Diaspora quilt, Pattern testing for the first time

Most of you probably already know this quilt quite well, especially if you follow me on Instagram or if you happened to read the previous Diaspora Quilt WIP post that I shared almost a year ago.

But this quilt deserved a proper finished post with all the details, process photos and memories that came along with making it.

The truth is that this quilt became one of my most emotional makes to date.

Pachy’s quilt designs always feel unique, modern and incredibly thoughtful. Her patterns are easy to follow while still leaving room for personal creativity, and I honestly cannot recommend them enough. You can find all her beautiful work at PSB Quilts.

Quilt Process

For this quilt I decided to work almost entirely with solid fabrics. At that point I was fully entering my “solid fabrics era” — and honestly, I never really left it afterwards.

The biggest decision was choosing the background color. I created several digital mockups in Illustrator before finally settling on Kona Sage, and the moment I saw everything together I knew it was the right choice.

This quilt was always meant to become a gift for some of my closest friends, which made the whole process even more meaningful. And yes… judging from their reactions, I think they loved it just as much as I loved making it 🦄

Orestis absolutely refused to let the quilt go...

Machine Quilting

For the quilting itself, I kept things extremely simple. Only straight-line quilting, stitched vertically across the entire quilt.

This type of quilting allows the quilt to breathe and creates the most beautiful soft texture and puffiness after washing. Minimal quilting really lets the piecing and colors shine.

Quilt Dimensions

84'' x 84'' inches

Dates

Quilt started: March 2019
Quilt finished: August 2019

 

Materials

Fabrics Used

• Mini Chimes Orchid, Lagoon by Rashida Coleman-Hale (Cotton & Steel)
• Kona Cotton Sage
• Kona Cotton Cedar
• Kona Cotton Midnight
• Kona Cotton Lingerie
• Kona Cotton Coral
• Kona Cotton Caramel
• Kona Cotton Salmon
• Kona Cotton Tomato
• Kona Cotton White

Backing: Various Kona Cottons
Binding: Black and white striped fabric
Batting: 100% cotton

Pattern Used

The quilt pattern is Diaspora by PSB Quilts.

This pattern is dedicated to the people who had to leave home while still dreaming of returning someday. It is part of a beautiful series of patterns inspired by Pachy’s homeland, Venezuela.

 

  

Drone shot of the backing of the quilt

We also experimented with drone photography and video for this quilt, and honestly the results completely overwhelmed me. Seeing a quilt photographed from above like this somehow transforms it into something entirely different.

Packaging

Packaging this quilt became an entire project on its own. Since the quilt was so large, I wanted to find a proper oversized box that would still feel elegant and gift-worthy.

Naturally… IKEA came to the rescue once again.

I ended up using one of the storage boxes from the STUK series and it turned out to be the perfect solution. The final box measured 71 x 51 x 18 cm and fit the quilt beautifully.

As for the quilt label, I knew I wanted something truly personal. I printed my own fabric label at home using freezer paper and honestly… I was ridiculously proud of the result.

 

Thank you so much for reading and following along with my quilting journey. This quilt will always remain one of the most meaningful projects I have ever made.