Modern quilt designs sometimes turn up in unexpected places. “Turning Twenty Again”, which has been around for a while, is an easy, fun quilt that can be very modern in appearance. Tricia Cribbs, who designed the Turning Twenty quilts, says she didn’t set out to design a modern quilt, she just wanted something that showed off her fabrics to good advantage.

Whatever her intent, her quilts are compatible with the modern aesthetic. I’m showing some of my examples here, and there are beautiful pictures of Turning Twenty and her other designs on her website as well.

I’ve seen “Turning Twenty Again” made up in a variety of fabrics, by quilters from beginner to professional, and every version looked great. Leaving off the border makes it instantly more modern. I like to start with 1 to 1-1/2 yards of focus fabric, then choose FQs to coordinate with it.

Think about those fun fabrics you “just had to have” and now don’t know what to do with. Think of all those FQs (fat quarters) in the closet! By getting the two together, you can make a very easy modern quilt using “Turning Twenty Again”. Tricia’s patterns also make efficient use of FQs–almost no leftover scraps.

Here’s a baby quilt made using 9 “Turning Twenty Again” blocks

Here’s a lap quilt that started with a yellow print I loved. Depending on the arrangement of the blocks you can get a variety of abstract designs when you put the quilt together. The pattern is also great if you need a quilt in a hurry (like if you forgot about a baby or bridal shower).

There are lots of other “Turning Twenty” patterns available now, but “Turning Twenty Again” remains my favorite. You can check out Tricia’s designs on her website, or visit her facebook page or blog.