
May’s Blog Hop is Quilt Modern, not exactly my speciality, but ok, I’m up for a challenge. When I think of modern quilts, I think solids, but I was given this beautiful Island Batik fabric designed by Kathy Engle for Sherry Shish, called Plum Pudding. The fabric has a vintage feel so modern seemed a bit of a stretch… so what else makes a modern quilt? Negative space, bold colors and prints, high contrast, alternate grid work, and reinventing traditional blocks were some of the descriptions I discovered.

These fabrics are gorgeous! I didn’t want to cut them too small, because I wanted to show off the designs – pinecones, deer, trees, snowflakes. I decided to use my AccuQuilt 4 1/2″ and 2 1/2″ square dies which made my cutting super fast and perfect.

Designing with EQ8 I came up with the following:

Once I cut my shapes, the construction of the blocks was fairly easy; no seams to match. I used a Schmetz Microtex needle for piecing.

Then I played on the design wall to make sure I liked the color placement.

Once I sewed the blocks together the final step was the quilting. I decided to try Hobbs Silk Blend batting. It was so soft and quilted beautifully. I quilted it with Aurifil 50 weight thread in a mauve tone that blended perfectly with the fabrics.



I didn’t want you to miss the backing fabric. It was perfect!

Now this is where I would normally say, “The end”, but I had this dilemma: I still had a lot of fabric left and more ideas swirling in my head, so why not another quilt? I wanted to play with Half Square Triangles… a few ideas:
I used my Tucker Trimmer I ruler from Studio 180 Design to make 5″ Half Square Triangles. I decided on the third design option above.
To quilt it, I used Hobbs cotton batting and the same Aurifil thread.


I hope you enjoyed my journey into modern quilts. I hope you have been following the other Island Batik Ambassadors. If not, you can click on their links below. I have been blown away with their creativity!
May 3:

- Preeti Harris, Sew Preeti Quilts
- Denise Looney, For the Love of Geese
- Brianna Roberts, Sew Cute and Quirky
May 4:

- Joanne Hart, Unicornharts
- Leah Malasky, Quilted Delights
May 5:

- Jane Hauprich, Stitch by Stitch Custom Quilting
- Pamela Boatright, PamelaQuilts
May 6:

- Andi Stanfield, True Blue Quilts
- Suzy Webster, Websterquilt
May 7:
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 1 and Giveaway
May 10:

- Jennifer Thomas, Curlicue Creations
- Claudia Porter, Create with Claudia
May 11:

- Megan Best, Bestquilter
- Maryellen McAuliffe, Mary Mack Made Mine
- Jennifer Eubank, Archipelago Quilting
May 12:

- Gail Sheppard, Quilting Gail
- Emily Leachman, The Darling Dogwood
May 13:

- Michelle Roberts, Creative Blonde
- Gail Renna, Quilt Haven Threads You are here
May 14:
Blog Hop Round-Up Week 2 and Giveaway
May 17:

- Sally Manke, Sally Manke Fiber Artist
- Elizabeth DeCroos, Epida Studio
May 18:

- Connie Kauffman, Kauffman Designs
- Jennifer Fulton, Inquiring Quilter
May 19:

- Mania Hatziioannidi, Mania for Quilts
- Janet Yamamoto, Whispers of Yore
May 20:
End of Blog Hop and Round-Up
Also be sure to enter Island Batik’s Giveaway this week to win this beautiful Glacier Bay fabric.

Disclosure: The products in this post were generously provided by Island Batik, Accuquilt, Aurifil, Schmetz Needles, and Hobbs Batting.

Love this batik colorway and your quilt.
LikeLike
Both quilts are fabulous.
LikeLike
Nice quilt. Someday I will buy EQ. So many possiblilities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello Gail! I love both of your quilts and especially the way you quilted the first one. This fabric is so beautiful. I have some, too and am planning on using it for June. Have a great day!
LikeLike
Both quilts are lovely. I had the same problem about cutting the fabrics in small pieces.
LikeLike
Gorgeous colors and quilt and quilting
LikeLike
Lovely quilts–beautiful colors!!
LikeLike
Great quilts!
LikeLiked by 1 person