The Ori Quilt Pattern in Echino Fabrics by Etsuko Furuya

When I first started quilting years ago, one of the blogs that inspired me most was Film in the Fridge. Ashley’s bold use of bright, modern fabrics was so inspiring, and I especially loved her projects using Echino fabrics — a vibrant and quirky line designed by Etsuko Furuya for Kokka (a Japanese fabric manufacturer).

The Echino collection has always stood out to me. The linen/cotton blend prints are colorful, playful, and often unexpected — featuring everything from birds and bicycles to geometric shapes in bold palettes. While these fabrics are technically designed with bag-making or home decor in mind, they’re still lightweight enough to use in quilting. Over the past 15 years, I’ve slowly built up a stash of Echino cuts — mostly small pieces and scrap bundles since they tend to be on the pricier side.

Cutting Into the Stash for the Ori Quilt

When it came time to make one last sample of the Ori Quilt Pattern, I realized it was finally time to use those Echino prints I’d been saving. While I knew I had plenty of variety, many of the cuts were ¼ yards or smaller, so I took stock and discovered I had exactly 40 fabrics wide enough to cut into 10” squares — perfect for a DIY layer cake.

The Ori Quilt Pattern is layer cake–friendly quilt pattern and leaves large enough pieces of the fabric that I knew I could show off these awesome fabrics..

Background + Backing Fabrics

For the background, I wanted something colorful but didn’t want to wait for new fabric to arrive. I have a bolt of Kona Pond, which paired beautifully with the Echino prints. The mint green color adds a little pop without overwhelming the design — although I’ll admit, it was tricky to photograph. Hopefully the photos do it justice!

For the backing, I chose something a little bold: a 108” wide print from the Imprint collection by Eloise Renouf (I can't find it available in black and white anymore but here it is in gray and white). I had just added it to my stash of backings, and I love how the large-scale print complements the quilt top. I briefly considered using an Echino fabric for the back — especially this cotton lawn print — but couldn’t quite justify the cost when I had something on hand that worked so well.

Want to Make One Too?

If you’re dreaming of making your own Ori Quilt in Echino fabrics, now is a great time to start collecting. These older prints can be hard to find but there are some truly gorgeous options currently available.

Don’t forget to grab your copy of the Ori Quilt Pattern, and stay tuned — tomorrow I’ll be sharing mockups using lots of collections. I can’t wait to show you how it looks in a range of colorways!