Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration

It doesn't seem entirely plausible that Denyse Schmidt planned her latest book, Modern Quilts, Traditional Inspiration, with me in mind. And yet, it appeals exactly to my tastes. I would love to meet Denyse - I feel that she's a kindred spirit.

I've started making blocks for the Tobacco Leaf, Ocean Waves, and Churn Dash quilts in the book. I just want to try everything out at once. Excuse the wrinkly blocks, after being folded up in a cabinet they could all use a good pressing. Tobacco Leaf is a very time consuming and fiddly project, but definitely my favorite pattern in the book. It will take me a long, long time to make, but I'm excited to see how my piecing improves in accuracy over time. I chose a cheddar background for my version that I love paired with the brown leaves.

To be honest, Modern Quilts is the only book of actual quilt patterns I own. Instead I've cultivated a small reference library of books focusing on antique quilts and other textiles that make up various museum and university collections. The projects featured in Modern Quilts successfully capture the  spirited design qualities that make many old, old quilts feel so fresh to me...