I had the pleasure of working with Betz White while compiling The Applique Book, to which she contributed a (very cool) project. So when she asked if I would be interested in working with her new fabric line with Riley Blake, Dutch Treat, I was thrilled. I love collections with a sense of history, and Dutch Treat certainly delivers on this point. Betz’s collection was inspired by the iconic folk art of the Pennsylvania Dutch (I encourage you to read more about her inspiration here).
Although the Pennsylvania Dutch settlers were actually of German descent, I took a cue from the name of the collection in creating a simple design inspired by the shapes and layout of Delft tiles from the Netherlands. These types of tiles often display intricate pictorial scenes and decorative patterns, and I love the idea of using a similar layout to spotlight textile designs.
Because the appliques are relatively small and I wanted to let the patterns shine, I left them unquilted. I added dense free-motion motifs between them, and I love how the quilting compresses the batting in the white spaces, creating a mock trapunto effect beneath the appliques (if I were to quilt this again, I might add a layer of wool batting to increase this effect).
I initially intended to center the composition, but later decided to trim the quilt top so that it was off center, which makes it a bit more dynamic. In the negative space I quilted outlines mimicking the appliques and the quilting in between them, continuing the layout beyond the edges of the quilt.
I’m really pleased with how this little quilt turned out. I love the idea of repeating a simple shape in order to highlight different fabric patterns, and I have a feeling I will return to this concept in the future.
If you’d like to learn more about Betz’s adorable collection–and be inspired by other fantastic projects that use it–take a peek at her blog! Thanks so much for reading, and have a lovely weekend!
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