I am so excited to finally share with you the mini I made for a swap with Jessie of Inside The Paper Box. Advance warning: there are A LOT of pics in this post.
I've been wanting to participate in some swaps on Flickr, but they all require prior swap experience and I had none. I posted a message on instagram and Jessie so kindly volunteered to do a private swap with me to help build up my swappy street cred. We posted inspiration collages and went from there. I was so happy to see that one of her picks was Aneela's Pickledish block. I've had this block bookmarked for a long time but never a reason or the time to actually make it. And so here was my chance! Jessie's only direction was that she liked scrappy.
I have a very modest stash so everything I pulled was a favorite.
The first few arcs were a bit tricky but then I got the hang of it.
I included all of my favorite text prints for the cornerstones.
Planning the layout.
Pinning is crucial with these, but sewing the curves was no problem at all. I found it very relaxing.
Before I started any quilting, I sketched the block out and planned how I wanted each space to look. My quilting was definitely inspired by Angela Walters. I turned to both of her books and her Craftsy class for guidance. I had planned to include swirls and circles in the background, but my skills aren't up to par yet. I kept with the pebbles which was fun and not too difficult for my first time trying them.
The only lines I actually marked were for the center quilting.
At first I was having major tension issues and getting these weird knotty spots on the back. Then I posted a pic on instagram asking for tips. Within minutes I had some great suggestions and after a quick cleaning, needle change, and putting my feed dogs UP, it was smooth sailing! I love instagram!
Machine stitched binding.
A view of the back.
I really had a great time making this mini. I hope it is enjoyed in its new home. Thanks to Jessie for the opportunity. And thank you for reading! :^)
