B.O.W. - a mini quilt failure that actually was none

I seem to make a lot of blue and orange quilts lately... well, it is a beautiful colour combination! 

The is one is called B.O.W. - Blue. Orange. White. 

This quilt was actually the very first attempt for my mini quilt swap at QuiltCon 2020 organised by The Modern Quilt Guild. My swap partner was Audrey Esarey... and the pressure was on. 

I first didn't really like where this project was going but as the quilt was finished it grew on me and now I do really like it. I made Audrey another one though - see blog post here. 

Audrey's quilt is on the right. I used the same colours, and they do look good together! 

I first started to make monochromatic log cabin blocks and then arranged them. 

The orange blocks were always to be the focal point so they did get a special place in the overall design. 

I match stick quilted in a light blue 40wt Aurifil thread. Loved how that turned out. 

I made a faced binding, my go to choice lately. 

I used a bit of linen fabrics, they add such a beautiful texture. 

Here is B.O.W. with the original design source and the quilt that Audrey liked and wanted a mini quilt with the same colours.  

So, I first thought this was a failure - never judge the quilt before it's finished! 

Sugar Rush - MQG Mini Quilt Swap at QuiltCon 2020

As the mini quilt swap by the Modern Quilt Guild was announced I signed up immidiately. Since I was going to attend QuiltCon in Austin, Texas I was looking forward to exchanging mini quilts with my swap partner in person.

And this is such a great experience! It's my second time taking part in the swap and I really love it.

So this is us, Audrey and me with big smiles on our faces. Audrey made me this awesome 'Indigo Radial' mini quilt with her stunning design. I absolutely love it! It's hanging in my studio now. The pattern is available from her website, go check it out!

Just like my first swap in 2018, the moment my exchange partner was announced I was in a state of total excitement and panic, all at the same time. I mean, I would get a mini quilt from Audrey Esarey of Cotton and Bourbon, how cool is that!!!! But in return that means, I would have to make her one too. And that's where I probably put too much pressure on myself.

Audrey loved the colours in my log cabin quilt, 'The Blue One' and asked that I make her a mini quilt in these colours.

And she wanted something Improv. Ok, I started to make one quilt top and didn't like it. I started another one and that was worse. The mini quilt Audrey received was actually the third attempt.

This mini quilt taught me so much. It taught me to TRUST. THE. PROCESS. I've read this quote so many times but it's hard to get out of this stage of feeling failure, feeling of too much pressure and not having fun at all.

Improv is challenging. And every now and then it gets overwhelming. I finally was able to let loose and play. And, oh, I was having so much fun!

Everything fits together, the colours, the shapes, the straight line quilting. I was amazed by the fact that there are two quilts, that are made from the exact same colours but yet look so different. I called the new mini quilt 'Sugar Rush'.

The best part was that Audrey really liked the quilt! We had so much fun during the quilt exchange and over the course of the four days of QuiltCon. #makeaminimakeafriend - so true!

This is my favourite photo ever!

And by the way, the first mini quilt attempt didn't turn out that bad in the end, in fact I really like it. I actually brought that one with me for Audrey to have her pick, but she went for Sugar Rush, my first choice for her.

Having Audrey's Indigo Radial quilt in my studio and seeing it every day makes me very happy! And it reminds me of days where we were able to travel and to hug people. Even though QuiltCon is only 5 weeks ago, the world has changed dramatically since then due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic. The quilt also gives me hope that there will be days where all of this will be possible again.

For all German speaking Readers: there's a new Link Up around! Check this out!

The Blue One & The Green One

I've always had a thing for log cabin blocks. The third quilt I ever made was a log cabin quilt and since then I've grown very fond of this versatile block.

For my exhibition in September I wanted to make two mini quilts that complemented each other. What is better than two minimalistic log cabin quilts?

Both quilts are a modern interpretation of the classic, traditional log cabin block where a red square in the centre was the starting point and dark and light fabrics formed a diagonal line in the overall block.

I made The Blue One first. I have new favourite blues and used five shades of it. The orange in the centre complements the design so nicely. I match- stick quilted with light blue thread, I wasn't sure whether that would work on the white and beige fabric but I really like it.

The strips are all cut without measuring leaving them in different widths and slightly wonky, I love the uneven zig-zag that this is creating.

I liked the blue version so much that I made the The Green One right after. This time with a pink centre as an elongated rectangle in the centre. 

Again I used light green quilting thread and it worked well on the white and grey fabrics.

They are now hanging behind my desk, so every time I have a Zoom meeting or a Skype call these two provide a nice backdrop and I love it! They're both approx. 24 x 26" (61 x 66cm).

The exhibition was a success and many liked the lovely pair. My Mom loved The Blue One especially since she has a blue couch, and oh, this would make a great pillow.

So I made my Mom a pillow for Christmas and she was over the moon. It's 24" square (60 x 60cm) and fluffy and suits the blue couch perfectly.

There will be more of these blue tones, espcially with the Pantone colour of the year being Classic Blue! So stay tuned!

Define Gravity

After I made my Pantone Quilt with imrov log cabin blocks I was in the swing of it and wanted to see how far I can go with modernising a traditional quilt block.

I used only two colours, black and white, and pieced blocks. I loved how graphic and bold this looked and kept going.

I have a thing for disguising where a block begins and where it ends, and I think in this quilt I perfected that piecing technique. That's why the quilt is called Define Gravity:
gravity, noun; the force that attracts a body towards the centre of the earth, or towards any other physical body having mass.
How perfectly suited.

I knew I just wanted to quilt straight lines and used black and white thread in three different thicknesses.

I used Aurifil in 50wt, 40wt and 28wt and I love how this turned out. Even though black thread on white fabric is tricky because it always looks as if the thread tension isn't correct (the little knot in the batting is still a little visible on the white fabric). The quilting is 1/4" apart from each other.

Nevertheless I love how the quilting turned out. Even though black thread on black fabric is almost invisible, I wanted to achieve a play between the black and white fabric and the colours of the thread.

I made a faced binding once again and put the quilt up on a black building facade. It's actually our coal mining museum, which has a really cool new extension.

Define Gravity is approx. 36" square.
And here it is, a small quilt attached to a large piece of coal.