mini quilt – Monday Morning Designs

home decor, mini quilts, modern quilts, quilting, Uncategorized

Radiant Mini Quilt Published in Quiltmaker

June 14, 2019June 14, 2019 Deb Gehringer

To kick off the summer season, I have a newly published mini quilt pattern that gives off a summery vibe. It’s entitled Radiant because, well, the sun just radiates!

I sketched this idea a while back but didn’t get a chance to write the pattern and make it until early spring last year. Right after finishing it, Modern Patchwork put out a call for ‘small’ projects. The timing was perfect so I submitted it for publication consideration. After being accepted, Modern Patchwork was no longer going to be published (sadly) so my mini was moved to the July/August issue of Quiltmaker.

I received my magazine copies yesterday and I have to say I love their layout, it definitely says summer to me! I’m very happy with it. 🙂

As seen in July/August issue of Quiltmaker

There were two things that inspired this design: 1. the sheer heat of the sun 2. fabric. I had purchased a Kona Cotton Citrus Bundle with something else in mind, but it ended being up exactly what I needed for this pattern. I wanted to create an ombre effect using solids ranging from dark to light giving the feeling of warmth radiating from the sun, and it worked. I think any combination of reds, oranges and yellows would do just as well.

I wanted to quilt circles from the sun outward, but before starting I tested my idea. On paper, I drew a circle (from a coaster) in the corner where the sun was on the quilt. I knew that the further out I’d have to sew, the larger the circles would get, and I had to make sure they’d stay round. It looked like it was going to work so I continued on.

Testing showed I needed to start my lines off the quilt edge onto the excess batting area so I would have enough lead into the quilt top in order to keep my circles round. It was a bit of extra quilting but it was necessary to get the results I wanted. I used the edge of my walking foot for distancing apart lines, that way I didn’t have to make any markings.

For quilting, I used Aurifil 2135, giving a nice warm finish.

This little mini is a quick and easy make; consisting of mostly half square triangles. It measures 15″ W x 12″ H, and it would be a nice bright addition to anyone’s space! It’s also a great skill builder for a beginner quilter.

If you don’t subscribe to Quiltmaker, get your copy today and give it a try! If you like oranges and yellows you’re all set…or if you’re feeling adventurous try it out in your favorite color palette.

So now that summer’s here, enjoy it!

mini quilts, quilting, Uncategorized

Modern Meets Traditional

September 10, 2018September 13, 2018 Deb Gehringer

Isn’t it interesting how colors can make all the difference? Recently my son asked me to make him a mini quilt for his music room. He requested the Dutch Rose block, and for a few good reasons…he liked the center star along with how the formation around it looks ‘folded’ and of course, the block has timeless style! I couldn’t agree more.

8042_pattern_img-1

A while back I made a zippered pillow cover using the Dutch Rose block knowing that the block itself is traditional. I think the soft colors I used in my pillow accented that fact, but for this mini-quilt I wanted a modern, updated look. Masculine, too.

Overall, I find that one of the most fun parts of quilting is choosing fabrics. Sometimes I have very specific ideas, other times I forage through my (limited) stash trying to find what looks good. For this project, I knew to avoid any pastels, pinks and purples. I had just finished a quilt using Sun Print 2018 by Alison Glass for Andover Fabrics and I knew my son would like the rich, deep colors in the collection plus I had plenty leftover. After much deliberation, I narrowed it down to four hoping the combination would work.

I used Kona Cotton White for an extra pop and I quilted it with my go-to pattern, crosshatch, spacing lines 1 ½” apart, using Aurifil cotton 50wt 2024 (White).

IMGP8723

I’ve been stitching that a lot lately, and it never gets old. And I feel the color combination worked—I love it and my son was happy with it, too. I’m tempted to use these colors in a triangle quilt!

In the end, I think I achieved my goal of giving this block a mod update just by using bold, modern colors.

IMGP8713

:.,bcxz

Same block, but what a different feel you get from the colors and fabrics you choose… because that’s what it’s all about, right?

mini quilts, tutorials, Uncategorized

Corner Hanging Pocket Tutorial

June 6, 2018November 15, 2022 Deb Gehringer

Hanging mini quilts is a must-do, right? Whether you’re a quilter who hangs minis all over your walls or one like me who hangs one at a time—having an effective method of displaying them is essential no matter how many or how few. This corner technique is so fast and easy, in no time your minis will be ready to show off!

Required materials include two squares of fabric and a round dowel rod. I usually use 3/8″ width (oak) as it’s sturdy and doesn’t tend to bend or warp. It’s not necessary to go any larger than 3/8″ with most mini quilts. I’ve also used a 1/4″ dowel rod on a very small mini and through my experience, it held up well.

Dowel rods can be purchased at any big box home improvement store for under $2 each (36″ length/oak). There are a variety of sizes and types of wood so you can choose what best suits your needs.

Let’s get started. Once your mini quilt is quilted and trimmed (but before binding), cut two 3″ x 3″ squares from your backing fabric (or from scraps). Press squares in half diagonally.

On the back of the quilt, pin one pressed square onto each top corner.

IMGP7617

Attach binding, sewing carefully around the pins, making sure to keep the all the edges flat.

Finish sewing on the binding using your preferred method.

And it’s finished!

Measure from one end of the binding to the other, cut the dowel rod to measurement. Sand off any rough edges.

Insert and hang!

Got a lot of mini quilts? Need a few tips on storing them? Click here!

mini quilts, quilts, Uncategorized

Patriotic Flag Mini Quilt

May 21, 2018May 22, 2018 Deb Gehringer

The month of May always brings out patriotism here in the US, with Memorial Day kicking off the summer season then Flag Day and the Fourth of July not too far behind. Right now I have two quilts in the making, a Christmas gift and a new pattern of mine, and I could use a break from larger projects so I set out to find something patriotic that I could finish quickly using left over fabrics.

I usually don’t sew with blue (I don’t know why, I just don’t seem to choose it) but since I made my Americana Stars & Four Patches quilt last year, I had enough blue fabric for something small. Same with red, I don’t use it a lot, but I had some on hand from previous projects plus I got a small fat quarter bundle freebie with some lovely reds included. 🙂

After quite a bit of searching, I decided on a free flag tutorial from Cluck Cluck Sew. While she made a lovely pillow, I wanted something for my sewing room door so I added a light blue border and made mine a mini quilt.

For the star and stripes, I used a white low volume fabric with handwriting that reminded me of old-fashioned handwritten letters and historic signatures; I thought it was fitting for a flag. It’s kind of difficult to see it unless it’s close up…

IMGP7937 IMGP7939

Before I began quilting, I did some ‘thread painting’—my quilting tip that consists of laying out thread on a project to help decide on a quilting pattern. To read more about it, click here. I do tend to gravitate toward crosshatch quilting, especially on rectangular blocks because the end results are diamonds, and I love the look! So yes, I went with crosshatch quilting, yet again.

When basting a mini quilt, I always use my flower straight pins instead of actual quilting pins. Reasons being: they’re easier to put in and take out, they’re nice and sharp and long, and they seem flatter than other pins.

IMGP7979

I used my guide for quilting accuracy and it gave me very precise results!

I was happy to have had enough red and white striped fabric for this project, left over from a Christmas tree skirt. And of course, striped binding is always a favorite.

And speaking of binding…how lucky was I to get this tiny stripe to align when I finished off my binding? Absolutely pure luck! Doubt that ever happens again. 🙂

For the back, I had this very appropriate fabric from my Stars & Four Patches quilt. As far as backing goes, it’s easy to match up prints, especially on a small project. I have more information on this topic on my Matching Fabric Patterns blog post.

And…here’s the finished project!

I love everything about this mini—it’s cute, a great size for my sewing room door and I can get it out to enjoy several times a year. Lastly, it was a small but significant scrap buster!

IMGP8000