Illuminated! 
And the Back!
I love giving quilts to family and friends! There are some occasions that just seem to call for a warm cozy hug from home, and going off to college feels like a perfect moment to let someone know you are thinking of them, hoping for good things to come their way and celebrating the new paths they will take. This quilt is going off to college with a great-niece soon, meaning not yet! She is starting her college career with on line classes, but I have a feeling that won’t slow her down a bit. She is smart and insightful, already in contact with room mates and dorm mates anticipating when they can be on campus.
So, the QUILT!
My co-ed gave me a color scheme of gray and lavender, which I thought was very sophisticated and would make a spectacular quilt. I chose a pattern designed by a dear friend, Lisa Bee Wilson of Towerhouse Quilts, called “Mountain Top Quilt”. It is available at her Etsy shop, and believe me, this is a pattern you will use more than once. It really does lend itself to using any simple color scheme, and lots of stash fabrics. Since we are in a pandemic, I did need to ask my quilting buddies for some lavender fat quarters, and even so, did end up getting more from my favorite shop, Jean Marie’s Fabrics. I was lucky to have just enough of this fabulous Tula Pink backing fabric in a complimentary color way! Seeing these stacks of blocks grow and putting it on the design wall was pure enjoyment for this textile junkie! I loved adding a variety of grays and blacks to the full spectrum lavender fabrics, and I do love the controlled scrappy effect of the layout with darker blocks framing the quilt.
Look closely, and you will see the quilting I chose, called “Topographic”. It is featured in my Get Addicted To Free Motion Quilting book. It’s a design I like as an all-over, on a contemporary or earthy quilt. It is fast and easy, giving the quilt a relaxed drape, perfect for a bed quilt.
