Contours - Cutting Corners Quilt -

Quilting with Striated Batiks: My “Cutting Corners” Adventure

Quilters often shy away from batiks with striations—those bold directional lines can feel intimidating. What do you do with them? Won’t the quilt look too busy?

I had the same hesitation, but I also had a pattern—Cutting Corners from Jordan Fabrics—sitting on my radar, just waiting for the right fabric.

Then I discovered Contours, a batik line with gorgeous striations that instantly reminded me of the Rainbow Eucalyptus trees we see here in Kauai. The Hazelnut Latte colorway in particular captured that natural, earthy glow. I knew it was the one.

The pattern suggests 1¾ yards, set 4 blocks wide by 6 high. But I was dreaming of something larger. Using 5 yards, I ran the fabric through my AccuQuilt with the 10” square die and ended up with 80 squares. After slicing, dicing, mixing, and resewing, I set them 8 squares wide by 10 high—a full 72” x 90” quilt.

I played with the layout until a subtle streak of lighter tones ran corner to corner, giving the whole piece movement and flow. (It was a breezy day and I was sorting this outside on the lanai… notice the yardstick and broom handle to hold the squares down!!)

To finish, I quilted it with a leaf edge-to-edge design—a nod to the eucalyptus canopy that inspired me from the very beginning.

This quilt reminded me that striated batiks don’t have to be scary. In fact, when paired with the right design, they can mimic the beauty of nature itself.

✨ Tip: If you’re nervous about directionality, try a pattern that encourages slicing and resewing like Cutting Corners. The striations become texture, not tension.