Patchwork Quilts: Alluring on the Cover and Beyond – Quilting Daily

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Easy-Breezy? Some! Beautiful? Absolutely!

Although we’ve all heard the old adage of not judging a book by its cover, some covers are so gorgeous it’s hard to resist. I feel this way especially when it comes to the covers of quilt magazines!

Cover girls, or in our case cover quilts, come in all shapes and sizes. Some may be easy to make while others challenge our skills to help us grow. These patchwork quilts invite us into the interior of the magazine to become inspired by the projects and techniques inside.

While I oftentimes find myself thinking of how I would modify the quilts between the covers to make them my own, I usually want to make the “cover girls” exactly as they appear on those glossy pages. Here’s a peek at my top five patchwork quilts that have been featured on the cover of Modern Patchwork or QuiltCon Magazines:

Color Wheels Quilt

If you’ve seen the cover of the September/October 2017 issue of Modern Patchwork, you’ve surely caught a glimpse of the Color Wheels Quilt by Nichole Ramirez. What a stunning quilt! The way Nichole uses Kona Cotton solids to create movement and the look of transparency is nothing short of breathtaking. The fabric choices contribute so much to the overall design of the quilt; I can’t imagine making any changes. Thankfully, our friends at KQ Modern agree and have collected Nichole’s template-piecing directions along with the fabric needed for the quilt top and binding in one convenient kit.

Black and White Improv Pillows

Like peanut butter and jelly, you can’t go wrong with the two classics of black and white. Malka Dubrawsky uses black and white fabrics as the foundation of improvisationally pieced quilt blocks and then she injects shots of color as a way to square up the blocks. Not only does this help the blocks fit together to create the pillows, it also makes the bright colors pop against the stark background.  Malka describes her exploration of black and white improv quilt projects in the article “Improve in Black + White” featured in the Summer 2015 issue of Modern Patchwork. Want to make your own? Get the Black and White Improv Pillows Kit which includes enough fabric to create two pillows of your own invention.

Rainbow Buttons Quilt

Nichole Ramirez awes again with the Rainbow Buttons Quilt! She creatively combines two traditional quilt blocks, a simple nine patch with Drunkard’s Path, to construct this bright modern quilt which graces the cover of the Summer 2016 issue of Make it! Patchwork. Nichole’s ability to choose and showcase a variety of Kona Cotton Solids turns an inventive quilt design into a stunning modern quilt. I don’t have the patience (or confidence to be honest) to choose my own fabrics so I’m thankful all of the solids Nichole used have been curated into the Rainbow Buttons Kit.

Flight Delight Quilt

The moment I saw the Spring 2016 cover of Modern Patchwork, I fell in love with the Flight Delight Quilt designed by Vivika Hansen DeNegre! The paper-pieced blocks with their wing-like shapes are perfectly paired with bright polka dots, subtle pinstripes, and neutral prints from Dear Stella’s Intermix collection. I already bought the Flight Delight Quilt Kit because I can use the same fabrics, but mix them differently to create my own version of this darling quilt.

Sunburst Quilt

The Sunburst Quilt Kit featuring materials for the quilt designed by Yvonne Fuchs is another I have in my stash. This dazzling quilt inspired by streaks of sunlight captured via underwater photography is featured on the 2016 cover of QuiltCon Magazine. This monochromatic quilt uses the subtle changes in fabric values to create transparency along with a push and pull that builds depth within the quilt design. Admittedly, blue is one of my preferred colors (which is why the kit was such a draw for me), but I think the Sunburst Quilt Pattern could be used in conjunction with an array of solids, or even prints, to create something different entirely.

In my eyes, these patchwork quilts are the epitome of what it means to be a “cover girl” quilt—something unique and striking that gives us a taste of what’s inside the magazine. They may range from easy to advanced and monochromatic to a rainbow of color, but these are all quilts I can’t wait to pursue.

Happy quilting!

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  1. Why aren’t I getting the rest of my MODERN PATCHWORK magazines subscription?
    I truly enjoyed my first issue which was Nov./Dec.2018. Is it going to be my first and last issue?

    Trudy J Olson