We challenged six MQG members to design a quilt block using the following parameters: Base the design on a basic shape (e.g. square, triangle, circle, hexagon, and others) Have it measure 12 ½” x 12 ½” unfinished Use a specific color palette Sparkles, designed by Madhuri Sapru, reimagines the rectangle shape. “The shape I chose for the Sparkles block was a rectangle, as it is one of the most basic shapes in quilting and one of the easiest to work with. I wanted to play with scale and showcase rectangles of different sizes to construct a block that used this simple shape but delivered a complex effect. Using narrow rectangles elevated the block. I used the highest contrast fabrics from the palette provided to make the colors pop. I created a lot of negative space by having some of the core units in the background color, further emphasizing the narrow rectangular blocks. This combination of negative space, solids, bright colors, and narrow rectangular blocks modernizes a traditional shape and makes the Sparkles block a modern block.”
