Bari J’s Indigo and Aster Fabric Collection
Little known but widely done- I spend many days in my studio not talking to anyone. Its the very essence of working “remote”. Except for the occasional sputter of profanity that I’ve been known to unload when I experience a computer crash, or a very wrong quilting error, I don’t really talk to anyone on those days. But I have people that mean alot to me that I text with often. They are in other parts of the country, likely doing very much the same thing I’m doing- quietly working hard at home.
One of those people is Bari J. She is someone I can have a virtual coffee break (or matcha latte) with when I stop during the day. We joke, we bounce ideas, we give reality checks. When she was busy creating her newest fabric collection, Indigo & Aster, to hit fabric stores, I knew I’d want to play with it. Bari’s fabrics are full of saturated colors and confident florals. And even though I tend to play with older fabrics, I do love color, so I was excited to jump in and make this quilt top.
This block is sort of a miniature version of the quilt called Medallion in Wise Craft Quilts (below).
(photo by Stephanie Congdon Barnes)
That one is made with barkcloth florals and improv pieced stitch and flip triangles (a technique I first played with back when my friend Katie’s book Quilting Modern came out). I made Lisa Solomon a quilt very much like this layout several years ago, I called it Fractured Circles and did it as a color study (inspired by Lisa’s artwork). Its a very freeing type of piecing, the triangles can really slant in any direction and there is no wrong way to do them.
And a happy surprise when I was laying out Bari’s fabrics- I love the way the Maximum Broderie print (below) can create a woven effect when every other block is turned 90 degrees-
This mini quilt consists of four blocks, each finishing 16″ square, the perfect size for a stroller or small child. You could easily make it larger or even make a pretty pillow by using just one of the blocks.
Fractured Medallion Quilt using Bari J’s Indigo and Aster Fabric Collection
Makes a 32″ square quilt
Materials– (Note- All my fabrics are from Bari J’s Indigo and Aster Fabric collection, in stores now)
Fabric A– 1/4 yard of 4 different prints (the squares)
Fabric B– 4 fat quarters of prints with good contrast to the Fabric A prints (the fabrics that make up the circle area within each square)
Fabric C– 1 fat quarter (the green in my quilt)
To make-
Cut sixteen 4 1/2″ squares from each of the Fabric A 1/4 yard prints per block
Cut twelve 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ rectangles from each of the Fabric B prints per block
Cut thirty-two 2 1/2 x 4 1/2″ rectangles from Fabric C (8 per block)
To create the stitch and flip triangle areas within each block, lay a Fabric B rectangle over the edge of a Fabric A square as shown below. Make sure the edges hang extend over the edge of the square a little, and that the rectangle will extend as needed to keep the 4 1/2″ square size once you sew and press it (its ok if it is larger). Stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance, trim away excess, and square up unit to equal 4 1/2″. (Note: The image below uses slightly larger sized stitch and flip units, but the technique is exactly the same).
(photo by Stephanie Congdon Barnes)
Create twelve of these units per block. You can batch sew these by adding the Fabric B rectangle over the same corner unless your fabric is directional (as in the striped block I created, I wanted the stripes going specific ways, so created these units one by one.)
Lastly, you will add a Fabric C rectangle to the four outermost squares in the same way. Add a Fabric C to the innermost squares, careful to add to the diagonal opposite corner that you added Fabric B on.
I sewed each block together first (left to right, top to bottom, nesting the seam allowances), then sewed the blocks together once.
I’m looking forward to playing with some free motion quilting. I’ve already pulled some Aurifil 50 wt thread to try out.
Be sure and share your projects using #indigoandasterfabrics. See the entire range and gaze at the beautiful lookbook here.
You can also download the pineapple “Floraison” quilt I designed using Bari’s fabrics here.