UK Mini Quilt Swap 2015

Way way ago, must be, oh, as long as last December I signed up for the UK mini swap on instagram. It seemed ages away and the evenings can be very long and dark in the dead of winter. Fast forward to Easter, we were heading off to New York and my mini quilt was due.

I started off well, I had a fair idea what I wanted to do and the fabrics I had in mind but of course it depended on the mosaic my partner was to post on ig. And this was to be a secret swap, I knew who I was making for but not who was making for me. This is actually great fun. Lots of secret stalking of your own partner and admiring and hoping some of the inspirational makes might be for you. As luck would have it my partner, had as part of her inspirational mosaic a spool quilt and amongst her likes was the Doe fabric range by Carolyn Friedlander. Quids in then. To balance this, was the surprise of my partner Katy who blogs as thelittlestthistle. This was both good and hmm maybe not so good! I have actually met Katy, last summer at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. We had coffee together and set the world to rights and got on well. The other side of that is Katy is prestigious and proficient and of prodigious talent (just smile Katy) and is very much the perfectionist in her own work. I knew she would be kind to my wonky corners though and lumps and bumps!!

I decided to follow quite loosely the instructions for Cindy's spool blocks that I used in my first every bee block in the modernquiltersireland. As Katy has links to N Ireland, I decided to go with a linen background and use both Doe fabrics and solid Kona to give the shading of the threads.





I used a black fabric with white circles for backing which I thought hinted at thread spools as well. When it came to the quilting, I decided to use straight line quilting around the spools, more of the kindling quilting rather than matchstick quilting! The only thing was, on the reverse the space for the spool in the quilting looked rather odd I thought. I think with hindsight I should have quilted around the spool also. I toyed with the idea of looping matching cotton perle around the "fabric thread" but decided to leave well alone. Less is more. I bound it with another of the Doe fabrics and mitred the corners.



I also included some local delicacies, Tayto cheese and onion potato crisps. I kid you not, these are a major staple of our diet, in sandwiches in white bread, crushed on as casserole toppings. The uses for the humble potato crisp are endless. I also included some soda bread, a bread made with baking soda and sour milk, seriously. This gave me rather a worry though, the parcel took ages to arrive and I was worried Katy was going to get a packet of blue moulded bread complete with buzzing flies. Luckily enough it was ok for toast! I also found a little orange notebook I was going to cover but decided it toned too well in its natural state. And, I made a pincushion spool for Katy as the final extra.

And of course there was my excitement, of waiting to see what I received in return! Everything was so great on ig, I would have been happy to get any of the makes. Mind you, one I had particularly liked was by Donna @themodernmaker and I was delighted when I opened my parcel, and there was the mini! Donna's quilt was long and narrow, off centre with a black surround and kona fabric inset. I love it!! The backing is a great fabric too, architectural, and just what I love. Donna was kind enough to include a lovely pouch, currently holding my knitting and a great key fob. I was dead chuffed as they say! Thank you Donna. Donna's photo shows it perfectly, so I've borrowed it!


Doesn't my mini quilt look well in its new home?


All the best,
Helen x

Comments

  1. Beautiful makes - I love the Doe fabric range and your mini looks like it was made for thecoffee table. Great swap!

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