Feb. Island Batik Mini Challenge

It's February and time for the first Island Batik Ambassador challenge for 2019.  This month the challenge is a mini quilt of some kind using Island Batik fabrics that we received as part of the Ambassador Program.

I LOVE minis and this is about my favorite challenge.  Usually I do something with paper piecing because you can do such accurate, small blocks, but this time I decided to go with raw edge applique.

I like the 6" wire stands from Ackfeld Wire and the adorable buttons from Dress It Up.  I made a 6" Nativity quilt that was published in The Quilt Pattern Magazine (online magazine) last Oct. using the stand and Nativity buttons.  I posted about it last Dec. You can see it here.  I thought it would be fun to make a series of mini quilts that I could change out perhaps monthly.

One quilt seemed so small, so I decided to make four!  The first quilt I made was from a pattern called Cool Cardinal published in American Quilter Nov 2017.  I love the artist Charley Harper, and this pattern is made from one of his cardinal designs.  His crisp, sleek designs could all make beautiful quilts.  I was happy to see this pattern available in the magazine.  Keri Duke is the pattern designer.  She is the only approved quilt and applique pattern maker for Charley Harper's Modernistic designs available from The Meredith Collection, exclusive needle arts licensee of the Charley Harper Art Studio.

This mini is 6 1/2" x 6 1/2".  I used scraps of  Island Batik fabrics and mini frosted snowflake buttons from Dress It Up.  Also a small red seed bead for the eye, and Hobbs Thermore Batting which is very thin. (Hobbs Batting was also provided to the Island Batik Ambassadors to use in our projects.)  When making the mini I used the pattern from the magazine just as it was.  The magazine called for enlarging the pattern 200%, but I kept it as it was printed to keep it small.

I love this mini and look forward to Keri publishing more quilt designs.

Remember I said I would make 4 mini quilts?  I did!  I created my own designs for the other three quilts using Island Batik fabrics and various Dress It Up Buttons, and Thermore Batting and they turned out very nice also.  These three quilts have already been accepted for publication in The Quilt Pattern Magazine so I can't show them to you now - you will have to wait until they are published!  I guess that leaves you with something to look forward too!

Mini quilts are so much fun.  They don't require much in materials and they are quick to make.  So take a break between other quilting projects and make a mini!

The winner from my last blog post contest for the March/April  issue of Quiltmaker is Anonymous.  Your issue is on the way!  Thanks for entering.