Divine Vines quilt

The Divine Vines batik collection is beautiful with its deep, rich colors and intricate tjap (pronounced “chop”) prints. As someone who is charmed by the colors and patterns but new to quilting with batiks, it can feel a little intimidating to create with them at first. So for this project, I leaned into simplicity, letting the fabric shine while exploring what makes batiks so special to work with.

This quilt was inspired by water—specifically the way light glimmers on pools, lakes, and oceans. I selected two batiks from Divine Vines: one a soft aqua, the other a deep ocean blue. The colors immediately brought to mind sunlight dancing across moving water. I paired them with a creamy background fabric (Le Creme) to let the blues breathe and give the whole piece an airy, open feel.

The pattern I used is from the book Modern Bee: 13 Quilts to Make with Friends, titled Ziggy Stardust by Colleen Molen. What made it stand out to me was the asymmetrical block design—a refreshing change from the symmetrical blocks I’ve mostly worked with. Because the block isn’t perfectly balanced, it opens up a lot of creative possibilities. Even just turning the block in different directions can lead to completely different layout options, which makes it fun to play with during the design phase. It’s a great reminder that a single block style can yield a unique quilt just by how you choose to arrange it.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that batiks are great for small piecing. Their slightly crisp hand made it easier to handle narrow units and keep points sharp—especially helpful when constructing the star blocks. It made the process more enjoyable and gave me more confidence to work with batiks in the future.

Once the top was pieced, I turned to hand quilting to add texture and meaning. I stitched small wavy lines across the background, mimicking the shimmer and ripple effect you see on water. It felt like the perfect finishing touch—quiet, organic, and tied to the inspiration behind the quilt.

For the backing, I chose Bee Backgrounds Diamond in Turquoise. It’s a simple, softly patterned fabric that feels gentle to the touch and easy on the eyes—perfect for letting the front of the quilt remain the star. The subtle diamond motif and cool turquoise tone complement the batik palette without competing for attention.

The quilt isn’t bound just yet, but I’m planning to finish it with Divine Vines in Confetti Cake. The soft swirl of color in the binding fabric feels like the perfect final note—bringing just a hint of playful shimmer around the edges.

A few tips if you’re new to hand quilting:

• Thread several needles before you start. It’s a simple way to keep the momentum going—like having pre-wound bobbins ready when machine sewing.
• Take regular breaks. I try to pause every 15–20 minutes to stretch, as it’s easy to lose track of time and stay hunched over for too long.
• Keep a small pair of scissors or snips nearby. This makes it easy to trim threads as you go and keep your stitching area tidy and frustration-free.

This quilt was all about exploration: working with new materials, trying a different kind of block, and finishing with slow, intentional stitching. The Divine Vines collection offered the perfect blend of rich color and organic print to bring the whole vision to life.

Thanks for reading, and I hope this encourages you to try something new with batiks too—even if it feels a little out of your comfort zone. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it.

Happy quilting!
Zaineb