»A Mighty Mini«

December 1, 2015 by Lesley Storts 3 Comments

Can a quilt that is only the size of a placemat be called a quilt? It can, if it’s a mini. And even though this is small in size, the meaning behind each block and the determination to find just the right fabric made this a labor of love.

My dad had a milestone birthday this year and I wanted to make him something special and I like making quilts. I’ve recently been involved in the #polaroidgreetingswap on Instagram hosted by Johanna who blogs at stuffimadethisweek. Over the past several months, I have received little Polaroid blocks from quilters all over the world! After pondering what to do for my dad, I decided I could make him a mini Polaroid quilt with many memories represented. It first started with planning…

I never thought that StampinUp! paper would come in so handy.

Then came the fabric. I searched through ALL of my fabric and found things in there I didn’t even know I had. I guess my mom had given me the dog paw fabric and lighthouse/beach fabric a long time ago for another project and it was hidden in a bag. But in searching for just the right pieces for my memories, I searched everything. When I exhausted my supply at home, I went shopping. Ooooh yeah! I NEEDED fabric (I don’t get to say that often 😊). Columbus stores that I enjoy frequenting including Sew to Speak, Red Rooster Quilts, and Quilt Beginnings. I also like Hobby Lobby and JoAnn fabrics for many basics.

Time

Music Top 40

The Beast

When I couldn’t find just the right fabric for a few blocks, I decided to embroider those blocks. Anyone who is familiar with amusement park Kings Island will know all about “Beware”. It is for The Beast, a classic wooden roller-coaster that I rode for the first time with my dad.

I was going to quilt the mini by crosshatching it but decided I didn’t want to stitch over my embroidery. Some of my quilty friends suggested I just straight line quilt in the blue. It was just right!

How do you like my fancy wrapping job? Ha ha! Along with a letter wishing my dad a happy birthday, I provided him with a “Quilt Map” just in case he couldn’t figure out what each block was supposed to represent! 😉

Go make a mini! They are terrific.

Happy Quilting! ▶︎ ▶︎ ▶︎

Author: Lesley Storts

I’ve always been a doodler and loved art from an early age. I picked up my first fabric, a pink and white checked gingham, at 9 years old and cross-stitched my name. In 1996, my mom started quilting and her inspiration motivated me to make my first quilt in 1998. I found a pattern in a book from the library, changed the colors to make a Christmas quilt and pieced it together. I even quilted and bound it! I enjoy working with all kinds of fabric mediums and threads. I enjoy sewing with my machine and doing handwork. I get inspiration from my life including people, scenery, patterns and objects around me. Follow me here and on Instagram @lesleystorts.

3 thoughts on “»A Mighty Mini«”

Johanna
December 1, 2015 at 7:31 pm

I love this mini and enjoyed reading about the whole process, including your preliminary sketches. Thanks for sharing! What a thoughtful gift for your father that I’m sure will bring back many great memories! And wat a fun idea to include a “quilt map.”

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- lesleystorts
  December 1, 2015 at 10:26 pm
  
  Thanks Johanna! I appreciate your kind words.
  
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Lisa in Port Hope
December 27, 2015 at 2:14 am

I think minis are great, as they are more about the creativity of the process, whereas with big quilts after I while I get to the “will this ever be finished?” stage.

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