Monday, July 29, 2019

July Monthly Mini

I have two minis this month, but they're both "cheats"! 


The first one is my version of Shoofly Sampler, from the book Quirky Little Quilts, by Sheryl Johnson of Temecula Quilt Company. I must have started it close to a year ago, hence my calling it a "cheat" as obviously I did not make it within a month. I did, however, finish it this month, so I'm hoping it sort of qualifies.


my scraps
This quilt was a blast to make, especially since I limited myself to a handful of scraps - literally - for the blocks. The only things I went into my stash for were the background fabric, and the backing and binding. I varied from Sheryl's quilt, adding a few more blocks of my own invention, and changing the shape.
Did I mention it was fun?
It was fun!







And speaking of fun, I've had this very fun yo-yo print in my stash for at least ten years. I thought it was perfect for the back!

The decision to hand quilt this is the main reason it took me so long to finish. These days I have to parse out my hand quilting into half hour sessions, with (ideally) several days in between as to not over stress my hand. This little guy may just be the last piece I completely hand quilt. But not to worry, as I am embracing machine quilting more and more, and loving the results. 



I'm trying to show better detail of the quilting here, but the motifs are pretty obscured. Probably due to the fact that I washed and dried it to achieve the crinkly look, and I kinda regret that now. It looked much better before. I'm learning there's a time and a place for everything, and sometimes less is more.



Next up is this little tumbler quilt, which I pieced a month or so ago, from scraps gifted to me from a friend. I actually made two tops at the time, the first ending up qualifying for my June Monthly Mini. This one sat around a while longer, while I was deciding how to quilt it. I ended up going with the machine hand-quilt stitch, and I think it turned out really good, plus it was fast, and no stress on my hands.


 Nice Barbara Brackman print for the back..


Hand quilting kind of disappears into these busy fabrics anyway. You can see the difference here, with the hand quilted one from last month on the left, and the crisper/bolder machine quilting on the right.




Here are my two July mini's hanging together on the fence. Taking this picture with my ipad in the bright sun was complete guesswork, as all I could see was my reflection on the screen! .

I'm posting this early because I'm going on vacation in a few days. I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone else has made this month! If you are too, jump over on the 31st to see, at Wendy's blog - The Constant Quilter. 


love,
Sandy


12 comments:

  1. Two lovelies! I need to learn how to achieve that machine 'hand quilting' stitch. Yours looks positively wonderful.

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    1. Janome and Bernina both have that stitch.

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  2. I wouldn't call either one of these little finishes a cheat, Sandy. I call them delightful. And no matter when a quilt was started, to me it is the finish date that qualifies it as a "monthly mini".
    These are both wonderful little finishes. The little sampler blocks are so sweet, and I always love a tumbler quilt.
    The machine "hand quilted" stitch is really a nice feature. Looks good to me!

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  3. I'm with Janet! I would not call either of these "cheating" and I love them both. I have never seen that yo-yo print on the back and I love it! I do not have a machine that does that hand quilt stitch, but you have me tempted to find one. It really looks like hand quilting to me. And, you are right, hand quilting often gets lost with such busy fabrics in small pieces. Good job this month!! I'll link up as soon as I post mine.

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  4. The medium blue setting used for the Temecula mini is a great choice. Got my attention right away.

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  5. Your little minis are adorable--I don't think that was cheating at all!

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  6. You little quilts are so cute. I like that you added a few more blocks to the mix on the first one. The size is different and mixes well with the other finish. I have that hand stitching feature on my sewing machine but I've never used it. I think I will now that I've seen what it can do - it's nice. Love your backings, especially the yo-yos.

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  7. Love what you finished for you July minis. It's amazing what sewing machine can do these days. Whatever tools we have at our disposal we might as well use! Great job

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  8. Love your July minis! That machine hand-quilt stitch looks wonderful. I think I would use that alot! I like the way you quilted that little tumbler. I have a top that I made a few years ago that still needs to be quilted so you may have given me an idea :)

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  9. Both of these quilts are gorgeous! My hands can't take hand quilting either - so glad you have a machine that can give you that look!

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  10. Both minis are so pretty. Very nice to be able to use the machine in ways that save our hands. What thread in needle and bobbin do you use for the "hand quilted" machine stitch? I think it looks terrific.

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  11. What wonderful little heirlooms you are creating!

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