Monday, May 18, 2009

mini quilt monday

do you know about mini quilt monday?

i was very excited to discover it for two reasons: 1. it will help me accomplish more of the quilts i hope to make in my lifetime (the list is scary and lengthy!) and 2. it's a great way to try out new quilt techniques on a smaller scale.

i have two to share today.
16" x 18"
the first is a string X block. there is a tutorial here.
(hey, it's been awhile since i made a pink quilt!)
there is a gorgeous X quilt here.

what i learned:
-spray starch helps a ton.
-i'm not going to make one of these quilts on a larger scale, as it took me 4 tries to stipple this one. (oh, the seams!)
-my spiderweb quilt is going to be a huge pain in the hinder to quilt.

14" x 17"
this is a little quilt i made for the purpose of trying out a new-to-me quilting technique. (i love the color scheme of this one. and i used scraps!)

the inspiration for the quilting is here. AMAZING, wouldn't you say?
i'd like to try this technique on my square dance quilt. but then again, i'd like to finish the square dance quilt sometime this year, so i'm torn. :)
-----
today is day 22 of the quilt along. i have 37 nine patches complete, for those of you who are curious.

happy monday to you!

54 comments:

Ashley said...

mini quilts are so cute! there's something about that miniature size...
Both of yours are fabulous - I'm really drawn to the colors of the second, and the quilting is just great!
p.s. thanks for linking to my string quilt! :)

rosehippo said...

Oh, baby quits are so cute!

Wendy said...

They are beautiful! what are the dimensions on them, amandajean?

Amanda Jean said...

wendylee,

i added the dimentions to the post. :)

aj

RosaMarĂ­a said...

the gray one is my favorite, and i love the quilting on it. Great monday's job...¡¡¡ both are cute!!!

Becca said...

I'm really impressed by the quilting on the second one. How did you get the waviness while still keeping the lines evenly spaced?

Mrs. JP said...

I've been wanting to learn how to paper piece. That's what it is right? I'm gonna try it and if it turns out as pretty as yours I'll make a bunch and make that beautiful big quilt. It's nice to start out small. There's nothing so satisfying as a finished project!

rachel griffith said...

yayyy!!!
glad to hear that my starch tip helped!!!
it looks SUPER cute.

kangaroo said...

i love that quilting technique. do you start at the top or in the middle?

Judy said...

Fabulous baby quilts! Love the colors on that second one too! Nice quilt design but man o man the thread!!

Leslie said...

i love the quilting on that second one...did that take a really long time? Did you use a walking foot or a open toe? I am going to have to check out the mini quilts monday...i would love to make a bunch and hang them all around my house. Day 22? I better go count what i have and see if i am behind

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Now that is a great idea! mini quilts, I try but they all seem to turn into twin size!! I love the colors of the second quilt, but my heart belongs to pink! love it!!

Jodi Nelson said...

oh so cute! ooxx`jodi

Cheryl Arkison said...

Isn't it nice to try and learn this way? Too cute.

Anonymous said...

They are both beautiful!

Unknown said...

Ooh, pretties!

CJ said...

So will you display these or ??

Any tips for that wavy/straight line quilting??

Marie' said...

I really like the quilting on the second one, but it seems almost harder to do.

Crystal said...

Those are awesome quilts!

Philigry said...

love that string quilt. i want to make one, but i have a feeling it would turn into a pillow, which is okay, i guess. i wish i had your patience!

Mushyhed said...

Great quilts! I need to make more small quilts so I can practice my quilting techniques. BTW, I went through 2 packs of needles stippling my string x quilt.

Jocelyn said...

Wow your blue one is so cool. Love the flow of quilting.

RosaMarĂ­a said...

that type of quilting (in the gray one) had a name?

Rebekah said...

adorable! I love the grey and blue/green quilt

MissesStitches said...

I love both of your quilts! I checked out the inspiration for the quilting on your second one, and really liked that. Can't wait to try it. Sounds like my kind of quilting, not very exact, but I can sit there for quite a while and just do it!

LizzyHouse said...

these are cute cute cute!

heather said...

They look great!! I was planning on scrapping the spiderweb quilt and doing one like film in the fridge. I LOVE that one!! They both look great!!

Laura said...

What a fun idea to try new techniques and patterns and the like.

lera said...

Hello from Google Reader. hee hee hee

I love your mini quilts. I suppose I should make some (one ??) for Spenser. After all, that little Ikea doll bed she got for Christmas was supposed to get a new set. It's only been 5 months ...

Carolyn cdn said...

These are marvelous, I love the quilting on the second one. It's right up my alley since I can't see my way to a straight line no matter what I do.

Stefanie said...

I'm catching up on the nine patches this week and long weekend. Have you posted your master list of the quilts you want to make, did I miss it? If not, will you post it on the blog sometime? I'd be so curious as to what it would include. Way to go mini!

Unknown said...

Fun! I love trying stuff out in mini too :) Probably should do more of it! That quilting looks fun, but like it would take FOREVER. . .

K said...

These are so sweet! They'd look so neat on a wall as art. Just beautiful. On another note, I have sworn to stop being a fabric collector and actually make a quilt. I took a basic machine quilting class and made a log cabin wall hanging. After seeing your Bento Box quilts, I think that I want to make that as my first full size quilt. Would you have any suggestions for the quilt? I just ordered the pattern so I'll have a bit of time to get ready. Thanks and I understand if you don't have time to answer :).
klvernon at yahoo.com

LSS said...

I made a bunch of minis and donated them to someone who makes memory boxes for parents who have lost their babies, some of them very tiny. The smallest size they ask for is 10x10".

Terriaw said...

I love your minis - great colors! I really want to get in on the mini quilt Mondays action, but I keep getting distracted with other sewing projects. I started making one of Rachel's mini string pieced quilts - so fun!

Thimbleanna said...

That quilting is pretty cool. And as usual, you're over-achieving -- SLOW DOWN!!! ;-)

Anonymous said...

I love them both! I think I would like to try the second style and make it into a table runner. The quilting is great and I have got to give that a try.

dotti white said...

Amandajean...thanks for sharing your fun projects! I have been wanting to do a strip quilt for a while...I have alot of pink strips cut to do it--it is the same as the string quilt--just a different name. The spiderweb quilt is in the same book. So, do you think it would be difficult for someone to quilt on a longarm? Have a fun week1

KateKwiltz said...

Boy, when you say "I'd like to try that," you don't mean someday, -- you mean NOW!

Great job! And a much smarter size to try it on than a big project like mine! :)

So...was it worth it?

KateKwiltz said...

And thanks for the link!

Anonymous said...

Oh I love the stitching! The little bits are lovely, I'm doing a similar, but am stuck:
http://metrosupialdesigns.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/no-time/

More linen, some gray...

Maybe I need to call out for opinions.

heather said...

I love these mini quilts! I just finished one, and it was a great motivator to help me move onto other, larger projects!

eila said...

i love these!

Jantine said...

I love the straight line quilting and I think You should just dash into it and not think about how long it is going to take. Those lines suit the square dance perfectly!

house on hill road said...

love your doll sized quilts, amanda jean!

Lina said...

I was just checking out the string tutorial yesterday as I was thinking I might attempt this for my next quilt for my son. Very useful to hear your tips - I might give it a miss! I particularly love the square dance - a lot of work, but really worth it!

Arianwen said...

Recently found your blog and am goin to join the quilt along. Me and two friends are going to make one each. How many 9patches are we aiming for? I am going away this week and leaving them cutting out...They are very good friends:)

Amanda Jean said...

ariawen,

we will need 70 nine patches and 144 squares (2.5" cut) for the borders.

aj

Anonymous said...

I love the green and gray color combo in the second quilt.

Dandelion Quilts said...

WOW! I like them both!

Roxanne said...

Super cute!! Love the quilting on the blue one.

sulu-design said...

The X block is adorable... and pink! But you know that the blue one is my favorite. I'm a sucker for the color.

KimN said...

I love the w block but it is pieces differently than the link....did you assemble the blocks the same way and then piece then opposite the tutorial link? I love all of the pinks!

Kerri said...

i love them both!! just love the mini's!! :)