The blobbing "amoebic gesticulation" of the lava lamp from his teen years was the initial spark for Molli Sparkles' gorgeous psychedelic Lava Lamp quilt. A few cocktails in adulthood helped make it a reality. The Australian quilter explains that he came up with the design while on a cruise, "I had my sketch book with me everywhere, and for some reason—probably after some stately martinis—the lava-spiration started to flow."
Now one of his top designs, the journey to its creation was not without hesitation. Sparkles shares his initial doubts, "I didn't have a lot of experience designing my own paper piecing patterns, and I had zero experience with fusible appliqué. Unfortunately, I became my own roadblock. I've since bitch-slapped some sense back into me!"
He offers encouragement to quilters who might feel unsure about starting a project, "Get out of your way, and get on with it. Stop saying 'I can't' and instead start saying, 'I did!' You and your quilt practice will only be better for it. Remember, it's just fabric–so get lit and get into it."
Molli Sparkles Lava Lamp pattern is available to download for a modest $4 and it allows you to participate in his current quilting bee, the Lava Lampalong:
We're gonna sew, we're gonna groove, and we're gonna share it with the world. This is a no pressure sew along, where you make what you want, when you want it. You do you, boo! I'm gonna give you some general guidance, a bit of a "whoop-whoop! You got this!" when you need it, and a few surprise prizes all along the way. Are you getting the vibe yet? We're gonna keep it chill, laid back, and most importantly let the lava flow.
Molli Sparkles
