Traditional vs. modern

I finished the quilt in time for a friend's daughter's high school graduation. It happened to be my friend's 50th birthday, too, so I made it an occasion by sending her this illustrated tome from Tin House Press in Oregon:

What better day than one's 50th to "lean and loafe" and celebrate one's self? (I more and more love picture books; my latest fave is Maira Kalman.)  Anyway, here's the graduation quilt.

That done, I doubled down on the stepson's wedding quilt, due date June 28. I struggled and fretted. I gave up on wedding ring. All I had to go on was "I don't know...neutral colors?" I remembered he had once given me rust-colored fabric for Christmas. I knew the bride's party was in navy. Before I knew it, I had grabbed all my old calicoes and...

Argh! The seventies! I fretted some more, stitched a few more blocks, then attended the bridal shower. Everything was slate gray, from dinnerware to sheets and (sigh) a "9-piece comforter set". So, I slated "that seventies quilt" for some future completion, for some other purpose. I will make them a fresh modern quilt, with gray, in my good time.

But: one of the wedding guests--a cousin from Arizona--has been waiting on her quilt for 6 months. She actually paid me--and asked for sage green and peach ("delicate flowers"). These preferences pushed me toward the traditional side. I had begun with "Paducah Nine-Patch" from the cover of Nickel Quilts book:

But my colors looked a little mushy when clumped together (plus the blocks can get quite tedious to make):

Today I sat down and appliqued a center medallion for it (the crosshatch will go all the way around). You get the basic drift. Fewer blocks needed, more space to breathe and actually enjoy the colors.

I have a modern quilt commission coming up, and I'm going to crazy it up, you bet. I'm weary of identical patchwork (but I'm somewhat pleased with my squirrel's nut!).