Each month this year for the Mini Masterpieces QAL, I am remaking each mini quilt from my book in one range of fabric. The quilts in Mini Masterpieces are all scrappy, so I’m enjoying the opportunity to grab a bundle of fun fabric and go… and to show off my friends’ fabrics too!
For February’s quilt, I used Paradigm and the brand new Paradigm SHIFT by Sarah Thomas from Sariditty. The new Paradigm SHIFT includes a range of low-volume coordinates to her first line, Paradigm. As I wanted to show off more as many prints as I could, I decided on using 6 prints instead of the four listed in the book. Still playing with contrast with the light and dark prints, but with some added flair.
If you missed it on Instagram a couple of weeks ago, I shared this photo with tips on how to keep your seams nice and straight and parallel when strip-piecing. When you’re strip piecing, it’s a good idea to use a finger presser or seam roller on the seams first to prepare them before using the iron. You want to keep these seams as parallel as possible so this is a good way to start the process! Also helpful is to use starch or starch alternative when it comes time to use the iron. That top seam has been finger pressed with my Clover finger presser, and the bottom seam hasn’t been touched. It makes an impressive difference!
Once all the strip sets are pressed and cut, it’s then just the case of arranging the units and piecing the rows together. Once the top was complete, I used the instructions on page 17 of Mini Masterpieces to turn the quilt top into a pillow. I used two threads from Sarah’s Aurifil Basics 1 collection, and the wavy stitch on my Pfaff Passport, to quilt the top both horizontally and vertically through the Paradigm fabrics.
It’s the first time I’ve used 28w thread for quilting. I used a neutral 50w in the bobbin and it came together beautifully! Then to back the pillow, I used two more fat quarters of the gorgeous butterflies – the peach and teal colourways of course!
My daughter has fallen in love with this pillow, so I suppose it’s now officially living on her bed… or the floor… or wherever it ends up. You never know with her!
The gorgeous Molli Sparkles was February’s blogger, making this fabulous version of Third Rail, and also turning it into a cushion! But of course, made extra fabulous with the addition of such a fun pom pom trim.
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Sheila Wagner says
They are both exhilerating and vibrantly alive with such color. I love them.