Repair Quilt - Scrappy Rainbow Version

Repair

Dec 17

If you see what needs to be repaired and how to repair it, then you have found a piece of the world that God has left for you to complete.

— Rabbi Tsvi Freedman

Design Inspiration

Back in 2021, I’d unfortunately fallen into a rather dark and hopeless place. It felt like the world was crumbling around me, and what was there for me to do about it? In a desperate and simultaneously serendipitous moment, I learned more about the concept in Judaism known as tikkun olam, which translates from Hebrew to “repair the world.”

In particular, I learned about a Kabbalistic origin story that tells of God filling glass vessels with sacred light and sending them around the world. Unable to hold its power, the vessels shattered, with the scattered pieces trapping some of this holy energy. The belief is that it is our duty to restore the world by seeking out and gathering these shards of glass holding this divine light. A beautiful story that encourages us to find perfect beauty - even in imperfect & unlikely places - and use it to heal ourselves and others.

The term tikkun olam is used today to reference the calling of each individual to help make society more just and peaceful through tzedakah (justice and righteousness) and g'milut hasadim (acts of loving kindness). Ultimately, it is the responsibility of each of us to mend what is broken in our world, in whatever big or small ways we can. Having grown up with many Jewish influences, I wanted the Repair design to honor this healing message, and to celebrate those of this culture who’ve modeled this love & constructive optimism for me.

Repair Quilt Pattern | Super Scrappy (Download)

$14.00

Details & Techniques

This scrap, FQ, and yardage-friendly pattern offers endless layout options in three different sizes. You can also turn your Repair block into a quilted tote bag using this tutorial on the blog!

True to its inspiration, the Repair block was originally designed to have improv-cut or “wonky” units. This “imperfect” block style is an option for fun and carefree sewing with a unique, quirky final look.

This pattern features half-rectangle triangles (HRTs)…a fun and versatile technique to master. If you’d like a bit of extra guidance, we offer an HRT workshop to help you perfect your skills!

Want to color your own version? Create your own mockups of the Repair quilt on PreQuilt!

Fabrics

While I originally designed the Repair quilt to have a background, I couldn’t resist mixing things up and adding a “super scrappy” variation. Fat quarter friendly and using 16 colors, this version allows for a lot of color play - which meant quite a bit of auditioning of fabrics. I was determined to use what was already in my stash, and finally pulled together what I thought was a rainbow-like (but not TOO rainbow-y) fabric pull that would create the movement and dimension I was looking for.

The quilt top is all Kona Cotton Solids:
- Navy, Blue Jay, Prairie Sky, Pool, Kale, Emerald, Gecko, Peapod, Pickle, Cedar, Tangerine, Punch, Nectarine, Cantaloupe, Salmon & Ice Peach
The backing is Ruby Star Society Moonrise Dream in Indigo from Alexia Abegg’s Moonrise collection. I was immediately drawn to the hopeful, folksy, and sort of mystic look of this print and thought it paired so nicely with the optimism of the Repair design inspiration.
Binding is chambray fabric that I found at a local fabric warehouse. Silly story: I remember ironing strips of this fabric to make the binding and it releasing a nostalgic smell that reminded me of my grandmother’s house. Funny how heat applied to fabric can transport us like that…

Be sure to check out the Scrappy Happy Day, Scrappy Thrive, Aviary Meadow, and Spring Moss versions of this pattern for more inspiration!

Quilting

This quilt was longarmed by Wild Phil Quilting using the Arris pantograph by Jessica Schick. Its sharp & jagged lines really add a “broken” texture and further emphasize the shards of glass origin story of the design.