Quilted by Design: Robin Ruth Designs

Every great design has a beginning. What inspired you to take on the challenge of creating a Mariner's Compass quilt for your submarine officer husband?

I grew up garment sewing with my Mom and started quilting when my Grandma
Zella took me to my first quilt class in 1985. Soon after, I married my submariner
officer husband, David, and we started our Navy adventure at our first duty station in
Pearl Harbor, HI. I made some of my first quilt projects to fill my time while he was
out to sea and then thought it might be fun to take on the challenge of making a
mariner’s compass block or quilt. At that time in the late 80’s and early 90’s, if you
wanted to make a mariner’s compass block or quilt, you bought Judy Mathieson’s
book and learned how to draft, make templates for, and then construct your block or
project. I purchased her book but wondered if there might be another way.

The Mariner's Compass has a reputation for being one of quilting's most challenging blocks. What motivated you to rethink the traditional process and develop a strip-piecing method that makes it approachable for quilters of all skill levels? Did you ever imagine that your idea for this process would lead to Robin Ruth Design?

At the time I was wanting to make my first mariner’s compass block, I was also very
interested in all the new rotary cutting rulers and methods being introduced during
this same period. I loved the precision rotary cutting and strip piecing methods which
allowed you to put together quilts much more quickly than more traditional methods.
Being a bit of a problem solver, I came up with my first mariner’s compass ruler in
1992 between duty stations by drafting and adding some graphic tape lines to a
piece of spare plexiglass. By using this simple “ruler” I was able to make compass
blocks that were both 16-point and 32-point variations, split compasses, and
concentric circle compasses all in 11” and 14” finished block sizes. I made the quilts
that I wanted to make at the time, but quilting was just my hobby. I never imagined
that over 20 years later I would take my original ruler and method and evolve it into
the rulers, books, and patterns that are now Robin Ruth Design.

Teaching and empowering others seem to be at the heart of your work. What is the most rewarding moment for you—seeing a quilter finish their very first compass block, watching them gain confidence, or something else entirely?

My biggest goal with Robin Ruth Design is to help quilters of all abilities be
successful using my rulers and method. Many are hesitant to get started with my
rulers because they think that mariner’s compass construction is going to be difficult.
While I do have free video tutorials on my website for making any block or finishing
technique in my system, I do find that a lot of folks also want to also take an in-
person class. In my tutorials and at my classes, I take everyone step by step through
my strip piecing process with either a straight cut, straight seam, or pressing, until all
the sudden they have a beautiful compass block! I love seeing the smiles of
accomplishment come across everyone’s faces as the last seam is sewn and they
see their finished compass block come to fruition. It also makes me very happy
when folks share with me their creative projects they have gone on to make using
my rulers and method.

Your rulers allow quilters to create Mariner's Compass blocks in sixteen different sizes with incredible accuracy. When you're designing a new pattern or technique, do you start with the mathematics, the visual design, or simply an idea you can't wait to explore?

There are two styles of blocks you can make using my rulers – Skinny Robin based
on a 45˚ angle with “thinner” points and Fat Robin based on a 60˚ angle with
“chubbier” points – and several different variations available both in 16-point and 32-
point versions. Any block in my system can be made in 16 sizes – even sizes from
6” to 36” - allowing for more than 380 blocks you can make using my system. Having
this large array of variations and sizes is a big bonus for me when I am designing
quilt patterns, as I can include different sizes and styles to make a unique project,
and can even nest smaller blocks inside of larger ones to make interesting
medallions.
The inspiration for my designs comes from many places, and because I do design
many inspiration quilts for fabric companies, I always try to showcase each fabric collection to reflect the original artistic intent of the fabric designer. My designs are
inspired by nature, art, fashion, my travels, or something that may be featured in the
fabric line itself. The design process is probably my favorite part of what I do as I am
able to take an idea, play with the fabric designs, and reimagine them into an original
new quilt design with my compasses always as the focal point. I add other simple
elements to my quilt designs including Dresden bands, simple piecing shapes, and
my method for doing faced appliqué, all of which are added to the quilt by machine
stitching. My quilts may look difficult to make at first glance, but they really are just a
combination of a few doable elements which help you get your quilt top finished!

Looking back over your quilting journey, is there one quilt or project that holds a special place in your heart or represents a turning point in your creative life? We'd love to hear the story behind it.

I’ve been working and designing now for over 11 years, and many people ask me
which quilt of mine is my favorite. My favorite quilt is always the most recent quilt I
have finished, as it is always so exciting and amazing to me every time to see my
original idea come to life. Every quilt I design and make informs and educates me in
what I design moving forward. Since I am free to design whatever inspires me, I can
explore all different kinds of quilt designs from traditional to more modern. Even
though every quilt I design does have some variation of a mariner’s compass block
included, they are all quite unique and can appeal to many different types of quilters.
While there have been many quilts over the years that folks have responded
favorably to, I always like to share the story of “Rose Window”. This quilt was
inspired by the rose windows at Notre Dame, and I started making it the day the
cathedral caught fire in 2019 as I thought the beautiful stained-glass windows would
be lost forever (fortunately they were all saved!). When I offered this as a pattern it
was very popular, as I think everyone felt a little devasted by the fire and they also
wanted to see those beautiful rose windows survive. This quilt story also has another
happy ending as I was able to go visit Notre Dame for its reopening in December
2024. I took my original “Rose Window” quilt with me to bring it full circle to its
creative origins in the beautifully restored cathedral. (pictures attached of “Rose
Window” outside of Notre Dame and inside under the north window that the quilt was
inspired by)