I've been seeing so many mini's on Instagram and Blogland that I realized that all those techniques or patterns that I want to make quilts out of and will never get made; well, I realized that I could make minis! So, here is my XO Mini...
I started cutting scraps. My scraps only multiply. I can never get rid of them! I grabbed two shades of 8 colors and cut 3" squares.
I then took a decent sized scrap of white and cut out 1.5" squares. I needed to draw on the diagonal so I put them on the line. It did help in accuracy but who has the time man?
When I positioned them onto the square, I used our local glue to hold the tips on. They would be trimmed off later anyway.
Just this much and it worked great!
Then Uki decided to come and take a bath on my work table. So cute!
When all my stuff was put together, I went to the machine and string pieced it.
I flipped it over and did the other side without cutting any threads. Then I laid them out on my cutting matt and clipped those threads.
When my Mom was here I started watching a Mexican soap opera. I got so caught up in it that I did not realize that I sewed and cut the little white corners to the wrong side. Ugh, I had to unpick all that.
Then I put the glue in the seam allowance which demanded a little bit more precision; but works just as well.
I laid out my pieces and moved them around.
Then I went back to the scrap bin (I have three) and found a piece of batting. I preceded to cut it into wide enough strips and then trimmed them down so my edges would sew together nicely.
I then got my book on my machine and looked up the zig zag stitch and foot and once that was done; I started to sew the batting strips together to become one.
I found that I had a hole and decided to go for it and resew the zig zag. Yah, once I put all that away.
The ends don't matter as they will be cut off but the three pieces made one piece and therefore it is usable to be my batting.
I layered the backing, batting and top and began a simple quilt 1/4" inside each thing.
After I was done, I had to hide all the loose threads. I did that by pulling the top thread to the back and tying a knot and then threading it to a needle and running the knot through the back. I don't like this part.
I grabbed yet another scrap and made binding.
Once the binding was sewn on; I was stitching it down.
I hand sewed my label to the bottom right corner.
and voila!!!!
For some reason, I did not take a picture of the backing with the hanging sleeves. Trust me, they are in there.
I have a person to give this to but I made it for myself and I did a very good job, if I might add! I haven't decided.
Quilt measures 10.5" square.
Off to a concert....
