October Featured Maker and Pattern: Mighty Stars by Fran Gulick of Cotton and Joy
It’s a new month, and we’re back with an exciting new designer and pattern! October’s collaborator is Fran Gulick of Cotton and Joy!
Fran’s featured quilt pattern, our October pattern of the month, is Mighty Stars. For the month of October, Fran will be donating 40% of the proceeds from the pattern to K9s for Warriors. Read on for this month’s chat with Fran about her collaboration with Modern Service Quilts!
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your quilting journey?
I’m Fran Gulick, designer at Cotton and Joy in Spokane, WA. I was born and raised in Santiago, Chile. I write and design modern quilt patterns on my website Cotton and Joy, and I design fabric for Riley Blake Designs.
My quilting journey began in 2014, when I was pregnant with my oldest kiddo. I wanted to make him a baby quilt but didn’t know where to start. A friend connected me to a group of quilters at our military base, and those wonderful ladies took me into their group, taught me all the basics, and helped me make that first quilt.
However, it wasn’t until 2017, while living in Germany, that I found the modern quilt movement and fell in love with the craft. I was in the midst of postpartum depression, and quilting helped me find my way out of it. I started my Instagram account as a way to connect with other quilters and join the online community.
After 8 years working as a graphic designer, I couldn’t help but create my own patterns, starting in 2019. Since then, I’ve joined Janome as a Janome Maker, and my work has been featured in various publications including Love Patchwork & Quilting and Quilts & More magazines.
Why did you want to collaborate with Modern Service Quilts?
My husband served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, so collaborating with Modern Service Quilts felt like a no-brainer. There is a long tradition of creating quilts to honor service members, and I love how Modern Service Quilts is bringing this tradition more solidly into the modern quilting world.
Do you have your own personal connection to the military, service members, or the tradition of making honor quilts?
As I mentioned, my husband served in the Army for 20 years. I met him while he was serving and supported him through deployments, TDYs (temporary duty), and countless moves. He retired in 2020, but his time in the military remains a source of great pride in our family.
This month, we’re highlighting your Mighty Stars quilt pattern. Why do you think this particular design lends itself well to becoming a modern honor quilt?
Mighty Stars is a fun and dynamic quilt pattern. It comes together fast, and the stars combined with the right color palette makes for a perfect patriotic quilt.
Do you have any other patterns you think could work well as honor quilts?
Absolutely! Joyful Stars, Stellar Flare, Midpoint, Stellar Mosaic, Garden Gems, and Golden Hour are all excellent choices for a service-inspired quilt!
Do you have any tips for making a quilt pattern appropriate for an honor quilt?
Start with a pattern you enjoy making or have had your eye on for a while. This will make the process more enjoyable — if you are unsure of what pattern to pick, you cannot go wrong with a star pattern!
When it comes to choosing fabrics, keep in mind that most charity quilts go to strangers, so you won’t be able to tailor to their specific styles. Sticking to low-volume prints, blenders, and solids would be your best bet. All of these fabrics are extremely versatile, and with the right combination, you can make a wonderful, modern honor quilt.
You’ve chosen to support K9s for Warriors with your Mighty Stars pattern sales this month. What led you to choose that particular charity?
We are big dog lovers in our family and know first-hand how helpful they can be during tough times. I’ve personally experienced what a dog’s love can do to improve mental health. We love the work K9s for Warriors does pairing up dogs with veterans who need their companionship the most, improving veterans’ mental health.
Fran, we’re so glad to have you on the MSQ team this month! Head to Fran’s shop to purchase your own copy of the Mighty Stars pattern by October 31, and share your wonderful work by tagging Modern Service Quilts (@modernservicequilts, #modernservicequilts) and Fran on social media (@cottonandjoy, #cottonandjoy, and #mightystarsquilt). We can’t wait to see the beautiful quilts you all make.
If you need information on donating your finished quilt to a veteran, check out this page.
We’ll be back mid-month with more information on the sample quilt we made using Fran’s pattern and some fun mockups of the quilt in different color schemes. Until then, be sure to follow us on Instagram for lots more photos and information and sign up for our email newsletter below.
