My first attempt at a modern quilt was the one I just finished for our new grandson Trey Michael.
Mommy had chosen navy, green and brown for the nursery colors, and she likes a more clean, modern look. So I decided to give it a try.
I chose a tan for the background, to match the walls, and began cutting out circles of the fabrics I’d used for the curtains. I added some other circles that fit the look, and stitched them in place using Sharon Schamber’s Piece-liquĂ© technique.
I decided to “poof” the circles using a faux trapunto technique (perhaps a future blog topic 🙂 ). And did some really fast, simple and fun echo quilting.
Then I realized the trapunto poly batt circles weren’t anchored, so I did some quilting inside each circle too. Each circle was quilted, but the “wagon wheel” in the brown circle and the spiral in the green circle are the most visible.
I also quilted in his initial, the year, and signed the quilt on the front with contrasting thread. It was an easy and enjoyable process, and Trey seems to really like it!
When the top was done and it was ready to baste, I had an “aha” moment. I like to safety pin baste my quilts in a frame (it really helps to prevent puckers on the back). I did a blog post on this many years ago (click here to read about it). My problem has always been that my boards for the frame are king sized and it’s such a pain to use them when doing a smaller quilt. So Mike and I made a trip to the lumber yard and purchased four 60″ boards for under $6. Why didn’t I do this sooner? Well, it works great, and I can easily put the frame up in the dining room, because I don’t need a 12′ open area.
This project was a joy. I don’t think I’ll become a “modern only” quilter, but I’m sure I’ll try another one soon.
Are you a modern quilter? Would you like to share one of your quilts with us? If so, please send me a picture at:
And on a personal note –
This past week Trey turned 3 weeks old and Sommer turned 3 years old. We had her birthday party this weekend and grandma made her a princess cake (Belle) to go with the party theme. It was fun, but I think I’d rather work with fabric than frosting 🙂 !
Lori Maglio says
What a neat quilt! Trey is adorable. And Sommer is really growing up fast. I love to make the so-called modern quilts. I like not having to deal with so much fussiness and point perfection. Maybe you’ll come over to our side eventually……!
clkquilt says
Hi Lori, Enjoyed seeing your quilt at the Sun Prairie show. They have a fun exhibit of Modern Quilts this year!
Kathleen Swinkowski says
Your quilt is great and you did a nice job on the cake. Isn’t being a grandmom great.
Patt Nieman says
Your quilt is awesome!
I haven’t seen a cake like that in many years…..thanks for the trip back in time. It looks great!
the2alps says
Your modern quilt is inspiring! And the princess cake is gorgeous too.