Heartstrings

Earlier this month, I finished up our Heartstrings quilt for the Peace circle of do. Good Stitches.


We used the String Heart Block tutorial from Elizabeth/Don't Call Me Betsy. The tutorial makes big (18-inch) blocks.


I put the quilt together and used up my binding scraps. The backing is a favorite Ikea print (need more!).

 

It came together really quickly in the end. No idea why it took me so long! This quilt will be heading off to My Very Own Blanket.

Minky mania

The weather outside may be frightful, but the minky is so delightful.

Just kidding. Minky is of the devil, but some of my favorite people really love it, so three minky-backed quilts were made for Christmas!

Up first, my friends in That Stash Bee (thank you, thank you!) helped me make quilts for two of my nephews.
I love the Rugby Stripes quilt by Teaginny, and I thought the design would be perfect for my nephews. These quilts came together pretty quickly with the help of my bee friends. They're simple, graphic, and they're great scrap busters!
My 6-year-old nephew got an orange one.




This one is backed in orange minky and quilted using orange thread. The binding? Orange stripes.
Notice a theme?

 
The navy one went to his 11-year-old brother. They've had some crazy cold weather these last few weeks, so I hope they're being put to good use!

Then, I made a quilt for my husband. See, before this quilt, we were a three-person household with two minky quilts (Luke's dinosaur quilt and my Arcadia quilt), and it just wasn't working. For a harmonious family, each member needs a minky-backed quilt. My husband  kind of bogarted my Arcadia quilt, so I made him one of his own. There are no selfless good deeds.
 I made him a man quilt using Waterfront Park and a pattern from Skip the Borders.

 After making 5 minky quilts, I've learned a few things. Here are my tips from working with minky.

1. Don't cry. It's really not that bad. Okay, it kind of is, but it will be over soon.
2. I use the double-sided minky fleece and no batting. (I've seen this type of minky at Joann's too.)
3. Buy minky that's wide enough so you don't have to piece the backing. I found some at 60-inches wide. 
4. Use lots of spray baste. Also, use some pins too, especially around the edges. Minky is some shifty stuff.
5. If possible, match your quilting thread to your minky. The minky tends to pull up a little to the front of the quilt. It's less noticeable if you use the same color thread.
6. Go with a simple quilting pattern. A loose stipple works well for me.

  Now, go forth and conquer the minky!