Another Australian Medallion Design

On the heels of my recent fair ribbons with both blues earned for quilts from Australian designers, I'm pretty much thinking that designs from there are worth sewing. Yes, I am very Aussie-biased. I count among my life's blessings the four times I traveled to Australia between 2008 and 2010, when our daughter and her family lived in Sydney. Being able to join and "meet" quilters through the Yahoo chat group, Quilting Down Under - several of whom I met in person - and/or visiting Australia quilt shops, have tremendously influenced and enhanced my knowledge and appreciation for quilting down under.

When FAB Elyte (Doesn't she have a beautiful name?) of "Tea, Fabric and Other Things" blogged that an Australian quilt shop, the Patchwork Pumpkin, was offering a free medallion quilt pattern I decided to sign up. It came with a few strings attached. They are:

1. You are not allowed to purchase any fabrics for the quilt top. You must use your stash!
2. You may swap fabrics with your friends.
3. Show us your quilt centre to get the next border instructions. No proof? No pattern. No exceptions!

Patchwork Pumpkin's "Friendship Medallion Quilt"

When I read the rules, I loved the concept... and promptly "bought" the free online pattern. Within a few days, I'd made my own "Friendship Medallion" quilt center. This is Part 1.

Friendship Medallion Quilt center, 20-1/2" X 20-1/2" 

Because I began buying quilting fabric so long ago, the bulk of my stash still tends toward "traditional." I'm trying to sneak some of those scraps into this quilt and use white to give it a more modern feel. I like this start.

Part 2 arrived last week and I finished it today. Instructions call these Churn Dash blocks, but I'm familiar with them as Hole in the Barn Door, or Monkey Wrench. (Churn Dash blocks have rectangles instead of squares.) In any case, this is a favorite block, and it's a good thing... I had to make 20 of them. Each block finished at 5" X 5".

I've been cutting the framing spacers larger than the 1-1/2" width called for in the pattern. Having wider spacers allows me more fitting and squaring-up options when my quarter inch seam isn't spot on. The medallion is about 35-1/2" square now. I still think I'm gonna like it.

Friendship Medallion Quilt, part 2 complete

You can join in any time you wish. I hope you do! Let me see your pictures. Linda