Arete Quilt - Scrappy Pillow Version
The great and glorious masterpiece of man is to live with purpose.
— Michel de Montaigne
Design Inspiration
“Eudaimonia” is the Greek word for “human flourishing.” Eudaimonia Studio designs are inspired by the ancient question of what it means to live well. The Arete quilt is inspired by Aristotle’s concept of “excellence,” representing the continuous pursuit of one’s highest potential in all aspects of life—intellectual, moral, physical, and creative. To live with arete is to align every effort with a deeper why, transforming our multidimensional lives into an overarching life purpose and more meaningful existence.
Complete the bundle with the Arete 4-Color quilt pattern for just $6 more (both patterns for $20)! Discount taken at checkout.
Use code HRTBUNDLE at checkout to save $10 when you buy the Arete quilt pattern and the Mastering HRTs workshop together! (cannot be combined with pattern bundle discount)
Kits for sample versions are available from Global Fiber, Pear Tree Market, and Cottoneer Fabrics. Additional kits are available from Going Coastal Fabrics.
About the design.
The Arete quilt is inspired by Aristotle’s concept “excellence,” representing the continuous pursuit of one’s highest potential in all aspects of life—intellectual, moral, physical, and creative. To live with arete is to align every effort with a deeper why, transforming our multidimensional lives into an overarching life purpose and more meaningful existence.
This bold, large-scale design is a quick project using traditional piecing—without the Y seams! Using only squares, rectangles, half-square triangles and half-rectangle triangles, you can stitch up your own multidimensional star design that is sure to make a statement.
Learn more about the Arete samples pictured.
New to HRTs? Get the Mastering HRTs on-demand workshop.
For extra guidance & confidence with half-rectangle triangles, add the Mastering HRTs Workshop. In this on-demand course, Brooke will pull the curtain back to demystify HRTs, going deep on what makes this unit unique, different methods for making HRTs, tips for accurate trimming, and even how to make your own HRT templates of any size. Access to your workshop never expires, so watch the videos as often as you like, or whenever you need a refresher. Post in the Thinkific course platform to get help if you get stuck.
More about the Arete quilt pattern.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
Instructions for Pillow, Baby, Throw & King sizes included; optional border allows you more flexibility with Baby and Throw quilt sizes\
Printable templates included; acrylic templates (sold separately by Cut Once Quilts) make tracing/cutting your pieces a breeze
Cutting diagrams help with efficient cutting and get you sewing sooner, with labels to help keep you organized
Coloring sheet to help get you started, with sample mockups for inspiration; plus, plan your quilt on PreQuilt!
Downloadable PDF
Materials & maker credits.
Samples pieced by Chelsea LeBouton, Meagan Walker, and Brooke Shankland. All fabrics in the quilts pictured are Art Gallery Fabrics. See details on each sample pictured in the Arete Studio Notes.
Longarming by Sarah Sass of Sassy Quilting and Trace Creek Quilting. Pantographs used include: Meditation by The Quilting Mill, Sashiko by Karen Thompson, and So Chic Blooms by Crystal Smythe.
Details & Techniques
The Arete quilt is an eye-catching pattern designed with the confident beginner in mind. It’s available in four versatile sizes (pillow, baby, throw, and king), making it perfect for anything from a bold home accent to a full bed statement!
This pattern features two foundational quilting techniques: half-square triangles (HSTs) and half-rectangle triangles (HRTs). If you’re new to these techniques, Arete is an excellent introduction. The clean lines and dynamic layout make it a rewarding and quick sew, while still offering just enough of a challenge to grow your skills. Arete is all about building skills and making something beautiful along the way!
Sometimes, a smaller project - like this pillow - offers a welcomed break from making large quilts. And, I always invite the opportunity for something I’m willing to quilt on my own domestic machine! (Any bigger than baby size, and some more colorful language may be involved!)
Fabrics
This pillow-size version of the Arete quilt brings the bold, modern geometry of the full design to a smaller scale. I used a mix of prints and solids to give a scrappy, yet cohesive look to the Arete pattern. I had been hoarding some fabric scraps that I just couldn’t bear to toss out, and was thrilled to see how these scraps came together in this design!
The pillow top:
Color 1: AGF Denim
Color 2: AGF Basket Weave Haze by Suzy Quilts
Color 3: AGF Dots in Sweet Pea by Suzy Quilts
Color 4: AGF Slub in Rainstorm by Suzy Quilts
Color 5: AGF Slub in Golden Hour by Suzy Quilts
Color 6: AGF Linen Blend in Soft Sand
Color 7: AGF Moment of Zen
Color 8: AGF Meadow Trinkets by Pat Bravo
Color 9: AGF Creme de la Creme
The pillow backing is AGF Linen Blend in Soft Sand
Be sure to check out all the different versions of this pattern for more inspiration!
Want to color your own version? Create your own mockups of the Arete quilt on PreQuilt!
Quilting
This pillow was quilted by me on my Bernina 475QE, using a straight grid quilting design. I really wanted something simple and geometric to let the angular design shine. (Bonus: it was simple and easy to follow along the seams of the pieced pillow front!)
Tools Used
Machine: Bernina 475QE
Piecing thread: Gutermann Sew All thread
Batting: Pellon White Cotton with scrim
Olfa 45mm rotary cutter & rotary mat
Adobe Illustrator for trusty mockups
