Capitol Reef National Park Quilt

My husband grew up right outside of Capitol Reef National Park (in Central Southern Utah) and spent so much of his childhood playing there. It’s a special place to him and has become a place with lots of fun memories for our little family, too.

When I saw that Riley Blake was releasing National Park Panels, I knew I had to make a quilt out of the Capitol Reef panel for my husband. His birthday is coming up and I’ve never made a quilt specifically for him, so this was perfect timing!

The Capitol Reef panel is 36″ x 42″ and I added a couple borders around it in Riley Blake Confetti Cottons solids to make a throw quilt. I wanted a masculine, modern feel and think the simple columns of flying geese do a good job of adding a little interest while keeping the panel the main focus of the quilt.

Along with the large panels, Riley Blake also has some smaller panels of the National Parks. I used the small Capitol Reef panel for the backing and love that it’s an extra surprise on the back. I did a free motion quilting design that resembles wood grain and finished off the quilt with a scrappy binding using the same solids from the flying geese blocks.

Do you have a favorite National Park or one that holds special memories? I love the idea of encapsulating a treasured location in a quilt. I have a feeling this quilt will be snuggled a whole lot in the years to come!