Not Your Average Punch & Judy

When you hear "Punch & Judy" do you think of this?

Image: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/in-the-know/london-entertainment/9687460/punch-and-judy-show-london.html

Cathy Miles has a slightly less traditional take on Punch & Judy.

"Punch & Judy" by Cathy Miles
Image: Fons & Porter

We love the patchwork look of her bright, summery quilt, made from the Marblehead Global Brights and featured in the Summer 2013 issue of Fons & Porter's Easy Quilts. Where did the name for this quilt come from? Keep reading; Cathy will tell you! 

Q. How did you come up with the design?

Cathy: Sister's Choice is a favorite block pattern of mine; I like the nine-patch center paired with the 'almost a star' effect of the points, and when they are alternated with a simple block, such as the 25-patch, there is a strong diagonal effect. I like the movement it creates, so there is interest horizontally, vertically, as well as on both diagonals.

Q. How did you come up with the name for this quilt?

Cathy: The colors in this group are irresistible! Tart lemons, tangy limes, ripe raspberries, plus a few blueberries, looked like fruit punch to me! And I have a sister named Judy. When naming quilts, I often give a nod to family and other special interests.

Q. What is your favorite thing about the Marblehead Global Brights?

Cathy: This collection has mottled and shaded bright fabrics, which lend interest to the fabrics. While the design would work well with solids, these fabrics create an effect similar to batiks, which gives some depth to the colors.

Q. What did you do differently on this quilt from your usual designs?

Cathy: I usually add a border to frame the pieced center, but this one stands on its own. I just used a lime green binding to finish. That is a different effect and since it is a good size for a throw, it didn't seem necessary to make it bigger.

Q. What prompted you to design Punch & Judy?

Cathy: I was playing with the fabric colors in EQ6 and I liked the way this one turned out. The bonus is that digital designs always look better in fabric.

Q. Give us your vision for using this quilt.

Cathy: This is a throw that would brighten a guest room, especially on a bed 'dressed' Euro style with white sheets and duvet.

Q. Any special machine quilting tricks?

Cathy: I used my favorite shaded kiwi green to quilt this one, and it is surprising how it blends with the other colors in the quilt since the green is actually the fabric used the least. The design is a freehand swirl, that I use a lot, because it fills the space fairly evenly and moves along fairly quickly!

See the entire Marblehead Global Brights collection here.
Find the magazine here.
Find the kit here.