Make Modern Issue 72

Make Modern is your ultimate guide to quilting joy, written by quilters who understand the magic of fabric and thread.

Make Modern Issue 72 is bold, bright and absolutely beautiful – packed with quilting projects that dazzle, makers who inspire, and articles that will make you think as much as they make you want to sew!

MEET Olivia Schnell-Martinez, the quilter behind Summer Olives in North Carolina, who learned English Paper Piecing at her grandmother’s knee at just five years of age and has been quilting (for 30+ years) ever since. Today she designs bold geometric and optical illusion quilts that make people stop and take a second look – and she’s turning that passion into a growing business through pattern design, show entries, teaching, and volunteering at the United Services Organization (USO) teaching quilting, and as Second Vice President of her local guild. And Shankari Paradee, the Oklahoma-based nurse and founder of Sewl Sister, whose quilting life has taken her from a vintage Viking sewing machine to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, a FreeSpirit Fabrics’ Circle of Makers member, quilting teacher, and pattern designer. Shankari’s love of modern traditional and improv quilting – and her gift for finding patterns in everyday life – shine through in everything she makes.

MAKE ten fabulous quilt projects that celebrate colour, geometry, and clever construction – a modern orange peel cover quilt that layers depth and movement, a dramatic Celtic-inspired medallion, a golden jewelled beauty that glows against dark background, an optical illusion ombre table topper, a bold graphic design that rewards the mathematically minded, a square-cut scrappy delight, a circus-bright pillow, and a modern floral medallion quilt. Whether you’re a confident EPP enthusiast, an FPP devotee, or somewhere in the middle, there’s a project here that you’ll love!

MOTIVATE yourself with Sarah Ashford’s moving reflection on large quilts and the life lessons they teach – patience, persistence, and the power of small consistent efforts. Eva Saunders shares her love of quilt samplers and unveils her dark magic-themed collaborative sampler. Malgorzata Banjo demystifies the quilt process with a practical guide to bulk cutting, chain piecing, grid sewing, and wedding your quilt top for a flawless finish. Jane Kelly shares the quilting life lessons she’s collected across three decades behind the sewing machine. And in her final Make Modern columns, HollyAnne Knight shares the four pillars of her Confident FMQ Framework – the system she uses to help quilters stop waiting and start finishing their quilts.

And because Make Modern is 100% digital, you can start reading (and sewing!) instantly – no postage delays, no clutter, just inspiration at your fingertips, wherever you are in the world.

📌 Inside this issue you’ll find… 

• 10 Must-Make Modern Quilts – Orange peel, optical illusions, geometric gems, ombre diamonds, scrappy circus brights, and modern medallion florals. Bold, bright, and beautiful – every one of them.
• Quilty Wellbeing – Large Quilts and Life Lessons – Sarah Ashford reflects on finally finishing a years-long hand quilted project, and the lesson in patience, persistence, and steady progress that saw her through.
• Meet the Maker – Olivia Schnell-Martinez – From EPP at her Grandmother’s knee to optical illusion show quilts, Olivia shares her 30-year quilting journey, her love of bold colour and geometry, and her advice for new quilters who are tempted to compare themselves to experts.
• Art Inspired Quilting – Why Quilt Samplers Are Absolutely Magical – Eva Saunders makes the case for sampler quilts as the ultimate way to stretch your artistic and technical skills, and reveals her dark magic-themed collaborative sampler featuring 13 designers and a whole world of fantasy-inspired blocks.
• Streamlining Your Quilt Process – Malgorzata Banjo walks through four game-changing techniques – bulk cutting, chain piecing, grid sewing, and quilt top webbing (magic) – that will save you time, reduce mistakes, and make the whole process flow.
• Meet the Maker – Shakari Paradee – The founder of Sewl Sister talks improv quilting, finding patterns at the park, classical music as a quilting metaphor, and building a business that lets her be present for her family while she does what she loves.
• Life Lessons from Quilting – Jane Kelly shares the wisdom she’s gathered across 30 years of quilting – from sprints versus marathons and letting go of perfection, to knowing when to move on and finding joy in doing it yourself.
• Quilt Like a Rockstar – The Confident FMQ Framework – In her final Make Modern columns, HollyAnne Knight shares the four pillars that have guided thousands of quilters to stop waiting and start finishing their quilts.

Pattern List:

• Cover: Echo Peels Quilt by Elaine Jackson (@woven_ladybug)
• Prism Paradise Quilt by Jamie Siel (@sewbrainy)
• Morrigan Quilt by Erin Holmes (@quiltbrew)
• Keeping Vigil Quilt by Preeti Harris (@sewpreetiquilts)
• Bejewelled Quilt by Shankari Paradee (@hellosewlsister)
• Girl’s Best Friend Table Runner by Rita Geyermann
• Factorial Quilt by Shannon Spicer (@shannon_at_thespicerack)
• Square Cut Quilt by Nikki van Elden (@cottoncraftdesigns)
• Welcome to the Circus Pillow by Hillary Cooper (@quiltberryhill_designs)
• Bloom in Snow Quilt by Kate Bierle (@duenorthhandmade)

Article List:

• Quilty Wellbeing – Large quilts and life lessons by Sarah Ashford (@sarahashfordstudio)
• Meet the Maker – Olivia Schnell-Martinez (@summerolives)
• Art Inspired Quilting – Why quilt samplers are absolutely magical by Eva Saunders (@gingerlyquiltco)
• Quilt Life – Streamlining your quilt process by Malgorzata Banjo (@polaquilting)
• Meet the Maker – Shankari Paradee (@hellosewlsister)
• Quite Quilty – Life lessons from quilting by Jane Kelly (@janekellyquilts)
• Quilt Like a Rockstar – The Confident FMQ framework by HollyAnne Knight (@stringandstory)

Make Modern Magazine is your ultimate quilting companion – ready to guide you from planning to piecing, whenever and wherever creativity strikes. 💖 Grab your copy now and let’s create something beautiful together – or treat yourself to the All-Access Pass and download all 73 issues of Make Modern before we say goodbye in 2027.

If this is your first issue of Make Modern, welcome – we’re so glad you’re here. Dive in and discover the creativity, innovation, and joy that quilting brings. Make Modern is a digital modern quilt magazine available worldwide. Each magazine is over 100 pages, packed with modern quilt patterns suitable for beginner quilters to advanced, and articles guaranteed to make you smile, inspire you to stretch your skills, and spark your creativity. Independently published by a team of quilters, it’s delivered as a PDF to read on your computer, tablet, or phone – easy to take fabric shopping or print if you prefer paper. See answers to frequently asked questions, and our refund and returns policy here.

🌍 A Note to Our Quilty Friends in Canada, the UK, Europe & Beyond! 🇨🇦🇬🇧🇪🇺

We’d love to offer sales in every currency, but as a small (but mighty!) team, that’s a bit beyond our quilting hoop. Instead, we ask you to select Aussie dollars (AUD) at checkout – this usually works out best for your conversion rate, and your bank will do the magic of switching it to CAD, GBP, EUR, or whatever lovely currency you use. Thanks for understanding, and happy stitching from Down Under! 🇦🇺✨