Earlier this year I was a "mentor" for the Chantli Quilt pattern by Jess Poemape. A mentor looks over the instructions and checks out the quilt math and provides feedback. I did this while I was recovering from my gallbladder surgery back in July. I was something creative I could do while I wasn't quite feeling well enough to sew.
As I worked through the math and instructions I really loved the simplicity of the pattern - it's almost all strips of the same width just cut to different lengths, but how they are arranged really gives a complicated look. I love it when a quilt looks harder to make than it really is. I also kept thinking about how great it could be for scraps and jelly rolls. I had been cutting fabrics to make my Deltille Quilt at the time and put all my scraps aside knowing they would make a great Chantli Quilt.
The pattern was inspired by the traditional log cabin block. A traditional log cabin block always starts with a red square to signify the home. I've included one small red square in my quilt as a nod to the log cabin block. Home in Nahuatl (a language of the Aztec and Toltec people) is Chantli - hence the name of the pattern. Jess Poemape is a Latina quilt pattern designer and wants to spread knowledge about her ancestral heritage. As a fellow Latina - I fully support her mission.
I used some Art Gallery Lower the Volume cotton poplin in Simple Growth for my background. I had some of this fabric leftover from a project for Minerva. I was able to get all my pieces cut for the blocks, and for part of the sashing, and then ran out. I had to order more from the Fat Quarter Shop. There is a very slight color difference between the two, but I don't think it's that noticeable.
The Chantli Quilt was really fun to put together. I will definitely be making another - most likely with scraps as I really love how it looks.
Be sure to check out other Chantli Quilts on Instagram by looking at the #chantliquilt hashtag and give Jess Poemape a follow. She makes gorgeous quilts and is a fantastic longarm quilter.