 and 7.

Because the grouping of the thin strips might warp if sewn together as normal rows, you should sew these together first and then treat them as a single row, called a “multi-row.” Being careful to pin at each seam junction, sew the following septets together side to side (not end to end) in the order indicated below. To make it easy to keep them in the proper order, I like to sew them together in groups.

Referring to the Row Types table for your quilt size (below), sew the triplets and septets together to make each type of row. To sew each row together, start with the piece listed at the left and add each segment in order from left to right. The numbers in each column refer to the triplet or septet number you made in Triplets and Septets. Refer to How to Build a Tartan Design, Step 5 for detailed instructions on how to assemble the rows.

Referring to the quilt assembly diagram, sew the row types together in the indicated order to complete the quilt top. Press the seam allowances of each row in the opposite direction from adjacent rows. Pin at each and every seam intersection.