QUILTS & FABRIC: PAST & PRESENT


Tuesday, June 28, 2016

Morris Earthly Paradise Project & Kit


For each fabric collection we do at Moda we have a Project pattern. The project for Morris Earthly Paradise is a 75-inch square quilt that includes pieced stars and simple applique.

Morris Earthly Paradise
75" x 75"
Available as a project sheet or a kit.
See the catalog sheet here:

This design has many mothers. The final version is a collaboration between Moda designer Carrie Nelson and me. I sent Carrie the suggestion below. She added smaller stars and a less-static border.


My inspiration was a quilt that Karla Menaugh, Jean Stanclift
and I designed years ago for our Sunflower Pattern Co-operative.

Jacobean Meadow had 13 stars and 12 applique blocks.

Jean made our model in fabrics from the first line Terry Thompson
and I did for Moda called Floral Trails.


Our inspiration in turn was a vintage English applique.

I can't remember where we found the photo.
The picture below is the only one I have.
We loved the primitive applique and the wild border.

We weren't the only people with a picture of this quilt on our bulletin boards.
Kim McLean was inspired to create her very popular version
Stars & Sprigs

Stars & Sprigs by Kim McLean

I bet some of you had a photo of that English quilt on your bulletin boards too.


3 comments:

  1. Actually, I've not seen the original photo before. However, it's wonderful that each person working with the concept created a unique balance of color, proportion, and design. I would like to add that setting the stars in a vertical row and the flowers in a vertical row, but connecting would be interesting to see in bright Pennsylvania Dutch prints, or maybe blues and yellows. Thanks for sharing.

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  2. Gypsy---you should do your own take on it.

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  3. Would love to get a copy of this pattern

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