Quilty Thursday - Mini Swaps & Color Map

Hello Loves,

This is the last post of the month, the last Thursday.  Today I thought I'd share some projects/swaps I have participated in the last few months. It's been a long emotional time for me the last few months and family stresses to worry about.  So I have really missed being in my sewing room.  Not to mention the on-line classes I was trying to take.  It felt so good to be in my sewing room and rediscovering my creative mind.  Outside of church my sewing room in my haven, my peace, my chance to get away from it all.  Nothing feels so refreshing as letting creative juices just take over the mind and heart.  Afterwards you have something tangible to hold and give or show to others.  The best is when you see what you created with your own two hands.  Makes me giddy!

I have loved being in my on-line quilting club and we have done some fun swaps over the year.  I thought I would share February's with you.  The rules were to create something that you discovered about your partner that was inspirational or something that they might find inspirational.  We got to chat over the course of the month via email.  She was honest about her life and it was great knowing I was not the only person who was not perfect in the club.  Although mentally I know we all have our struggles and personal issues to deal with.  But sometimes reading the posts you kind of feel maybe you aren't as together as others.  Why do we do that, compare ourselves.  And it happens to all of us, even those of us who know better.  Sigh, women are so complicated, lol.  Okay, back on topic.

Our mini quilts had to be 12 inches and quilted; how it was quilted was up to us.  We were allowed to be as traditional or as out of the box as we wanted.  We could also embellish however we wanted.

This is what my swap partner sent to me:

 

This is the front and backsideIt's too cute, I love it!

This is the front and backside of what I sent my swap partner:

(shhhhh, I just love this too, it had issues, but it I still love it.  I hope she does too!)

My mini, "Twinkle Twinkle" is completely personal to her story she shared with me, hence certain things were done in parts, not in wholes.  I sent her a recap of her story as I heard it and why I did each thing I did with the mini.  I hope she is able to enjoy it.  Of course I had to send a few goodies with it as well.  I need to do more projects that including hand embroidery so I can practice curves.

I was so thrilled with my first paper pieced old style singer sewing machine.  I love it.  It's done with this linen type charm park from Andover that I received in my Quilty box in January.  (I can't wait to get started on some more of my Quilty Box projects.)

Now there is also a Facebook group of people who are in the club or are just fans of the owner of the club, we also do swaps there.  It just happens that month was also a mini, anywhere from 16 to 20 inches.  This one is based on my secret partner's favorite colors, from what I could find.  

Here is the swap, front and back, that my swap partner sent me along with some other goodies:

  

This is what I sent my partner for the FB group, plus some goodies:

Front - Design Your Own Quilt Block from She Can Sew.

Back

And last but not least I want to share my Color Map from Spoonflower!  The Color Map has nearly 1500 color chips AND the corresponding hexadecimal codes!  By the way those same codes correspond to RGB colors.  So you don't have to look at your monitor and think you have this great color then when you have the fabric printed, it's a completely different shade than you thought.  You know I am still working on that perfect purple rabbit fabric, lol.  Yes, still.  I will have that fabric and this Color Map will not only help me do that, but it will also help me in planning out my Color Play Fridays!  Woot Woot, win win!  I can't wait to experiment with the map.

I order the Color Map, a smaller version, which I'm going to give away to some lucky person, and a swatch book of the various types of fabric they have.  I was pleased with the package.  Previously I'd ordered a swatch of my logo design from them to see how it would look so I was expecting to like my package this time as well.

Alright lovies, that's it for today Quilty Thursday!  I know I'll post them on the last Thursday of every month, but I'm still debating if I want to do twice a month with them.

I hope you have a long and relaxing weekend.  Take care hon.

Love and Shimmies,

Make It Monday: Mini Quilt Swap

Good Evening Hon,

Technically, yes I know, Monday is gone.  But that is still the reason for this post, I made something and that's what I'm sharing.  Rather than coming up with a different name because it's a different day, I'll continue with what it should be, keep it simply, you know.  Life is already complicated enough, right?!

For our swap in my on-line quilting club (Crafty Gemini Quilting Club) we had to do mini quilts for the month of January.  The theme for the month was "challenge".  I decided I would challenge myself by using my swap partner's favorite colors only.  No matter what they were or how many there were.  Then I challenged myself to do a block I had never done, no traditional blocks.  And lastly, I challenge myself to do bit of free motion quilting (FMQ).

Although it's a design your own mini quilt, I got it from Sew Can She, it was a tutorial none the less.  Granted in the end you have the option of how to put the block together.  I decide to do 4 of these blocks and put them together to make a mini quilt.   Now, I meant to do each block differently (she covers that in the tutorial too).  However, I had Netflix playing in the "background" while trying to catch up on Hawaii 5-0 (the new one).  Wellllll, in my distraction, I simply made all the blocks the same and then sewed them all together.  Sigh,  well I was not going back at that point.  

It turned out great because I wanted my mini quilt to be somewhere around 18 inches.  I think it had to be between 15 - 20 inches.  Once they were incorrectly sewn together I thought of ripping it out and redoing.  But that was a task I was not prepared to take on so late in the game.  Because my son had a procedure to remove all 4 of his wisdom teeth and then I was down with migraines the following week, I was already late getting this project in the mail.  So I evened up my mini quilt, right at 18 inches, perfect.   To frame each original sqare I used part of  of a jelly roll.  I took some other strips from that roll and bound them together with my new binding gadget and made the binding for the quilt.  I wasn't sure how it was going to work because I ended up sewing 3 different strips together.  Although I tried to pick all the darker tones I was still worried about how it would look.  I machine stitched the binding this time and I hated it.  I am definitely a sew on with the machine and then bind the rest by hand type of girl.  But, it was done.  The next day I got that bad boy in the mail, priority 2-day, to my swap partner.

Notice my failure to mention the FMQ, that's because that is what is was! Urgh, it's too painful to talk about I hope she can still stand to look at it.  I used to be good enough at it to write my own name.  Back to the drawing board!  I hope she can find some use for it.  Here it is in all it's glory, lol:

The half-square triangles and bars can be placed in 
different ways around the main square.

This is the back of the mini quilt.

This is her mini quilt to me using my favorite colors, she also made me two headbands for fun! 

Mini quilt with the headbands.

Front 

Backing

There you have it loves.  

Have a great week and go check out that block.  I have a suspicion that everyone I know is going to be receiving a mini quilt.  

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Love and Shimmies,