Megan Fowler is an old soul. She has one foot planted firmly in the appreciation for vintage and antique things and the other pointed forward toward modernism. She sewed Barbie clothes as a child and picked sewing back up as an adult in 2019 after going down a quilting rabbit hole on YouTube.Â
Soon after, Megan launched Modern Moon Quilt Studio as a vehicle to share quilt patterns and tutorials; through Instagram, she shares a series of short-form, comedy clips. She sold her chiropractic practice in favor of building a life with her husband and their energetic toddler son.
When Megan posted pictures of her hand-embroidered quilt labels on Instagram, her followers asked for tutorials. She answered with a full-fledged course last fall. Since then, it’s come full circle.Â
“After launching the course, I’ve found myself scrolling through Instagram, and I’ll see a quilt label that looks like one of mine, and it’s not! I’m seeing this style out there from people who took my course, so that’s been really trippy. That’s been super fun to see manifest,” she said.
“Nostalgic quilt design for the modern home” is Modern Moon Quilt Studio’s tagline, and it describes Megan’s quilt patterns and her aesthetic. “For inspiration, I’m always naturally drawn to old things. I like 1950s pickups, old record players, and old tile designs. That’s just my vibe, but I’m modern too. I don’t live in an old home,” Megan said. “When it comes to quilts, I like modern quilts. How do I merge those two to look modern but to evoke nostalgia? I’m still honing that style; I’m still early in my quilt writing career and still figuring it out.”
Carbide, named after the Art Deco tower of the same name in Chicago, uses quarter Log Cabin blocks set on point.Â
To channel the mid-century modern movement, Megan based the Elroy pattern on identical blocks that are rotated for visual interest.
For her Happy Camper pattern, Megan went for 1950s summer-camp colors and shapes. “I wanted that retro, summer-on-the-lake, vintage type of feel. I found an old picnic basket with a pattern on it, and I pulled from that and put a modern spin on it,” she said. “I want my quilt patterns to look modern, but feel nostalgic.”
Looking ahead, Megan is having fun making quilts, creating patterns, and picking up new skills along the way.
“I’m sure every quilt pattern designer or small business owner feels the same way, but I feel like I’m flying by the seat of my pants. I’m just starting to scratch the surface of longarm quilting, and it might be fun to add longarming to my business. Eventually I’d love to go through the Longarm League.”
