Retro 30's Mini

Here is the latest addition to the mini quilt wall of my sewing room. It's really beginning to come together, I have a few more minis to add and then I will be able to show you some pics!

I made this mini on a whim the other night. It was super quick to piece, and I hand quilted it on the couch during evening TV time. The fabrics are Lecien's new line Retro 30's Child Smile 2015 Spring, with the exception of the binding which is from their Old New 30s collection (and probably my favourite binding fabric of all time - I have yardage stored away in every colour of this collection!).

I didn't use a pattern, just made some 9 patch blocks of 2" square fabrics and added 2" sashing in a pinky cream solid cotton between the blocks and then all the way around. To make the 9 patch blocks I pieced together 3 rows of 3 squares, then ironed the seams in alternate directions (top row to the left, middle row to the right, bottom row to the left), so that when I stitched the rows together the seams butted (essential for precise intersections). I have used a scant 1/4 inch seam for the whole project. It's a super simple pattern that can be scaled up very easily to make larger quilts.

I think any quilt made with repro / 30s style fabrics should be hand quilted - it really is a match made in heaven. Unfortunately I don't always have the time for hand-quilting, but when I do I always fall in love with the final result! That perfect crinkly look is SO worth the effort.

For my hand quilting I use DMC perle cotton in no 8. I also use a ruler and a Pilot Frixion pen to mark little dots on the fabric where I want the stitches to go. Then I can take the quilt on my lap and quilt away, without worrying about the evenness of my stitches. I like to space my stitches 1/4 inch apart and 1/4 inch away from the seam, and I keep them very small - almost like little dots - catching only 2 or 3 threads of the fabric in each stitch. After the quilting is finished I give it a quick blast of steam with my iron to remove the pen marks (I don't press the fabric directly as I don't want to ruin the gorgeous crinkles!). You can also use a hairdryer instead of an iron to get rid of the pen marks.

It's been a super exciting (and busy!) few months for me and I have some news to share - but more on that very soon. My main project currently is a baby quilt using Tasha Noel's gorgeous new line Vintage Market which I have found the absolute PERFECT pattern pairing for. Pop over to my Instagram account if you would like to see some progress shots!