Super Nova Sixteen

Some quilts begin with a carefully mapped destination. This one began with a mystery.

Created during a Mystery Quilt Challenge at Camp Fellowship Retreat in Greenwood, South Carolina, this interpretation of Super Nova 16 by Suellen Holmes gradually revealed itself as Tom Treat pieced each section without first seeing the completed design. Fabrics designed by Kaffe Fassett bring an exuberant mix of florals, geometrics, stripes, and unexpected color combinations to the star blocks, while the deep blue background gives every shape room to shine.

Tom’s arrangement creates a lively constellation of individually expressive stars, punctuated by smaller fabric squares that appear to drift across the surrounding space. His looping quilting adds continuous movement throughout the deep blue field, connecting the scattered forms without competing with their color and character. The warm gold-to-orange floral backing offers a beautiful counterpoint to the front, giving the finished work a second visual experience when turned over.

What began as a retreat challenge became a distinctly personal work of art—one shaped by discovery, improvisation, and the willingness to trust each new piece before the full picture could be seen.