A Mother's Love in 57 Shades: Foundation Paper Piecing the Mare & Foal Quilt
Horses have stood beside people for thousands of years — from chariots and battlefields to farm fields, and today as loving, gentle companions. The Mare & Foal Quilt Kit turns that long partnership toward something quieter: the motherly love and tenderness a mare shows her foal. It is a portrait built entirely from solid color, showing how value and shading create emotion without a single printed motif.
What This Kit Makes
The finished quilt measures 60" x 80" — a generous throw that will also cover a twin bed, and a strong size for a wall or display piece where the portrait can be seen whole. The subject is the mare and her foal, rendered piece by piece rather than printed on fabric. The style depends on gradual transitions: light falling on a coat, shadow under a chin, and the close bond between the two animals all have to read through sewn seams.
That is why the palette is so deep. With many close shades, changes in tone can be gentle instead of abrupt, giving the finished horses depth and softness rather than a flat, poster-like look.
What's Included
The kit contains 57 different shades of Robert Kaufman Kona Cotton Solids. Kona is a longtime quilter's staple: a smooth, tightly woven quilting cotton that presses crisply and holds its shape through many seams — exactly what a project built from many small foundation-pieced pieces needs.
The kit also includes color maps. In a palette of 57 solids, several shades will look nearly identical under sewing-room light. The maps tell you which shade belongs in which section, so you can place each piece with confidence instead of guessing and discovering a swap several sections later.
The product is tagged for foundation paper piecing. The listing description does not list backing, batting, or binding as included, so plan to choose those separately — a quiet, solid backing that does not compete with the portrait is a sensible direction.
Skill Level: Who This Suits
Foundation paper piecing is methodical: sew on the printed line, fold, trim, press, and repeat. The sequence itself is learnable, and the color maps help you stay oriented. Still, a 60" x 80" portrait in 57 shades means many units and sustained organization. This kit suits a quilter already comfortable with foundation paper piecing, or a confident beginner who has finished a smaller paper-pieced project first. If you have never tried the technique, practice on a small block before opening this kit.
How Long It Takes
Plan on a multi-session project, not a weekend finish. Work section by section, complete each unit before starting the next, and do not rush the joins. Working in stages lets the mare and foal emerge gradually, and lets you check that values flow correctly as you go.
Tips for Success with These Materials
Organize before you sew. Sort all 57 Kona shades against the color maps as soon as you open the kit, and keep every offcut labeled. In a palette this close, sorting is not busywork — it is half the project.
Shorten your stitch length. Shorter stitches perforate foundation paper so it tears away cleanly, and they hold small pieces securely when you trim.
Press every step. With this many seams, unpressed units drift out of shape. A quick press after each addition keeps units flat and helps sections join accurately.
Check value, not just color. If two shades seem out of order, take a black-and-white phone photo. Stripping away the hue shows the light-to-dark steps the portrait depends on.
Keep the maps at the machine. Refer to them for every section, not just the first few. Most placement errors happen once confidence rises and checking stops.
Made patiently, Mare & Foal is more than a horse quilt — it is a study in tenderness, told in 57 shades of solid cotton.
Shop the Mare & Foal Quilt Kit at Linda's Electric Quilters.
