Villager Quilt - Suzy Solids Version
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
— Coretta Scott King
Design Inspiration
I’ve given a lot of thought lately to the importance of community. What are we without our relationships and connections? After all, we are social creatures and need each other to survive, let alone thrive. The Villager quilt is inspired by the importance of coming together to lend a helping hand, and of being able to lean on one another. The design reflects how “villagers” link arms and surround their community members in times of need. It is a call to embrace our shared humanity and responsibility to care for our fellow villagers, in ways both big and small.
I really adore this quote by Coretta Scott King, which I think articulates this idea so nicely:
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
There is no more potent example of this for me than seeing the way that my parents’ friends, loved ones, and local community circled the wagons when my mom became terribly ill. Homemade meals, friendly visits & phone calls, and help with airport dropoffs all helped to lighten the load. A dear friend even spent hours decorating their home for the holidays just to keep my mom’s spirits up - a gesture I will never forget and revealed the compassion of that community.
Details & Techniques
The Villager quilt pattern is rated Advanced Beginner to Intermediate, with difficulty depending largely on the variation you choose. The sewing techniques themselves are approachable and beginner-friendly, relying on standard piecing and construction.
Where the pattern becomes more advanced is in organization and color placement. Each variation requires thoughtful layout and careful attention to fabric positioning to achieve the intended visual effect. From simplest to most intricate, the variations are: Two-Tone, Standard, and Scrappy. The Scrappy version is especially rewarding for more confident quilters and is fat-quarter friendly, making it a great stash-busting option. This particular quilt is the scrappy version!
The pattern includes six sizes - Wall, Baby, Throw, Twin, Queen, and King - offering flexibility whether you’re sewing a quick weekend project or a full bed quilt. Though the finished design has a bold, complex look, construction is straightforward and efficient, making Villager a satisfying and surprisingly quick sew.
Fabrics
Suzy’s Duval and Signature Solids had recently released, and to say I was eager to get my hands on some is an understatement! To be honest, this color combo felt a bit quirky for me (or, outside my personal wheelhouse), but I am so pleased with how they came together.
The quilt top is all Suzy Quilts’ Art Gallery Fabrics Pure Solids:
The backing is Boho Birds in Nova - a wideback from the Duval collection. I absolutely love a large-scale, bold backing print to contrast a more subtle, all-solids top. And, any day that I get to skip piecing a backing is a good day :)
Binding is AGF Pure Solids Ginger; I often like to choose a binding that is just a shade darker than the background of the front - for me, it seems to frame the quilt design without distracting.
Be sure to check out all the different versions of this pattern for more inspiration!
Quilting
This was quilted by Wild Phil Quilting, using the Sunrise Skateland pantograph by Julie Hirt. I wanted to use double batting mostly because I was worried that the high-contrast backing would show through the light background of the top. However, I was not prepared to fall so in love with the delicious texture that extra loft gives this quilt!
Tools Used
Machine:Bernina 475QE
Piecing thread: Gutermann Sew All thread
Batting: Pellon White Cotton Batting (doubled up!)
Olfa 45mm rotary cutter & rotary mat
Adobe Illustrator for trusty mockups
