Secret Garden Quilt

I designed this quilt three years ago and somehow never shared it.  I started it in a Kathy Doughty workshop using 60 degree triangles and the Jaybird Quilts Hex N More Ruler.


This quilt was my first experience with a design wall.  I cut fabric, put it up, looked at it, changed it, and had no idea what the quilt’s composition would be until it unfolded piece by piece on the design wall.


Much of the fabric comes from Anna Maria Horner’s Fibs and Fables collection for Free Spirit, although there are fabrics in this quilt from many designers around the world.


My goal was to design a quilt that had patterns in it while also being unpredictable.  I wanted my eye to be drawn to the obvious repetitions and then linger on the sections that were unpredictable.  I want the viewer to wonder what I was thinking.


After I made the large blooms, working out the small triangle sections was my favorite part.  It felt like planting little secrets in the quilt for someone to unlock.  I named it my Secret Garden quilt for this reason.


I chose an Alexander Henry fairy tale print for the backing.  It adds a touch of whimsy and story to the quilt.


Making this quilt felt like a tiny step toward the quilting journey I’ve always wanted to be on.  I feel pulled to do more of it:  cut fabric, stand back and look for a while, change things, try something new, repeat.  Create without knowing where it’s going.  Allow things to unfold.  Too often I am worried about controlling the outcome of my creativity.


The Secret Garden quilt design still intrigues me.  I wonder what it would look like remade in another style and color scheme.  Perhaps I’ll revisit it one day…

Edit:  I did revisit this one!  It’s now a pattern , available in my Etsy shop .  And you can see another version of the Secret Garden Quilt here, in bright colors .  So much fun to make!