This quilt started with a humble block called Queen of May. I'd seen this block in a few patterns and really loved it's circular motion. When I found the templates at the 2009 Darling Harbour quilt show I snapped them up with glee.

I didn't have a design in mind so I just pulled out my overflowing scrap bag and started to play. It was fun to make each block in what ever colours suited me at the time without having an overall theme to limit me. They were surprisingly easy to hand piece and a perfect "on the go" project. Lots of opportunity for fun fussy cutting.

Before too long I had lots of QOM blocks and had to do something with them. I decided a quilt featuring them would be perfect for GBF's sister Sue, because her birthday is in May and being a colourful character I knew she'd think it was fun.

Keeping with my scrappy theme I cut the remainders into strips and sewed them together thinking I would alternate the QOM blocks with squares of scrappy strings. Once sewn together my little bag of scraps was enough to cover the bed! I was tempted to just sew them together like that as a quilt top. Maybe another time, another bag of lovely leftovers..


This was the days before my design wall when I would lay my quilts on the bed to see how they would look.

When I was laying it out I came up with putting the blocks on point with string sashing and that was it- A Very Very Merry Merry Go Round was created!

One of the fun things about this quilt is it's eye spy qualities. The more you look the more you see. I cut, laid it out, sewed it together but was still finding surprises when I was quilting it. Sue says she sees new little things all the time.


I machine quilted it along the sashing 1/4 inch in from the seam then hand quilted with perle8 cotton in bright contrasting colours around the centre and triangles in the blocks, and again with perle 8 in the setting triangles.


I loved making this quilt. Every step was fun and it all just came together without a hitch. I've still got some bright Queen Of May blocks left over waiting to be used in something.. They'd make nice cushions.. And I'd like to make them in sugary pink tones. So many possibilities!!

Oh, I guess I should show you the backing.... Just something I whipped up on a Saturday night...

The front of the quilt is so colourful and vibrant that I thought blues would be a nice cool, calm alternative. I'm not sure I achieved my aim. All those busy prints and pinwheels make it quite electric. At least it couldn't be called dull!!

I certainly picked the right home for this quilt. We gave it to Sue for Christmas 2009 and she uses it and loves it. I wish her very very many cosy warm colourful nights!

Cheerio.