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We’ve put together this post as your complete guide to the quilt that’s swept the quilt community by storm. When it comes to quilt goals, they don’t get more ambitious than La Passacaglia, the world-famous sensation of fussy-cut English Paper Piecing that has created a wave of kaleidoscope EPP quilts in its wake.
Read on to learn more about it and download our free guide, packed with hints and tips on fussy cutting for projects like the La Passacaglia Quilt.
Main image (above): Willyne Hammerstein, author of Millefiori Quilts, the book that features her much-adored La Passacaglia Quilt.
Examples in this post (below): by Alexandra Luenz – see more of her work on Instagram @ALEXOUQ
What is the La Pssacaglia Quilt?
The La Passacaglia Quilt is just one of many stunning designs to be found in Millefiori Quilts by Dutch quilt designer Willyne Hammerstein. It’s something of a unicorn of a book, but it’s currently available on the website of European book publisher Quilt Mania. In fact, since we first published this article, Quilt Mania have released two follow-ups to the original Millefiori Quilts book – Millefiori Quilts 2 and Millefiori Quilts 3. That’s our Christmas list sorted then!
As for the quilt itself, the finished dimensions are 144 x 176 cm by 57 x 96in.
The full name of the pattern in the book is ‘Passacaglia with Mr Penrose’, explained by Willyne on the inside front cover:
” ‘Passacaglia with Mr Penrose’ is the quilt features on the front cover. Mr Penrose is a famous British mathematicion who works on sarts, cosmos and the geometrical designs of ‘pavements’. This is one of the most difficult quilts to make, but making it is a fascinating pleasure! Good luck and have fun! “
Why has this quilt pattern become such a sensation?
Even if you’ve never heard of La Passacaglia, you have no doubt noticed the rise of the hexie! English Paper Piecing and EPP hexagons are nothing new, but this very traditional form of quilting has found a new lease of life thanks to the trend for geometrics, but more so the need for piecing that can be done without a sewing machine. We’ve been EPPing (!) in front of the TV, on trains, in waiting rooms, in coffee shops – basically anywhere we fancy doing a spot of sewing but can’t get to a machine.
Soon we were hungry for more shapes, and diamonds, triangles, pentagons and more were part of the EPP frenzy. Word of mouth appears to be the catalyst in launching this particular book into the quiltosphere – one look at the cover alone (the La Passacaglia Quilt itself!) will convince you that it is possibly the holy grail of books for EPP fans, and the cover star in particular has intrigued and caught the imagination of the quilting world.
We can’t pinpoint one reason why it’s taken off. At a guess, the blend of precision piecing, geometric shapes and intricate kaleidoscopic fussy cutting, combined with the irregular composition, dizzying rosettes and frankly epic scale of the whole project, is a heady cocktail guaranteed to take any English Paper Piecing addict to seventh heaven.
In the world of modern quilting, it’s the fussy cutting that has given this project the edge. With so many amazing graphic fabric prints around, there’s fun to be had fussy cutting and piecing the bits back together to create dazzling new effects!
How can I have a go?!
The instructions in the book Millifiori Quilts are super clear, and include everything, including templates, a step-by-step walk-through, and a detailed layout diagram. Taken one step at a time, this is a wonderful project to work through at your own pace.
The added fussy-cut element has become crucial to the new look, so Alex and the Love Patchwork & Quilting team have put together a FREE step-by-step guide to get you started. Once you’ve had a go, the possibilities are endless – enjoy!
Free guide to fussy cutting kaleidoscopic English Paper Piecing PDF
Meet the maker
Alexandra Luenz is the superstar behind our gorgeous Passacaglia rosettes in this post (pattern taken from Millefiori Quilts by Willyne Hammerstein). She describes her style as “German precision meets world diversity expressed through modern colours, forms and fabrics”. She’s passionate about patchwork and is preparing all sorts of exciting ideas for patterns to share with the world very soon! Alex loves to travel and explore the world. She’s currently based with her family in the Munich outback, preparing for their next adventure.
What is ‘La Passacaglia’?
Before we even get into the quilt, what is ‘La Passacaglia’ and how do we pronounce it?!
According to Merriam Webster:
noun pas·sa·ca·glia \ˌpä-sə-ˈkäl-yə, ˌpa-sə-ˈkal-yə\
Definition of PASSACAGLIA
1
a: an old Italian or Spanish dance tune
b: an instrumental musical composition consisting of variations usually on a ground bass in moderately slow triple time
2
: an old dance performed to a passacaglia
And click here to hear how to pronounce Passacaglia
Give the La Passacaglia Quilt a try
The La Passacaglia Quilt is a timeless project that combines intricate design with rewarding handcrafting, perfect for quilters seeking a beautiful challenge.
Fussy cutting for beginners
