Cozy cabin quilt pattern test with vintage vibes in modern colors

I love pattern testing for Morgan at Modernly Morgan for so many reasons. Firstly, she famously loves a star quilt. What’s not to love? Secondly, she has such a fun aesthetic. She always has a modern spin with a nod to a classic quilt block. And most of all, she writes very clear instructions.

The Cozy Cabin quilt pattern does not disappoint on any of these fronts. She has taken the traditional log cabin block, and married it to a sawtooth star. She has balanced these two with negative space, making it visually striking and fresh. And three, she has simplified the star by taking out any flying geese blocks (can be tricky to master for beginning quilters), and written clear instructions for large blocks that come together much more quickly than you’d guess.

architectural fabrics with scandi style

Because her pattern instructions are so clear (and usually correct even before they’ve been attempted by pattern testers like me), I get to choose my most cherished and quality designer fabrics, and I don’t have to worry about cutting into them and potentially wasting them on faulty measurements. Lucky me!

So for this quilt, to highlight the modern element of this modern/traditional twist, I chose an array of prints designed by Carolyn Friedlander. Her prints are usually monochromatic and textural, with organic or architectural motifs. So even though the designs are quite intricate, they feel very minimalist and modern.

The colors I chose are similarly sophisticated and understated. Primarily neutrals and pastels, there are also just enough vibrant hues to really pop. Next to cream and taupe and grey, the orange and lilac prints are particularly vivid and bold.

Understated neutrals with pops of bold color are characteristic of Scandinavian style, which inspired the next phase of this pattern test: the photo shoot.

Scandinavian style quilt photo shoot

The Flower Fields quilt is what I eventually called this quilt made from the Cozy Cabin pattern. It is so named for the fresh, modern, Scandi-style color palette, sure, but also because that’s where I decided to take it for a photo shoot, the Carlsbad Flower Fields in May.

For a couple of months every spring, Southern Californians get to experience these beautiful fields of ranunculus flowers. This is what I imagine a Dutch countryside would look like (minus the windmills).

Flower Fields, Yellow and Red Flowers — an ocean of flowers along the coast

In my head, I imagined the quilt glowing against this beautiful backdrop, the vibrant flowers complementing the soft fabrics. In reality, it was a rather windy day, and rather crowded in the fields with people all capturing their flower-backed selfies and family portraits.

My skilled photographer friend, Katy, managed to snap a photo or two that was more in line with what I imagined. I love how it looks like I just came across this quilt top in a field by chance. A buried treasure among the ranunculus!

unique Finishing quilt touches Add to the Scandi Aesthetic

The Flower Fields photo shoot was taken before the quilt was finished, clearly. When just the top was pieced together, before it was layered and quilted and bound.

But quilters know: it’s not a quilt until it’s quilted! I quilted this one in my favorite meander. Instead of a stipple, I meander with straight lines and corners so that my quilting looks like a road map. This is just my natural free-motion quilting technique, the one that’s most instinctive to me, and luckily I love the way it looks.

“It’s not a quilt until it’s quilted”

— Quilters, Everywhere and Always

I used a white thread to keep it fresh and minimal; it blends right in to the white background fabric.

Anytime I free motion quilt, I use my sit-down long arm machine, a Handiquilter Sweet Sixteen. It sits on a large table, and has a large throat space (which must be what they mean by long ‘arm’, right? Their anatomical metaphors are mixed), which makes it much easier to quilt something this size. Often with quilts larger than a twin quilt, I send them out to a professional long-arm quilter, but doing it on my own on the Sweet Sixteen keeps my skills sharp.

Once complete, I paired it with crisp white linens and a simple rainbow garland of felt. I imagine it would enhance any bedroom, from minimal modern to lush maximalist. It clearly goes well with flowers! How would you decorate a space around this quilt?

Find it in the Handmade Quilt Shop