Decibels Quilt Pattern
Turn it up (or down) with the Decibels quilt pattern!
Kicking off the first XOXSEW pattern of the year, Decibels is a design dedicated to my husband who works in the sound department. It’s a modern take on the audio levels I see fluctuating on his monitor whenever I pop my head in his studio. I changed the vertical motion of the bars into a wave, not only to imitate how sound travels, but also to create movement in the design.
INSIDE THE PATTERN
Color Options
5-Color Bars
13-Color Bars (perfect for bundles!)
Quilt Sizes
Baby
Throw
Twin
Bed (extended twin layout)
QUILT TOP KITS
(Kits do not include the pattern)
Take your Decibels to the next level! My friend Cass of Nova Quilts Fabric Shop made two different, but equally gorgeous, quilt top kits! Check out her versions by clicking below and grab a kit for you and your friend!
Emily Dean of Em Original Design has two different Throw Size quilt kit options at her shop!
SAMPLES
Note: Fabric names are italicized and located under each finished quilt photo.
Earthling with the 5-color option
My 11yo is a bonafide plant lover. The one who tends to our indoor plants and the one we go to whenever we forget the scientific name of our plants.
Since she: 1) really liked the simplicity of Decibels when I showed the design to her, and 2) was overdue for a bed quilt upgrade, we figured this was the perfect time to make her a new one!
Together, we pulled color chips from our swatch board, shopped for a coordinating wide backing fabric (Laurel Sienna by AGF), and went through Trace Creek Quliting’s library to find the perfect pantograph (vinery). Once we got the quilt back from TCQ, she chose a scrappy binding look, and soon after, she got a new quilt for her bed.
This is, hands down, my favorite (and cutest) collaboration to date. Every step of the process felt meaningful and I just love that it’s something I get to tuck her in every night. Be right back. Gonna go cry in the bathroom.
Quilted by: Trace Creek Quilting // Fabrics: kona spruce, basil, yarrow, earth, oyster; agf toasty walnut
Nursery Rhymes with the 13-color option
If you’ve been here for a while, you might remember most of these AGF Pure Solids from two Story Hour quilt samples. For some reason, these vibrant mix of cool and warm colors always remind me of my children’s old nursery room. It wasn’t as colorful as this bunch, but we did have an olive oil green rug, and a silly, but lively, wall decal featuring a flock of birds and a chaotic duck.
Ok, back to this quilt. I paired these solids with a low volume print from Ruby Star Society. I love the way it adds a soft, warm tone to the quilt.
Trace Creek Quilting longarmed this one, too, using the teeter totter pantograph to tie in the nursery room vibes. Don’t you just wanna pinch this quilt’s cheeks?!
Quilted by Trace Creek Quilting // Fabrics: agf desert dunes, sweet tangerine, pacific, swimming pool, evergreen, garden fern, olive oil, potters clay, sugar plum, dragon fruit, apple cider, gingerbread, sweet fig; rss add it up in metallic copper
Stereo with the 13-color option
Déjà vu time. If you’ve been here for a while, you might remember these Ruby Star Society Sugar collection from two Forest quilt samples. Most of these colors are leftovers from those projects, so I’m happy I had enough to make a new quilt with it! And speaking of leftovers, the backing I used is another wide backing fave of mine: Mindful Paths by AGF.
Just like the previous two sampes, this also went to Trace Creek Quilting (can’t help it; they’re amazing). The panto is called baptist clamshells, a classic design which I think breaks up the straightness of the bars in a subtle way.
Quilted by: Trace Creek Qulting // Fabrics: ruby star society sugar collection; background is either kona bone or bella porcelain?
Linens with the 5-color option
You can find the linens version in a separate blog post HERE!
BEHIND THE SCENES
My husband’s been hunting for wall decor for his self-built studio in our yard, so when I saw Tara Faughnan’s curated color palette for a 2025 QuiltCon challenge, it inspired me to get this project into gear. I also thought these vibrant, happy colors would be perfect for his studio and luckily, he agreed! I hand quilted the project using size 8 thread and wool batting. I just love how slightly wonky and imperfect the bars are. To me, I find those little imperfections special and one-of-a-kind. Just like him — ha!
Above is the design’s prototype, the only Decibels wall hanging that exists. While I personally prefer the “side” look, I modified the original design so that it is centered on a bed, or wherever you decide to throw this on.