Sometimes (often, if I'm being honest) I need a deadline to get things done, even when it's something I want to do. Case in point - hosting TGIFF again this week is exactly the motivation I needed to share another one of the quilts I've finished in the past few months. So, without further ado, allow me to introduce my In Focus mini quilt.
In Focus was the Mini of the Month pattern for Stash Artists members in July. The pattern is available to members, including new members, along with the whole Stash Artists pattern library, so come join us if you'd like to make your own In Focus mini quilt.
I've said before that I have a hard time naming my quilts, but this one was relatively easy. Have you ever taken a picture with a DSLR camera set on manual, where you had to twist the lens to focus the picture? Can you remember the lines that were there when you looked in the viewfinder, showing where the camera was focusing? That's what this mini quilt design makes me think of, and what inspired the name.
In Focus was fun to piece because there aren't a lot of pieces and there are no places where the seams have to match up! Talk about a relaxing sew!
Once the piecing was done, it was time to play with the quilting 😊 I started with the big flower in the center square. As always, my flower petals are uneven - I don't think any two of them are the same - but it all works in the end. I added short, wiggly lines going into each petal, to give the petals a little extra dimension, and pebbles in the flower center. To finish off the center square, I echo quilted around the outside of the flower, using the edge of my free motion foot as a guide, and then filled in the rest of the square with a dense loopy meander.
The inner 'corners' got a feather-like motif, with a dense stipple in the small spaces around them. The outer corners got wishbones, which is probably my favourite design to quilt in rectangular spaces like this. Don't look too closely at the wishbones in the corner, though. I definitely need to practice turning corners with this design!
I can't believe I'm almost at the end of the Mini of the Month pattern series in Stash Artists. Where has the year gone? That being said, I am kind of looking forward to a more relaxed pace next year, when I won't be making and writing the pattern for a new mini quilt every month 😅
That's my (finally blogged) finish for this week. What have you finished lately? Or not so lately, as the case may be... Link it up below and be sure to visit some of the other links to admire their finishes.
In Focus is the perfect name for this design, and I love what you chose to quilt as the focal point for the mini. Nature doesn't do perfect, and your flower looks delightful to me. And argh - I hear you about turning corners with wishbone (and ribbon candy) quilting. I suppose I need to spend some time with paper and pencil and think through how to make that work!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful quilting!
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