Feels Like Spring!

We all know the saying that April showers bring May flowers, but after what seems like a long winter, no one minds those spring flowers showing up a bit early! 

 Michele Crawford used the spring-like colors and prints in the Gramercy collection to design a quilt that definitely feels like spring:

"Floral Charm" designed by Michele Crawford and machine quilted by Wanda Jeffries;
 featured in The Quilter magazine April/May 2014

We asked Michele to share some of the background behind her quilt design. 

What attracted you to the Gramercy collection? Is there a print you liked best?

I thought this collection looked very bright, happy and "spring-y" for an April/May 2014 issue. I like the large main print the best (especially when it's not cut up--I used it on the back of this quilt!).

Were you going for a trellis look in the quilt design?

No, actually I wanted a modern look to showcase the fabric, and had been seeing a lot of “cross” blocks on Pinterest. It just was a pleasant surprise that the design evokes a trellis effect.

Can you talk about how you auditioned which 5 prints to use in the HSTs?

As a designer whose job is to design the best block and quilt to feature the fabric collection, I try to use the fabrics in the collection that speak to me first while providing a pleasing design with contrast. I try to limit myself to between 4 – 10 fabrics within a project.

Why did you decide to use 3 different fabrics for the sashing inside the blocks?

The blocks would be very busy if there wasn’t any contrast between the fabrics; and by providing contrast, the cross pops! The solid white sashing was used to provide contrast between the blocks, and to not have to match the seams between the blocks so it made the piecing process much easier.

What do you like best about this quilt?

I am working on encompassing the modern quilt movement – a “traditionalist with a modern twist” – is what I’m aiming for as a designer these days. Using a more modern fabric collection in colors different than I normally choose along with a traditional block was a challenge for me which I enjoyed. It was also one of the first quilts I’ve designed where I did not use a main print for the border as the white sashing gives the quilt a “clean” finish. I also wanted a more modern look to the quilting so I asked my machine quilter for an overall circular type design to offset the angular lines of the quilt.

Anything you'd like to share about the quilt?

The yellow flowers on stems fabric that is used in Block A is a directional print. I was very careful to cut the triangles for each block so that the stems were all going the same way. It is worth my time and effort to make sure that all the flowers were pointing up even though it’s very hard to see this when the fabric is cut up. I’m also the quilter that has to cut directly on a line in a plaid, check or print so it must be the OCD in me!

See the entire Gramercy collection here.

Learn more about Michele and find the kit for this quilt here.

Find The Quilter magazine here.