Ben Millett Studio

Detail of “If I Had Said Yes, Variant 7”.
This view includes sections of two blocks.

Detail of “If I Had Said Yes, Variant 6”.
This view includes sections of four blocks.

Quilts at the studio needed a refresh for this week’s First Friday, especially in the hall. Hope to see you then, 5-8pm.
And a huge thank you to Beau of mass_dsm and gallery4815dsm for the signage upgrade (from my previously handwritten scraps). I’ve even been able to add one to the jackets display.

Detail of “If I Had Said Yes, Variant 4”.
This view includes sections of four blocks.

The upper white/red point was *just* off when I first sewed them and I thought I could live with it. But it was bugging me all week, knowing that mismatch was existing in the world. Usually I give myself three attempts to match points, but I knew I could make it happen happen. For the fourth attempt, I broke out the glue, and now I have a seam I can live with.

Detail of “If I Had Said Yes, Variant 3”.
This view includes sections of four blocks.

Last night, hosted a preview of their exhibitions for 2025 and I’m humbled to share the news of my debut museum solo show “Iowa Artists 2025: Ben Millett”. The exhibition will be on view from 26 July to 2 November 2025. I’m working with senior curator Laura Burkhalter to select the right quilted items (quilts, jackets, and more) to be on display, including both existing and to-be-made works. I’ll share more about the show’s theme and related public events as we get closer to the opening in July.

Thanks to for capturing these photos.

It's November! Which means it's time for Scorpio ♏️ of the Cosmic Collection. This 14" block (finished) can be made as part of the entire collection or as a stand-alone mini.

You can now get the pattern for Scorpio from my shop. Or, if you ordered the Cosmic Collection bundle, you will receive the .pdf via email.
https://benmillett.us/shop/p/cosmic-collection-scorpio-digital-pattern
https://12minis.com/product/cosmic-mini-quilts-12-zodiac-blocks/

The curves used in this mini are also used in the other two minis I designed. Hopefully you'll think of that as a way to practice and develop your curved piecing techniques, especially with some of the other curves used throughout the collection.

My blocks were designed and constructed using Kona Cotton in Bright Idea, Duckling, Peacock, Lagoon, and Pepper. But you don't need to use blues for the water and yellows for the urn. Check out the mockups on the 12 Minis website using colorways selected by the other Cosmic Collection designers: , , and .

“Hills and Valleys” is my block for the 2024 sampler. It was inspired by all the hikes requiring a compass that I had to go on as a Boy Scout, to build off the compass aspect of the sampler. With a mix of curves and triangles, this block calls on your experience with multiple different piecing techniques.

Tips:
1. Use paper plates to group the patches needed for each quarter of the block. This will help you focus on one section at a time.
2. Fold your curve patches in half twice. Use a Hera marker to mark the edges. After you mark, add a tiny dot of Elmer’s glue on the mark and use a Wonder clip to help the glue hold. After a short period of time when the glue has dried, you can remove the clips to join the pieces.
3. Reduce your machine speed by half when you’re joining a curve, especially for the smaller units. You’ll be more accurate with your seam allowances and have a smoother curve.
4. To match points, align the seams and pin into the seam allowances that will first go under the needle.

Learn more about the planner and preorder for 2025 at https://forcreatives.pub

This top is for quilt one of twenty-one within the work titled "If I Had Said Yes". Remember that stack of twenty-one green fabrics from a few weeks ago? This top uses the darkest green of that stack.
I'll be saving all other explanation about this work for later, with the caveat that I will never explain to the broad public every detail l like I usually do.

When the Tula Neon 12wt thread was announced, I knew I needed to get it and make something with it. Fortunately, I was able to get an early sample as an Aurifil Artisan, but then I was stumped on what I was going to make. I realized that my It’s Electric! jacket needed a companion.

Tomorrow I'll share the finished project.

Day 3 of brings us Ghost Owl from Satomi Quilts.

Riley Blake Designs provided the fabric I used for this sample.

Here are example layouts of my two blocks, and , next to each other. With one, the palantir/crystal ball serving as a bookend for the books in last year's block. With the other, the cat is a little more daring, sitting next to an open flame, as it gives the cat an opportunity to push the palantir off the shelf.

Let’s get the party started now that the gang’s all here.