Hello, everyone! My name is Miriam Ronne of Stitch Obsessed, and I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to show you my latest free quilt pattern: “Cottage Twirl,” using Tara Reed’s latest fabric collection, Happy At Home!
When I first saw “Happy At Home,” I knew I HAD to design a quilt for this fabric line. And what better way to share it than to share it here with all of you?! Let’s jump right into it, shall we?
Let’s Talk About This Fabric
“Happy At Home” is the perfect combination of sweet prints and vibrant colors with its cutesy birds, dainty florals, playful polka dots, squiggly stripes, and a few hidden butterflies and dragonflies (I love those tiny details.)
The colors are so yummy and can lend themselves to all kinds of quilt patterns, whether you like timeless, traditional quilts or modern quilt designs. Tara really has an eye for color, and even though many of the colors are “primary colors,” the combination of these colors gives the collection a fresh look that’s perfect for all seasons.
I especially like the deep charcoal grey with vibrant oranges, teals, and yellows. This was a bold design choice, and I am here for it!
The Cottage Twirl Quilt Pattern
When I first saw the fabrics, I got super strong “cottage vibes,” which is right up my design alley. I immediately jumped into quilt designing mode and picked out a couple of classic quilt blocks that would display the dainty prints of the fabric beautifully.
The first block I chose was the Nine Patch quilt block. I used the Lemon Vignettes, White Dots, and Salmon Flowers fabrics for all nine patch blocks.
For the second block, I decided to use one of my personal favorite quilt blocks: the Friendship Star. I love the movement and simplicity of this block, and I thought it paired perfectly with the simple nine patch block.
The fabrics I used for all the friendship star blocks were the Aqua Vignettes, White Birds, Gray Flower, and Lemon Stripes.
These blocks are not only beautiful, but they are excellent beginner-friendly quilt blocks. I firmly believe that you don’t have to be a “professional” or “seasoned” quilter to make gorgeous quilts; this quilt pattern will help you do just that.
I also wanted to use one of the more vibrant fabrics for the border to finish the quilt and quickly chose the Salmon Vignettes for the quilt’s border. I chose this fabric specifically because it has all the colors from the other fabrics, which ties it all together. Plus, I just adore those little bird nests!
I designed the “Cottage Twirl” pattern with beginner quilters in mind, but even if you are a more experienced quilter, I think you’ll love this quilt, or at least I hope you will! I already can’t wait to make another one!
The Free Motion Quilting
I am a massive advocate for quilters to learn how to quilt their own quilts. If you’ve never quilted one of your quilt tops, you’re missing out on one of the most rewarding and creative aspects of creating a quilt (in my opinion, anyways.)
I made a very simple yet modern free motion quilting design on this quilt, and I did it with my domestic sewing machine. If you would like to learn how to do this quilting design on any quilt (not just this quilt pattern), you can check out my YouTube Channel. I also teach all kinds of sewing and quilting-related techniques and tutorials.
Thank you so much to Riley Blake Designs for the opportunity to share my love (and obsession) of quilting with all of you! I genuinely hope you love the “Cottage Twirl” pattern, and I would absolutely LOVE to see your versions of the quilt!
Please tag me on Instagram @stitchobesessedwithmiriam and come hang out with me on YouTube and my blog, Stitch Obsessed!
Happy Stitches!