Posted on Friday, June 8, 2012 | By Quilt Magazine | 0 Comments

Five Questions with Sharon Holland

Recently, Quilt talked to Sharon Holland, who designed “Carousel,” the cover quilt for the August/September issue of Quilt magazine.

QUILT: How did you come up with this pattern?

SH: I love traditional quilt designs but wanted to inject something of my own as well. I took the Clay’s Choice pattern and added the little corner square units to the corner blocks for another element to the overall design.

QUILT: Why did you choose a white solid for the background?

SH: White was the perfect choice to set off all the different prints and keep the quilt crisp. I love white grounds, they are bright and fresh.

QUILT: Did you design/make this quilt with anyone particular in mind?

SH: No, not really, it was a personal challenge to myself. I had already made three other quilts with my Dilly Day fabrics and I had wanted to come up with a new way of seeing the fabrics. I just knew I wanted it bright and cheery, the pinwheel design gives the whole quilt so much movement, it turned out to be one of my favorite quilts!

QUILT: How was the machine quilting chosen for this quilt?

SH: I always let the quilt and my machine quilter Michele Mason, speak to me. I knew I wanted a tight, overall design with good movement and I always pick a quilting design that Michele likes to do. I want her to enjoy the process too!

QUILT: Anything else you want to tell our readers about this quilt?

SH: I love scrap quilts; each block has a personality. If your scrap quilts are a bit muddy or dull, think about trying a white ground, it will bring life to the prints and be the perfect support to all your wonderful scraps.

Lisa Swenson Ruble