Pattern Designer: Sweet Jane + Giveaway - The Jolly Jabber Quilting Blog

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Pattern Designer: Sweet Jane + Giveaway

276 Comments

Hello quilting friends! My name is Sue Pfau, and my pattern design company is called “Sweet Jane’s Quilting & Design”. I named it after my daughter Jane. My husband and I adopted Jane from China. Our son, Jack, is from Taiwan.

A little about myself….I am a wife and mother of two kids, 3 and 6 years old. We live in a small town in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate NY. It is very beautiful and scenic! From the age of about 7 or 8 I dabbled in the hand crafts….knitting, crochet, needlepoint, cross stitch. I was always wanting to create something with my hands. No one in my family is crafty, so when I wanted to learn to sew, I had no one to teach me. When I was about 32 years old, I went to a local quilting store, and the only class they had available was appliqué. Even though my experience in sewing was limited to sewing on buttons, I caught right on and I loved it! It was a God send, because with my job as a flight attendant we had a lot of down time in hotels and airports and I think having quilting projects with me really saved my sanity. I resigned from American after we got my daughter. I was happy to be home, but so worried about being bored!

I had learned to do machine piecing, and I loved sewing, so I started making things to sell on Etsy. I wanted to make quilts and sell them, but I had a hard time finding simple patterns that I thought were pretty as well. I started making up my own designs and then decided to try to sell my patterns. I started writing out my patterns and selling them, and I found them well received by the quilting community. I began selling my patterns in April of 2010.

I love working with the precut fabrics (although all of my patterns are written for fat quarters as well). They are all color coordinated and you don’t have a lot of left over material when you are done with your quilt top. I have always been very practical, so making patterns to fit the precut fabric has turned out to be my niche. Also because I am a mom of young children, I don’t have a lot of time to make my quilts, so the “quick and easy” patterns are the ones I just love to design. Sometimes I think of myself as a “lazy quilter”. I like to do a nice job, but I don’t want it to be difficult to do a nice job! My patterns are designed to be easy and hopefully low stress!! I try to make my patterns easy to understand and include lots of diagrams. I know there are so many new quilters out there, and I want them to be successful in their efforts to learn how to quilt!

Becoming a quilt pattern designer has been an unexpected path for me, and I am so grateful and happy to be where I am today. I really can not believe I am doing this for a living! Thank you to all the quilters out there who are helping me to grow my business and be successful. Happy sewing!

Thank you so much for visiting us today Sue. In the spirit of our new visitor, we have a giveaway!  There will be two lucky winners of 10 Sweet Jane patterns.

To enter leave a comment on this post telling me which Sweet Jane pattern is your absolute favorite.
Contest closes exactly one week from this post date.

276 comments

  6. Lemonade Lollypops!

    And actually just the other day I saw a picture of her "Between the Lines" quilt and bookmarked it. Before then I couldn't figure out what to do with jelly rolls!

  10. There are a lot I liked, but Key to my Heart really caught my attention. I haven't seen one like that before. And hey, it's on sale. Maybe if I don't win, I will have to buy it!

  11. Wow there are a lot of great patterns so having to choose just one is hard.
    I think my favorite at this moment is cobblestone path. Thanks for the Chance.

  15. What a great interview!
    My favorite Sweet-Jane pattern is Market Square
    mrsunclefuzzy(at)gmail(dot)com

  20. thank you for the story. It is very inspirational for us younger (to sewing) sewers! I love your life is like a box of chocolate pattern, so fun! I do hope I win because I could really use some new patterns for some upcoming projects!

  22. I really like Angels Staircase-
    Wonderful to learn more about you and how you got into designing. You're patterns are great, especially for busy mommies 🙂

  24. Wow, we're almost neighbors…here in NY! =)

    I love Cozy Nights, but honestly, all her patterns are adorable! Thanks for the chance to win!

  28. Wow, what a lovely interview! I really enjoyed learning about you Sue and wish you continued success with your pattern biz and precious family! 🙂

    Hmmmm….my absolute favorite pattern would be Flowers in the Garden, although Sunday Charmer is giving it great competition. 🙂

    Thanks for the fun giveaway too!

  31. Absolutely fabulous patterns! So hard to choose a favorite, but right now Cozy Nights is calling to me. Wonderful designs – a talented designer!

  41. I love Lemonade Lollipops and Cobblestone Path. Definitely going to have to add these to my want list!

  44. Thank you for such a great insight to you and your patterns. I am one of those new quilters that sound like your patterns would be perfect for. I am off now to check them out.

  46. I like the Lemonade Lollipops one also! It has been a frequent occurance lately that when I am checking the flickr groups, and I stumble upon a picture I like, its always one of Sweet Janes!

  49. Oh man, there are SO many great ones! As my mood strikes today, I'd say that A Little Bit of Honey is my favorite. Or maybe Flowers in the Sunshine. Or . . . 🙂

  51. I would have to say "A Little Bit of Honey". And I love that quilt behind her sewing machine in the picture:)

  52. You want me to pick one!!!!! oh my… ummmmm Criss Cross Applesauce… oh maybe Better Together…..or Grandma Mary's Five Patch…ooooo Sunday Charmer.

    obviously making a decision is not high on the list of priorities today…

    They are all so lovely!

  54. I love a lot of Sweet Jane's patterns but top choices are Sunday Charm, French Window Panes, Lemonade Lollipop, Crisscross Applesauce and Grandma Mary's Five Patch. I love simple, quick and very little left overs.

  56. I'm thinking Lemonaide Lollipops…but at least 4 of those could happen from my stash right now. The patterns…they are speaking to me.

  57. Love the entire "Between the Lines." Color and pattern. So cute! The "Criss Cross Applesauce" is such a cute name. How could you not like that!?!

  58. Great story! I think my favorite pattern would be Dreaming of Diamonds. I like the "on point" look popping from lots of white background.

  59. That was a lovely story, my favorite pattern is Flower Garden.
    Would love to have a chance at winning patterns.
    hadacres at comcast.net

  60. I am partial to Lemonade Lollipops and I'm puckering up at the thought of it right now. Thanks for the giveaway and good luck everyone!

  61. Great story! Congratulations on your success! I am torn between Lemonade Lollipops and Life is a Box of Chocolates!

  62. Goodness this is hard! The pattern that keeps drawing my eye is Cozy Nights and I like how you picture it in both dark and light colors – great for fairly new quilters.

  66. Two thumbs up to you – what an amazing story! 🙂 My favorite? Life is Like a Box of Chocolates! (Although they're all beautiful!) Thanks for the opportunity – wishing you much success in the future!

  68. I love "A Sunday Charmer". I also think it's fantastic that most if not all of her patterns on Fat Quarter Shop are available within an hour as a PDF. I'm somewhat of an impatient quilter. If I see something I want to do, I want to do it NOW! ; )

  71. My favorite pattern is Janie's Scrap Basket, but it was very hard to make up my mind! There are so many cute — and doeable! — patterns! My fingers are crossed!

  72. I love Criss Cross Applesauce Pattern, Janie's Scrap Basket Quilt Pattern, Key to My Heart Quilt Pattern and the list go on…

  73. I love your story…And as to having a favorite I can't say there are to many of the designs that I like.And I'm am really enjoying your web site. Keep up the good work

  76. Right now, today, my favorite Sweet Jane's quilt is Grandma Mary's Five Patch. It isnt' easy narrowing it down to ONE favorite!

  77. My wife and I too have an adopted daughter, and will soon adopt another. They are our third and fourth children as we have two biological sons, but put them in order of age and they are boy, girl, boy, girl.

    Enjoyed your post today.

    Paul
    http://www.OutnumberedQuilter.com

  78. Thanks so much for featuring Sue and sharing her story. Just goes to show that you can make your dreams come true if you just try! Love all of her patterns, but I think my most favorite is "Dreaming of Diamonds". I can just see that made up in my favorite '30s reproduction fabrics….yummy! Thanks so much for the give away and the chance to win!

    XOXO,

    Cyndi

  80. 'Better Together' popped out at me. I will have to download this pattern and make it this weekend–it'll be for my guest bedroom. Perfect!

  83. I love the Cobblestone Path, but I can see myself making several of the other patterns too! Love the designs – simple to sew with beautiful results.

  86. Do I have to pick just one?! I love Better Together, Lemonade Lollypops and Life is Like a Box of Chocolates!

  88. I really like lots of these patterns, but my favorite is Rocky Road. I'd love to win some patterns. My life is busy with small children and I love the idea of something relatively simple, but still very pretty!

  90. I love the Cozy Night quilt pattern. It was close between that and In Between the Lines. Thanks for the giveaway chance!

  92. Ooh! Thx for introducing these patterns, I had not spotted them before. Too hard to choose just one. I love the simplicity of Better Together and the craziness of Life is like a box of chocolates!
    Thx for the giveaway opportunity!

  98. Great patterns! Would especially love to do the Cobblestone one. Love that they are downloadable as well. No waiting for mail. She understands the addiction to jelly rolls!

  103. Oh it's so hard to pick just one, but the one I keep going back to is Grandma Marys Five Patch……I just love it 🙂

  105. Wow! So inspiring!

    I'm a new quilter myself and I'm ready to jump into a Sweet Jane quilt. After looking at all the designs my favorite is the Between the Lines pattern. Of course that tied with Flowers in the Garden, Market Square and Lemonade Lollipop! I'm way in over my head with this new hobby! 🙂

  108. So Hard to choose! So many cool patterns, but since I have to pick, I'd pick Heaven's Door. love them all though!

  109. Just what a newish quilter needs! Great patterns!

    If I have to choose … Flowers in the Sunshine and Janie's Scrap Basket, though I love several of the others as well.

  110. Thank you for sharing with us. Oh my! how to choose a favorite. Gotta go with Better Together as my current fave.

  111. Wow what beautiful patterns! I have to say that Better Together and Dreaming of Diamonds are my favorite ones. Thanks for sharing and the giveaway 🙂 Would love to try one of your patterns.

  112. Goodness you make these decisions so hard LOL I really like Life is Like a Box of Chocolate (since you made me choose 🙂 )

  116. I like "Janie's Scrap Basket" pattern. After reading that you became a quilt designer years after taking the only class offered at a quilt shop (at the time), I think quilt instructors should be aware that there's always a chance for a novice student to become a prolific, talented designer some day!

  117. Love these patterns….but going with Dreaming of Diamonds. Am dreaming of winning too…and hope my dream comes true!!!!

  119. It was hard to choose, but having to choose only one favorite, I chose Sweet Jane's Better Together pattern. Something about the simplicity but prettiness of the design really pulled at me. Thank you so much for this opportunity for Sweet Jane's patterns … what a treat!

  120. Wow, as others have commented, it's hard to choose, they are all lovely! My favourite at this moment is: "Tumbling Nine Patch".

    Thanks for having this draw.
    Julie Andrea
    sundayschild1966ATyahooDOTcom

  124. I love all of the Sweet Jane's patterns! I own a few & think they're pretty wonderful. Right now though, I have my eye on "Better Together." Thank you for the chance to win some more Sweet Jane's!

  127. It's always neat to see how a designer gets there start! My favorite pattern must be Better Together. It looks simple but beautiful.

  128. Greetings! Great patterns easy to read. Hard to pick a favorite but here goes Lemonaid Lollypops. Keep it up.

  135. All of them are so pretty ! But my favourite now is Lemonade Lollypops. It reminded me of the first quilt that my mum had made for me. Thanks for the giveaway !
    joyenwen(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)sg

  136. Oh my~~ All of Sue's patterns are so sweet!!!!! It's so hard to just pick one…… Hum…. If I really have to, I'll say Lemonade Lollypops Quilt. Thank you~~~

  145. I couldn't pick just one, so my two favorites are Cozy Together and Better Together. They're all wonderful!

  148. Thanks for sharing the story..
    Great inspriration !!!
    I loves the Angels Staircase and Better Together from the shop..
    Cheeers

  160. Ha, if it was so easy to choose the one. I would like to try and make Cobblestone Path quilt but most of the rest are also gorgeous to me. Thanks for the story behind the patterns.

  163. I love so many of them but my absolute favorites are: Dreaming of Diamonds and Flowers in the Garden. Also have to say that I love her choice of names for quilts, very original and creative!! Thanks for the chance.

  168. I would have a hard time choosing between "Grandma Mary's Five Patch" and Better Together" – Nice patterns!

  170. I like a little bit of honey and heavens door. Really love the quilt pictured in the bog with the applique.

  178. Great patterns. I finally narrowed my favorite to Dreaming of Diamonds. Thanks for the chance to win your giveaway. jmniffer

  179. It was fun to look at all the pattern choices. I have to say though that Lemonade Lollypops really caught my eye. Loved it!!!

  180. My favourite is Life is Like a Box of Chocolates – gorgeous design and I never know what I might get (a set of quilt patterns?).

    Thanks for another gorgeous giveaway

  182. I love your patterns my favorite was hard to choose, but I will go with Life is Like a Box of Chocolates! Thanks!

  183. Greetins from Northern Saskatchewan CANADA!

    What a great story! I love them all! But if we have to limit it to one – it will have to be DREAMING ABOUT DIAMONDS! What girl doesn't dream about diamonds! lol

    Thanks,
    Catherine

  186. Such a nice story! I really like Better Together. I'd love to win…thanks for the chance. smdecoste at yahoo

  188. Hands down is Better Together . I just love her and she is for sure one of my next projects , hopefully . lol Thanks for making such beautiful quilt designs for all of us , to enjoy for many years to come

  192. All of the patterns are great. It was very hard to choose just one. I like Criss Cross Applesauce the best, I think. 🙂 Thank you for this wonderful give-away. Take care and God bless, Cory

  194. Dreaming of diamonds is the absolute winner. They are all stunning designs, I must say.
    Thanks for the chance to win
    naslyyadid(at)gmail(dot)com

  197. It was very hard for me to pick my favorite Sweet Jane's pattern. I have narrowed it down to Dreaming of Diamonds and Better Together. Since I have to pick an absolute favorite it is……..Better Together!!!!!!!

  198. I have to say I love way too many of her patterns to begin to list them, but one I saw on her Etsy shop called French Window Panes is my ultimate favorite, then A Little Bit of Honey, then Key to My Heart.

    I love the simplicity of them, the straight lines, the symmetry. I just love them!

  199. Wow! It is hard to choose! I think FLowers in the Sunshine would bemy first pick.But several to put on my list…:-)

  200. I just can't choose between Better Together and Cozy Nights. They are both my favorites! I love the look of her patterns. Thanks for the opportunity to win!=)

  201. I can't pick just one favorite….I just found Tumbling Nine Patch and Key to my Heart and I love them both!! I've been wanting to make a quilt from my stash and both of these would be perfect! Thanks so much!

  203. I have already purchased many Sweet Jane's patterns, they are wonderful.
    Would like to get "Better Together" next. Love the simplicity of it.

  206. My favorite is Better Together. It is so fitting as my daughter just adopted two children from Ethiopia, and their family is "Better Together"!

  210. So many great patterns that it is hard to choose. But I vote for Criss Cross Applesauce if I have to chose just one.

  212. Love the designs. My favourite is Better Together…the designs looks simple and easy and using precut fabrics is a must these days!!

  215. Key To My Heart is my all time favourite. I have made this quilt four times for my four angels that all hold keys to my own heart!

  218. what a great story–it's amazing what paths our lives take :). I have used one of your patterns and loved how it used up every scrap of fabric and the end result was just what I was hoping!
    Thanks

    Karen

  223. Cozy Nights because it's appropriate for what quilts are used for–snuggling. However, Keys to my heart is clever. My stash includes several jelly rolls so I could sew both!

  225. Better Together immediately caught my attention. I have purchase one of her patterns before and love the simplicity.

  227. I like Lemonade Lollipops best because I like pinwheels. I like that your patterns are made for layer cakes or fat quarters. Very nice feature. Kathie L in Allentown

  228. Amazing story and even more amazing patterns. Simple is where it's at for lots of quilters these days and while your patterns may be "simple" Sue they are also simply gorgeous and simply delightful to make. I'm doing Rocky Road right now in bright bold Kaffe Fassett reds instead of the white background and it is a blast. Also love your brand new pattern.

  229. Lemonade Lollipop is my favorite. I think it is a versatile pattern that would look great in traditional or modern fabrics.

  230. I love the simplicity of the patterns. Better Together immediately caught my eye. I have previously bought one of her patterns- Angels Staircase- to show off a large scale print. I would love to try more of her patterns.

  233. When I saw "Janie's Scrap Basket" pattern, I thought of the bright, plastic pinwheels that my cousins and I had every summer when we were very young in the early '50s. What fun and what wonderful memories! I have to make this quilt and use the "happy, summer colors."
    Cheryl in southeast Georgia

  235. I love the name and the quilt-Criss Cross Applesauce. Then Better Together is also a favorite-so many cute ones to choose from.
    esterling9 at aol dot com

  241. Dreaming of Diamonds is one I would just love to make! I picture it done in 30's prints. Just love it. If I don't win it I will have to purchase it.

  242. My favorite right now is key to my heart. I love working with jelly rolls and I like finished quilts that look like they were complicated but are actually really easy to make haha.

    Kristy

  245. It is really hard to choose a favorite when they are all so delightful..but Market Square seemed to catch my eye a little faster than others.. I will pick that one.. I think.. yes.. I will stick with that.. aaaaaaaaahh

  246. My most favorite and absolutely can't live without is Sweet Jane's Around the Block Quilt Pattern. It's absolutely beautiful.

    Thanks for the chance.

  250. I like Better Together – I like anything where the block doesn't jump out at you. Thanks for the giveaway!

  251. I think the Simply Stripey is my favorite, What a great stash buster. I love reading about how people git their start!

  255. I really love the "Better Together" quilt. So simple against the white background. Reminds me of my grandmother for some reason!

  257. I,too, was a "late bloomer" when it came to quilter and, with four boys, love quick and easy patterns. Yours are beautiful. Love the story as well. Thanks for sharing with us!

  258. So many great patterns. My favorite is Keys to My Heart. It would be an excellent pattern for a man's quilt, which isn't as easy to find as more feminine quilt patterns.

    wordygirl at earthlink dot net

  260. Too hard to choose – I like them ALL but if I MUST pick – it's Better Together. These are some of the best patterns I've seen for precuts!
    Thanks so much for the giveaway! (fingers crossed!)

  270. Love the cozy nights pattern but would love any number of them…you are very talented…thank you for the chance …lindacrosby(at)hotmail(dot)com

  272. I must say I luv all Sweet Jane patterns. My niece was visiting from Canada last weekend and she was working on 'Heaven's Door'. It was beautiful and I'd say it is a favorite along with Angels Staircase. Thanks for sharing your story and the chance to win some Sweet Jane patterns.

  276. It is a hard choice just to pick one, but Simply Strippy pattern is wonderful as are all your patterns. I appreciate your information for using different precuts and including multiple sizes.