Last year, I had planned to enter a quilt in a local competition, but the deadline was around the time we were moving to Switzerland, and although I designed and pieced the quilt, I never managed to finish it in time. This year, I signed up for the Modern Quilt Guild Fabric Challenge and this is what I came up with.
The Modern Quilt Guild provided its members with fat eighths (I was super excited when I received the parcel!) from a new Michael Miller collection called Petal Pinwheels. I rarely make a quilt using an entire collection because part of the fun in designing a quilt is auditioning the fabric. And, to be honest, even if I were to use a collection, this is not one I would have gone for. Having said that, working with colours and prints you would not usually plump for is a real challenge, and I think it helps you grow as a designer because it forces you out of your fabric comfort zone.
According to the rules, I was allowed to use some or all of the fabric provided, any solids and any Michael Miller prints. I used all but one of the prints and added an off-white solid, plus Michael Miller's Mirror Ball Dot fabric in "laguna". I quilted it using a simple clam shell pattern which I think complements the angular lines of the design.
I am really happy with the design. I think it is a simple, yet effective way of showcasing the different prints. This quilt will go to a friend of mine who is expecting a little girl in October. The quilt is pretty small, but I used a low loft cotton batting, so it should be a good size and weight for a comforter a bit further down the line.
For this quilt, I think using the Mirror Ball Dot fabric in lime green instead of the turquoise "laguna" fabric I used could have completely changed the look of the quilt, and added more colour interest to it, but that is just a minor change. Overall, I am really happy with it and I am thinking about upscaling the design to make it as a queen size quilt. The next step will be to write it up in EQ7 so I can post it as a downloadable pattern on my blog.