Category: mini quilts

cross stitch, fabric project, home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilting, quilts, Uncategorized

2024 Project Recap

Deb Gehringer

Every new year I look back at all the projects I’d made the previous year. Some years I’m surprised how much I did; other years I’m surprised how much I didn’t make!

2024 was a year where I really didn’t make a whole lot, partly because I was running out of room to store quilts. I wanted to part with some but needed a good cause. I ended up donating 4; three to Hurricane Helene victims in NC and one to fire victims in LA. I strongly felt they needed quilts much more than I needed them sitting in my curio cabinet, so off they went to new owners.

Here’s a look at what was accomplished last year…

In January I released my Classic Plaid quilt pattern; one that I had written a few years prior. It’s beginner friendly and is a really quick sew. It’s available in my Etsy shop. The quilt is also for sale!

In May, I made a cute little clothespin hanger for the drying rack I use outside. It’s nice to make useful items for around the house.

To add to that, I made some decorative pillows for my bed. I had the yardage for a few years, just waiting for the right project and these were definitely it.

In June, I made another Wee Three Trees with leftover fabric from my Winter Woodlands quilt. I ended up selling this mini on Etsy, but it’s always a fun make. Wee Three Trees has been my most popular pattern since its release!

In August, I listed my Love to Sew cross stitch pattern. Again, I’d written it a few years back but somehow didn’t release the pattern then. It was enjoyable to make something different. I’m thinking about a new cross stitch pattern, just got to put the pencil to the paper…

In August, when it was way too hot for any outdoor activities, I’d decided to take a few hundred already trimmed HST and sew them together. I thought I’d make a throw quilt for myself but then realized there weren’t enough HST for anything larger than crib size. I ended up selling this on Etsy.

In November I released my Merry Little Stars mini quilt pattern. One of my all time favorite fabric collections is Evergreen by Basic Grey for Moda. I had just enough left to make the stars and I was lucky enough to find yardage for the borders and binding. I loved having this displayed on my coffee table during the holiday season.

In December I’d gotten back my Winter Woodlands quilt from my longarmer. It’s quilted in swirls and lovely snowflakes. I released this pattern last year, and it was a favorite both seasons. It’s very simple and all you need is a jelly roll and some background yardage. I used Merry Little Christmas by Bonnie & Camille for Moda.

For now, that’s all I can share. 😉

Upcoming, I have a queen sized quilt to be featured in American Patchwork and Quilting. It’s a pattern that allows for so much color and it’s designed for fat quarters. I’m looking forward to sharing it with everyone.

Happy sewing in 2025!

Christmas, home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, PDF pattern, quilts, Uncategorized

Merry Little Stars Mini Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

In plenty of time for the holidays, my latest pattern is available in my Etsy shop—Merry Little Stars.

Designed with cuteness and beginners in mind, this little mini is so easy. Here’s why. The stars are made using the stitch-and-flip method so there’s no points to line up or worry about sewing the points off! The triangles on the top and bottom borders are also stitch-and-flip, giving the stars a bit of flair easily.

As far as fabric requirements go, it doesn’t require much; 2 fat quarters, one 10″ square & yardage, but 2 1/2″ precut strips can easily be substituted for the color fabrics. Even scraps will do if you want a scrappy look. And it can be sewn up in a day or weekend.

Here are a few photos of how I made mine. Quilted lines were sewn 1″ apart using a longer stitch length to give a more sophisticated look. The lines are at a 45 degree angle marked with my hera marker. The results are petite squares on point. 🙂

For the stars, I used fabric from Moda’s Evergreen collection by BasicGrey. This is one of my all-time favorite fabric lines but unfortunately it’s long been out-of-print. The triangles around the stars are Riley Blake’s Blossom in silver. The backing is Frosty Merry-Mints by Wilmington Prints.

I wanted a folk pattern for the striped borders (and binding) to coordinate with the green folk-inspired star fabric, so I purchased a BasicGrey red and white dainty print from the Pine Valley collection. I love all the pretty Christmas symbols included.

Merry Little Stars measures 10 1/2″ x 30 1/2″. It’s versatile because it can be displayed as a wall hanging, laid out on your holiday tablescape or set out as a table runner.

With that one finished, I’ve got another one in the works. I used BasicGrey (a huge fan!) Grunge Seeing Stars in yellow and green. Perfect! The striped borders give a candy cane vibe in classic red and white.

I’m excited to put mine out for the holidays and I’m also thinking about making another with non-traditional holiday colors. I think it would look great in any color combo, wouldn’t it?

Christmas, fabric project, home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilting, Uncategorized

Wee Three Trees Revisited

Deb Gehringer

During the 2019 holiday season, I released one of my favorite patterns, Wee Three Trees. It’s been nearly 5 years now so I thought I’d revisit the pattern and make a new one.

I decided to use leftover fabric from my Winter Woodlands quilt. Since both patterns are 2 1/2″ strip friendly, I was able to use strips from my Merry Little Christmas jelly roll by Moda.

For my new version, I made a slight alteration by easily changing the direction of the right-hand border. By doing so, it gives a bit of a different look which shows that you can take this pattern and add your own little touches.

In addition, I chose solid white for the background instead of tone-on-tone.

I crosshatch quilted my original Wee Three Trees mini as I did this time, too. I love how crosshatch quilting on a rectangle creates diamonds. Classy and timeless!

Otherwise, nothing else differed. This cute little mini quilt goes together relatively quick—you can finish it in a day or it makes a great weekend project. The pattern is suitable for a confident quilter yet is fun for quilters of all skill levels.

Wee Three Trees mini quilt pattern is available for purchase in my Etsy shop, as a PDF download or paper copy.

Remember, it’s not too early to start that holiday sewing!

home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilting, Uncategorized

Cozy Kittens Mini Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

Every year I like to release a winter holiday pattern and this year’s pattern is ready to go just in time for Christmas in July. It’s called Cozy Kittens and it can be purchased in my Etsy shop.

Cozy Kittens measures 23 ½” wide x 17″ high, so I consider it a mini quilt but it’s also a great size for a table topper.

What’s more? It’s written for fat eighths but I bet if you dig into your scrap bin you’d find plenty in there for this one. 🙂

This cute little mini quilt is suitable for the confident beginner and testers all agreed that it goes together really fast!

If you’re looking for a quick sew and want to get your holiday sewing underway early, get your copy and get started. Happy Sewing!

fabric project, mini quilts, Uncategorized

Black and White Checkerboard Mini

Deb Gehringer

A couple of years ago I made The Ghost Quilt that resulted in dozens of cut-away corners. Not being one to waste and certainly being one who’s always looking for something to make with such things, I held on to them.

Knowing I wouldn’t get to this project anytime soon, I had to find a way to keep the corners together. I stacked bundles about 3 inches high then hand-sewed through them making a loop.

I put them in a bag, and then they sat for over a year and a half. One day in the middle of winter I went through my fabric looking for inspiration. My sewing room closet doesn’t allow for a lot of storage so upon finding the bundles I decided it was time to make something.

The first thing to do was make half square triangles. After chain piecing the pairs, pressing and trimming (a couple of days worth of work) there were over 160 HST!

A sane quilter wouldn’t have taken this project on for several reasons. First of all, the cut-aways were very small. Once sewn and squared, the HST measured 1 5/8″. Meaning once sewn into something they’d finished at 1 1/8″. That’s crazy small. But there I was.

Out of all the design options, I’d settled on checkerboard. I’ve got to admit, once sewn, I didn’t really like it. Once quilted, I still didn’t like it. But it’s a gift and I hoped the recipient would.

Here’s a few photos of the process…

As you can see, there were a lot of threads to cut AND I used quite a bit of starch due to the bulk.

Here’s the finished mini.

After putting it away for a few weeks then getting it out to photograph, I did end up liking it. I think the white binding is just right, too.

Overall, this was a challenge I felt I needed. I also found it interesting how at one point I was ready to toss it but decided not to, and in the end was glad I didn’t. 🙂

Christmas, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, quilting

Wee Three Trees Kits

Deb Gehringer

Wee Three Trees is now available in kits! Shabby Fabrics has this little mini pattern bundled with festive fabric so that one-stop shopping makes it easy. Inside the kit you will find beautiful Moda fabric and a paper copy of the pattern. Kits are limited so be sure to order early! 🙂

Have your own fabric? No problem! You can purchase either a paper or PDF pattern in my Etsy shop.

Wee Three Trees is designed for the confident beginner, but of course it’s a fun make for anyone. Plus, it goes together fast making it a great weekend project. And now’s the time to start on that holiday sewing, right? 😉

fall decor, home decor, mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, Uncategorized

Mini Mania Sale

Deb Gehringer

After relocating and settling in, I’ve decided it’s time to clear out some of my mini quilts. Now most people would have thought to do this before moving, but, well…you know… 😉 Anyway, these minis are great for hanging on your wall or door -or- they make excellent table toppers. I have five on sale for 20% off on my Etsy shop for this week only! (More details are available on Etsy listing).

Here’s a run down of what’s available. Let’s start with my retro Flower Heart mini. I made this for my Scrappy Heart Mini tutorial a few years ago. It’s made with a fun, flowery collection from Riley Blake fabrics.

Next up is my Pinwheels Galore mini quilt. This mini is the one featured on the cover of my PDF pattern. Also, a baby size quilt version of this pattern was published in Quilts & more fall edition 2021. It’s a Monday Morning Designs pattern.

Another Monday Morning Design is my Floriography mini quilt. I embellished the block by adding a square-in-a-square border to help frame the center. This colorful mini is made with the Bedrock collection from Windham fabrics and boy does it pop!

This bold black, white and pink Flower mini is from a pattern by the Family Hearth. I used delightful prints by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics for a striking aesthetic.

Full Bloom Mini Quilt

If you’re looking to bring autumnal colors indoors, this Maple leaf mini will do the trick! The pattern is by Cori Yoder. I used Moda fabrics throughout to give it a true-to-life fall vibe.

All five mini’s have corner pockets sewn onto the back to accommodate a dowel rod for easy hanging. All minis are handmade by me.

Choose a favorite for yourself, give one to a friend or loved one as they make great gifts!

mini quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, patterns, PDF pattern, Uncategorized

Pinwheels Galore Mini Quilt Pattern

Deb Gehringer

I haven’t posted in quite a while as my husband and I moved from PA to NC in February. Now that things have settled down, I’m finally back. 🙂

That said, it’s time to release my latest pattern, Pinwheels Galore Mini Quilt.

If you’re up for a beginner mini pattern, you’ve got it! This is quick, easy, fun and a great choice for quilters of all levels. Love pinwheels? Look no further; it truly is pinwheels galore!

Quilters find that making minis is fun because they go together pretty fast, but this one goes together really fast. It’s designed for both strip piecing and chain piecing.

Here’s some additional information about the mini…it measures 19 1/2″ square so it’s an excellent size for hanging or for a table topper.

Also, soon I’ll be offering this design in 4 quilt sizes – baby, throw, twin and queen. Look for the pattern later this month!

Pinwheels Galore Mini Quilt is available for purchase in my Etsy shop. Just pick your favorite colors and enjoy some time sewing!

fall decor, home decor, mini quilts, quilt blocks, quilting

Maple Leaf Minis

Deb Gehringer

A couple of years ago I made a Maple Charm throw quilt by Coriander Quilts. It’s a definite all-time favorite and I bring it out every autumn (for display only). 🙂

But lately, for some reason, I’ve really slowed down on making larger size quilts and I’ve been focusing on making minis or other small sewing projects instead. Hopefully I’ve just misplaced my quilt-making motivation for a while and it’ll show up soon. 😉

In the meantime, I wanted something more than just the quilt to decorate with so I decided to make minis using just one block. I chose three traditional autumn colors for the leaves: orange, yellow and red. Some fabrics were used in the quilt, others I’ve accumulated recently.

Picking out the fabric is half the fun, isn’t it? So, once my fabric choices were decided, I made one block out of each color. For the background I used Moda’s Cream Solid, the same fabric as in the full size quilt.

Since I wanted the minis a bit bigger than the block, I added a finished 1/2″ inner border using dark brown fabric to frame the leaf in. I then added a finished 1″ outer background fabric border to make it complete. The minis finish at 15″ x 15″.

I quilted the orange and yellow minis with a diagonal serpentine stitch to give a falling/windy effect which I thought worked out rather nicely.

I quilted the red mini in a 1″ square grid, just for something different than the other two.

I also added a corner hanging sleeve in all four corners—that way I can orient the mini any way I want. This hanging method is so easy! If you’re not familiar with it, I have a Corner Hanging Sleeve Tutorial on my website if you want to give it a try.

Overall, these were a really fun project and added great color and variety to my autumn décor. They also would make nice table setting minis for your holiday displays…another reason to make a few.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas, mini quilts, modern quilts, monday morning designs quilt pattern, patterns, quilting, Uncategorized

Holiday Sewing Projects

Deb Gehringer

Even though summer has just left us, now’s the time to get started on our holiday sewing projects. It’s definitely not too early especially if you plan to make a quilt and would like to have it finished in plenty of time.

I’ve noticed a lot a quilt patterns out there are so close to being the same as one another, and well, it’s getting kind of old. In order to make what change I could, I decided to design something completely different, and what better subject is there than the holidays? So last year I set to work and came up with my Holiday Hemlocks throw quilt in two versions, Scrappy Holiday Hemlocks PDF pattern…

and non-scrappy Holiday Hemlocks PDF pattern (both available in my Etsy shop). Additionally, I have a Holiday Hemlocks PAPER pattern available for those of you who prefer paper over digital, and shipping is FREE!

There’s no denying this quilt design is definitely different than any other holiday quilt, right? Well, that’s exactly what I was going for. But different doesn’t mean difficult. 😉

Here are a few things I’d like to note about these quilts…they’re traditionally pieced with no tricky blocks involved, and the patterns are suitable for anyone who has made only a couple of quilts! In fact, one of my testers was an absolute beginner and hers turned out great.

My patterns are always clearly written with step-by-step instructions, there are also plenty of detailed, colorful diagrams throughout.

Don’t have time to make an entire quilt? Try this festive little mini instead—Wee Three Trees.

This pattern is by far the best seller in my Etsy shop. I made the one photographed here for myself, but I’ve made several of them for gifts, too. Wee Three Trees is a relatively quick make, you could easily whip one up in a weekend.

If you like both designs AND want to save some money, I offer Wee Three Trees and Holiday Hemlocks Pattern Bundle for a lesser price than buying them separately. The same goes for the Wee Three Trees and Scrappy Holiday Hemlocks Pattern Bundle. No matter what you choose, I’ve got you covered.

Lastly, if you don’t shop on Etsy and would like an alternative, all my patterns can be found at: https://payhip.com/MondayMorningDesigns.

I hope you find your next holiday project here. 🙂 Happy sewing!