The work of the British quilter Cassandra Ellis is so inspiring. Her impossibly pretty home was featured on design*sponge recently, and her quilts are scattered throughout. I often find it difficult to strike a balance between modern simplicity and lively patterns when I am thinking about making a quilt. I want to use bright colors and patterns, but I don’t want to end up with something chaotic or too patchworky. It looks to me like she is guided by the fabric–she uses gorgeous colors (yay red!) and prints, which are always a good starting point. Then she seems to piece them together improvisationally. The end results are stunning.