Inspired Broken Diamonds Mini

 Name: Inpsired Broken Diamonds Mini

Design:  Inspired by Broken Diamonds by Kati from the Blue Chair

Size: 12" by 12"

Fabric:  Kona Scraps and Kona White scraps

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 50 wt in white, 

Binding and Backing:  Kona Medium grey binding and backed with IKEA Britten numbers

My guild is swapping mini quilts with the Maritime Modern Quilt Guild.  I had no idea what to make because the swap specified a 12" by 12" mini.  I usually make BIG quilts so a mini this tiny was a bit of a stretch.  A few of my quilts are part of a guild trunk show at the moment including this one, Inspired Broken Diamonds.    I made Inspired Broken Diamonds after seeing Kati's quilt, Broken Diamonds.  She did not have a pattern for the quilt at that time so I just went for it and came up with my own.  Kati has since published a pattern called Wonky Cabins and provides instructions on how to make the broken diamonds blocks in the pattern.  Seeing my quilt in the trunk show was one of those light bulb moments. Hello, people.  Let's mini size it!  It seemed like a good idea.  The little diamonds are make by foundation piecing string blocks.  You need 2 identical quarter string blocks for half of the diamond and another 2 identical but different quarter string blocks for the other half.  That way no two diamonds are the same.  Kind of cool.  The smallest diamond in this 12" by 12" mini is finished at 1.5" and the biggest finishes at 3.5".  Just a little fussy.  Let me just say that pulling the paper off such tiny blocks was not fun.  But it looks pretty awesome.  I used scraps of Kona solids, Kona white and used Kona Medium grey for the binding.  The quilting is dense straight line, 1/4" apart with Auriful 50 wt in white.  Just snazzy.  

On the barn wall  and a close up.

Before quilting, on the ironing board and with my trusty stitch ripper for scale.  

And my original biggie sized Inspired Broken Diamonds from February 2013. Just a little bigger at 64" by 74".

This Way and That

 Name:  This Way and That

Block:  Paper Pieced block from Amy's Creative side

Design:  Layout and setting triangles, mine

Size:  approx  26" by 26"

Fabric:  Kona Slate, Print from Comma and Sugar Pop, Kona Pomegranate, Anna Maria Horner and Art Gallery scraps

Binding: Kona Slate and Print from Sugar Pop line for Moda

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 40 wt in 5015, Aurifil 40 wt in 2605 and 2309

I had a lot of fun with this one.  It a mini and I will submit it for the Creative Stitches Modern Mini Challenge at Tradex in Abbotsford this month  I used the paper pieced block from Amy Ellis at Amy's Creative side and then placed the blocks on point.  What really made it for me was using the setting triangles in Kona Slate and in the Sugar Pop print in that lovely bright chartreuse. The binding echoed the setting triangles.

I used three different Aurifil threads in the quilting, a yellow-green 40 weight, 5015, a grey 50 wt, 2605 and a cream 50 wt, 2309.  The quilting was fun.  It is a combination of free motion and straight line quilting. This way and that.  I like it!

So what modern theme does this mini reflect?

Modern Mini... Are we there yet?

 Name:  Are we there yet?

Design: Mine

Size:  approx  26" by 30"

Fabric:  Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush, Kona solids... Curry and Cerise,

 Robert Kaufman linen cotton blend, Stof basics text print in ivory

Backing:  stash fabrics

Binding:  Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush

Quilted: by me with Aurifil 40 wt ivory

I have spoken before about my lovely Fraser Valley Modern Quilt Guild and how we are playing a big role in the Creative Stitches Show in Abbotsford in March.  We are hosting a Modern Mini Challenge for the guild as part of the show as a way of demonstrating what modern quilting looks like.  Guild members have been selecting modern quilting themes out of a basket and then getting busy.  Since I am the guild challenge coordinator, I got busy fast so I could have a sample.  I selected alternate grid work as a modern quilting theme but when I started working, I also had expansive negative space, use of solids, bright, colourful prints as well.  I quilted it heavily with straight lines in an ivory Aurifil 40 wt and increased the length of the stitches a bit.  The stitches pop on the linen.  We decided to go a little bigger than a typical mini to showcase the modern quilting themes.  So here it is.  A modern mini.  I called it Are We There Yet? because I am really excited about the Creative Stitches show!