quilt show-and-tell {modified bento box pattern}

I'm almost ready to move from my annual quilting mode to crochet mode (I've got a new patterns in the works for the shop!), so I'm finishing up a few last quilts that I've been working on this summer.

This Modified Bento Box quilting pattern is a little crazy--not necessarily the kind of fabrics I would normally pick. They are all Japanese prints, and they were picked especially for a very special couple. Last year a surgeon my husband was working with basically paid our way to Japan for a medical conference (after a LOT of hard work on my husband's part, but still). My husband served as a missionary there for two years and we have been talking about going back for the past 12 years. It really was a dream come true! I wanted to thank them with something special that really represented our trip. I hope they like it!

A regular bento box pattern would call for the finished blocks to be cut into four pieces, switched with other blocks, and sewn back together. (Here's a great pattern from Red Rooster Quilts.)

Since the fabrics I chose were already pretty busy, I felt like mixing up the blocks would really make things over-the-top crazy.

For the back I chose a really Japanese fabric and added a simple border.  I finished it off with stipple quilting (check out my video tutorial here).

Quilts still in-the-works: boys' bedspreads, pinwheel baby quilt, one of these two quilts from V and Co (eat.sleep.play.repeat or houndstooth) and a super simple circle quilt. All before crochet season begins. Yikes!

Speaking of Japan, don't forget about the 50+ Blogger cookbook to benefit the Red Cross! Today is the last day to order (Aug. 31, 2011) both in print and in digital copy, and they're only $10 each. Get 50+ great recipes from some of your favorite bloggers (like us!) and benefit a great cause!