Arete Quilt - Sunny Afternoon Version
The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to live with purpose.
— Michel de Montaigne
Design Inspiration
“Eudaimonia” is the Greek word for “human flourishing.” Eudaimonia Studio designs are inspired by the ancient question of what it means to live well. The Arete quilt is inspired by Aristotle’s concept of “excellence,” representing the continuous pursuit of one’s highest potential in all aspects of life—intellectual, moral, physical, and creative. To live with arete is to align every effort with a deeper why, transforming our multidimensional lives into an overarching life purpose and more meaningful existence.
Details & Techniques
The Arete quilt is an eye-catching pattern designed with the confident beginner in mind. It’s available in four versatile sizes (pillow, baby, throw, and king), making it perfect for anything from a bold home accent to a full bed statement!
This pattern features two foundational quilting techniques: half-square triangles (HSTs) and half-rectangle triangles (HRTs). If you’re new to these techniques, Arete is an excellent introduction. The clean lines and dynamic layout make it a rewarding and quick sew, while still offering just enough of a challenge to grow your skills. Arete is all about building skills and making something beautiful along the way!
This quilt was pieced by Chelsea LeBouton.
Fabrics
This version of the Arete quilt features a vibrant, 9 color palette (the 8-color version + border!), reminiscent of a sunny afternoon! In playing around with mockups, I was struck by this color combination that also gave me retro ‘70s vibes. Something about the orange, pinks, and greens puts me in a funky floral-wallpapered living room with shaggy carpet and a velvet couch . . . and I was in love!
The quilt top is all Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids:
Color 1: Golden Bronze
Color 2: Aero Blue
Color 3: White Linen
Color 4: Garden Fern
Color 5: Cotton Candy
Color 6: Quartz Pink
Color 7: Marmalade
Color 8: Olive Oil
Color 9: Cerulean
The backing is AGF Garden Sonnet Dusk by Bonnie Christine
Binding is AGF Pure Solids Ocean Waves
Be sure to check out all the different versions of this pattern for more inspiration!
Want to color your own version? Create your own mockups of the Arete quilt on PreQuilt!
Quilting
This quilt was longarmed by Trace Creek Quilting using the So Chic Blooms pantograph by Crystal Smythe. I chose this stunning floral pantograph to pay tribute to the retro, flower-child vibes that I get from this colorway.
Tools Used
Machine: Bernina 475QE
Piecing thread: Gutermann Sew All thread
Batting: Pellon White Cotton with scrim
Olfa 45mm rotary cutter & rotary mat
Adobe Illustrator for trusty mockups
