Lava Lamp Love: A Nostalgia Mini Quilt with Celebrate by Sue Daley -

Step into the glow of a memory with me, friends. I grew up mesmerized by the ever-changing swirls of my grandmother’s lava lamp-the way the colors bubbled and danced like tiny dreams inside glass. Her palor was a kaleidoscope of velvet pillows crochet doilies, and that one mesmerizing lamp sitting proudly on her buffet cabinet. I could sit for hours just watching. So when Celebrate by Sue Daley for Riley Blacke Designs arrived, with it retro florals, energetic colors, and bubbly spirit, I knew exactly what I wanted to make-a mini lava lamp quilt that brought that warm, whimsical glow back to life.

And let me tell you, it took a little quilting magic to make it happen.

Quilting with Ingenuity: A Patchwork of Techniques

This mini quilt is a celebration (pun intended!) of mixed methods – which excites my researcher’s heart. Here’s how I brought this groovy vision to life using:

Foundation Paper Piecing (FPP): For the lamp base and frame, I attempted to draft symmetrical FPP template – work in progress..LOL, but believe me! FPP gave the crisp, modern–kinda wonky-silhouette I needed without worrying about curves.

Raw-edge Applique: The lava blobs inside? They had to flow..well mine might be bouncing (wink). I applied HeatNBond to fabric scrapes, used my Accuquilt Go die cutter to cut our circles and appliqued them inside the lamp’s center, layering different prints from the Celebrate collection to mimic that bubbling lava motion.

Traditional Piecing: The mini’s border and background were pieced traditionally, using strips of Sue Daley’s vibrant prints to create a patchwork frame that feels both modern and nostalgic, just like Grandma’s parlor.

Celebrate by Sue Daley is the Perfect Throwback Vibe

This fabric line has it all-color, cheer, and just enough quirk. The palette channels those classic mod hues-cherry reds, minty aquas, golden yellows-and the prints range from cheerful florals to playful geometrics. It’s like someone bottled the joy of a 1970s birthday party and stitched in into fabric.

Tiny Quilt, Big Feels

This mini finishes at about 12″ x 12″ – perfect for a wall hanging, framed displayed, or that one cozy corner in your sewing room that needs a touch of vibe. I bound it in a contrasting print and stitched in the ditch to make the lamp frame and base pop! I added a blanket stitch around the flowing (bouncing) lava letting the thread add one more layer of motion.

Every Stitch a Memory

As I stitched this quilt, I could almost smell my grandmother’s lemon-scented furniture polish and hear the hum of her record player in the corner. This quilt isn’t just fabric and thread-it’s a portal to a cherished time, reimagined with a bit of modern quilting flair.

Want to Make Your Own?

I’m working on a free PDF template for the FPP base and lava applique blobs-stay tuned! And if you make one, please tag me @SewSweetSeeBee and use #LAVALampMiniQuilt so I can swoon over your versions too!

Every stitch is a prayer, a wish, and a dream-and this one, it’s a pure glow! Jeresther-