Zen Garden

It may have taken two months, but I have certainly fallen in love! Have a look at my finally finished Zen Garden quilt and tell me you aren't in love too!

Made from the Zen Garden pattern in Jo Avery's book, Patchwork & Quilting Basics (affiliate link) from C&T Pub, 

I'd say this is one beautiful garden quilt!

Using the multi-colored floral fabric as my color inspiration, I pulled oranges, reds, yellows, and greens from my stash. 

And this pattern is perfect for including those bold striped fabrics. Paired with quieter blenders, they all play well together. 

As for construction, once I had all the pieces cut, the two different sized blocks were easy to put together,

especially during an early morning chain piecing session!

When it came to the layout though, I didn't follow Jo's exact instructions. Instead, I put all the blocks on the floor following the quilt diagram in the book. That way, I could be sure I wasn't putting the same fabrics together, OR putting too much visual weight in one area by value, OR creating pattern clashes. I want the crickets to chirp and the birds to sing about my garden quilt - can't you hear them? 

Once I had the top assembled, the idea of how to quilt it didn't take long. Though the blocks are along the lines of a traditional log cabin, the overall layout of this quilt says modern, which meant Zen Garden needed a modern quilt design. And I found the perfect pantograph, Bebop, full of repeating circles, which is not only a modern design, but in itself is quite zen.

Just look at the contrast those circles create with the squares on the quilt - the perfect pantograph indeed!

Can you tell I really have fallen in love? I'll be keeping this one as another summer/fall quilt for display in the living room, and for the occasional snuggle when the nighttime temps fall.

As for Jo's Patchwork & Quilting Basics book (affiliate link), I just can't say enough. Patchwork & Quilting Basics (affiliate link) is not just for those who are new to quilting - it's perfect for any quilter. The book is full of simple patterns using traditional techniques and blocks but with a modern twist - the types of quilts I'm drawn to, and the style of quilt I try to design. I found several of her quilt patterns I'd like to make, such as the Stream Quilt,

or Dancing Pandas. Both are simple, yet eye-catching.

Even though you may have plenty of quilt books on your shelf, if you're looking for a more modern quilt sewn with traditional techniques, this book is for you!

Happy Quilting!

My Favorite Patterns