Quilt Showcase: Beautiful Gardens of the Friday Friends

Once a month, we will try to showcase a quilt from one of our MPS members.  Whether we’ve been quilting for decades or are just beginning our quilting journey, we are a talented bunch; and we inspire each other regularly with the many wonderful quilts that are created.  So it seems fitting that we showcase a quilt in hopes it will inspire others.  (You can click on any of the images to see a larger view.)

Five Gardens

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a group of quilters plants an idea and lets it grow, look no further than the Friday Friends. This MPS small group has been stitching together for years, but a while back they decided to “dig in” on a fresh project: a garden-themed block exchange.

The plan was simple—each member would create a block of their own design (garden-themed, of course), then make six more of that same block to exchange with the other members of the group. Everyone would go home with seven blocks, sprinkle in some personal flair, and watch their own unique quilt blossom. For a dash of unity, the group selected a cheerful yellow and white printed fabric to appear in every block, and decided they would use a light background of each quilter’s choosing.

And oh, did those gardens grow!

Heather brought autumn to life with a golden Sunflower block. Her 55-inch square quilt is more than just a garden—it’s a friendship bouquet. When MPS’s 25th Anniversary Jubilee rolled around last year, she whipped up a panel of Friendship Stars for her group’s decorated table while the rest of the group made smaller stars and sprinkled them about the table. Lady Luck must love Heather, because she won the drawing and took all the stars home! Naturally, they found their way into her finished quilt.

Lisa joined the project with a little trepidation; but as you can see, she definitely rose to the challenge! Her block features Flying Geese and Dragonflies. She added a surprise little frog tucked under tall Hollyhocks for the perfect addition to the original blocks.  At 52” x 62”, it’s the perfect size for her deck, where she plans to enjoy it while basking in her well-earned quilting victory.

April stitched up a sweet Jar of Flowers block, then got clever with block placement. She grouped her blocks by size, filled in the gaps with extras (including sunflower leaves—brilliant!), and sprinkled in a few paper-pieced treasures. Now this cheerful 52” x 46” quilt brightens the office that doubles as a guest room when needed.

Nancy is all about the bees—those tiny VIPs of the garden. Her beehive block buzzed into every quilt, and her own quilt includes a hummingbird and ladybird to keep them company. With a bright blue sky background, her 52” x 46” quilt will be right at home on her new birthday bench by the pond.

Linda is our resident Mariner’s Compass enthusiast (thanks to Robin Ruth Designs) and brought her sunny compass blocks to the garden party. Her quilt flows through the seasons—from frosty winter on the left to warm autumn on the right—with twelve appliquéd circles representing the months of the year. There’s even a bunny peeking out from the bottom, because as Linda says, “If they’re going to eat my bulbs, they might as well live in my quilt.”

And while Kim hasn’t yet assembled her quilt, her bird blocks are already nesting in everyone else’s. Diana’s butterflies are also fluttering through every piece, adding a dash of whimsy to each garden.

The end result? Seven unique quilts, all stitched from the same seeds of inspiration but blooming into something wonderfully different. Every quilt reflects its maker’s personality, and together they’re a joyful reminder of why we love quilting with friends.

Bravo, Friday Friends—you’ve truly grown something beautiful!