The Blogger's Quilt Festival May 2011

Once again Amy's wonderful Blogger's Quilt Festival has come around and I've let it slip through my fingers this year because I wasn't sure I had something I wanted to put in the Festival.  Then it occurred to me that, rather than hang a quilt up in the main hall of the festival, I might hang a few minis up in the mini quilt room because, if I put them all together, they still wouldn't make one whole quilt.  I know most people pass that room by because it's on the way to the toilets but I always go in there because it's a bit quieter than the main rooms which are teeming with bloggers elbowing their way through the festival and the coffee's cheaper.

First let me introduce myself.  My name is Lynne but my blog is called Lily's Quilts because my husband likes to call me Lily.  I live in England with my Welsh husband and our four kids who are kind to me about my quilting but don't think it's very cool (except if I make something from Dr Seuss fabrics then they're all over it like a rash).  I'm forty something and look it but in my head, when there are no mirrors around, I look more like a supermodel - however, this is not reflected back at me in a mirror sadly.

This year for me has been the year of the mini quilt.  Why?  They're quick to make.  Fun to quilt.  It's a great way to try something new without committing to a whole quilt of it.  And you can hang them up on your walls just like pictures.  So here are the minis I've made and I hope Amy isn't cross with me for showing several small quilts rather than one full-sized one.  Amy, please feel more than free to delete the link to this post if that is the case.

This was finished last night and has been made for my secret partner in the Brit Quilt Swap - a new Flickr swap for those quilters living in Britain.  It's my first time playing with scrappy and value.

Brit Quilt Swap

The hard lesson I have learned about scrappy though is that each one of those scraps has a story behind it for me - a gift from a friend or family, a piece from a favourite layer cake, which turns the quilt into a little story book of this year's quilting and so gives the quilt more meaning for me than a quilt made from fabrics bought for the purpose.  It's going to be difficult to give away.  Here is the back of the quilt.

Brit Quilt Swap - back

The next quilt was made as a teaser for the QAL I hosted earlier this year.  That dresden is about 25" across and those circles are pieced in.  Lots of people joined in the QAL and it was so much fun for me.  The QAL quilt is made from six of these big babies, is designed to be made from a layer cake plus yardage and instructions can be found on my blog starting here.  I have to slip in here too that we here in Britain are so proud of Aneela and her fabrics.  Sherbet Pips has been a hugely popular fabric line and remind us all of those endless days of playing with our kids in the park, wondering how long before we can go home and have a nice cup of tea.

Angel quilt anyone?

I made this mini for my Mum's 70th birthday - she asked for a Family Tree quilt.  I used shot cottons which give the tree a lovely shimmer.  Our names are FMQed onto the leaves.  There are some leaves without names but my sisters are going to have to fill those because I've had four kids and, fabulous as they are, that's enough now.

Family Tree quilt for my Mum

This mini comes up at about 22" X 30" and is called Double Fat Jack because it is a union jack made from two fat quarters plus a bit of yardage.  Instructions can be found on my blog here.  This was made the day before the Royal Wedding which was a day of fun and celebrations here in England (I know you know that of course) but it was a good day to be British.

It's the Royal Wedding Tomorrow!

This mini is called Big Little George because it is a big block  but a little version of the Georgetown Circle.  We had a little mini week long QAL on the blog for this and instructions can be found starting in this post here.  One day maybe I will make a proper Georgetown Circle but for now, I have made a mini one.

Big Little George quilted and bound and ready to hang in my kitchen

This mini was a fun way of playing with a lovely bundle of blenders from Sew Fresh Fabrics and making a variation on the big dresden QAL pattern.  I cut each leaf using my dresden ruler then added a skinny charcoal strip between each one and pieced the inner and outer circles in rather than appliqueing them so the circle just floats there.

A mini QAL quilt

And finally here is the quilt I made for my secret partner in the Doll Quilt Swap on Flickr.  It's my kind of little homage to the wonderful ladies of Gees Bend but doesn't come close (for me) to anything they made.
It's quilted, I'm done, I'm happy

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog.  I am going to see as many quilts in the main hall as possible and will also try to visit back to any commenters on this post, which always makes the Festival more fun to me.  If you haven't entered the Festival yourself or haven't taken a look round it before, now's your chance.  It's a great way to meet new bloggers.  Click on this button to find out more:

Amy's Creative Side

Comments

  1. Your work is always impressive--just think, if you had been born a supermodel, you might not have ever done quilting, how sad is that! Love the triangle quilt, it so unique.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Lynne,what a great round up of your minis and I love how you finished the Big Little George! I really want to have a go at that one myself!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I don't know about the side room where no one visits?! This post has all anyone could want from a quilt show! Colour, variety, fabulous quilting and beautiful scenery! Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Funny, I'm a supermodel in my head too! My mirror says differently as well... maybe the problem is the mirrors, and not our heads!

    your quilts are gorgeous. I wish I could go and see your quilts in non-crowded bliss in person. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love your Union Jack quilt, I want to make a big one sometime, I just love the Union Jack. I never give away my scrappy quilts, I can't bear to part withthem. Too many stories, too many memories!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lynne you have a super selection of quilts you could have included in the festival and I know these minis above a just a small selection of what you get up to ;0)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like this quieter room, do they serve tea as well as coffee?!
    You've got a great collection on mini quilts! Thanks for doing the QAL's!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm still looking for the chocolate digestives. Am I in the right place?

    Your quilts are always amazing and your post almost made me pebble dash the computer screen with porridge because I was laughing so hard. Why not keep the triangle scrappy quilt? There is plenty of time to make something else!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a gorgeous collection Lynne! A mini art gallery! Well done, Jxo

    ReplyDelete
  10. They are some lovely minis. I may join in a brit quilt swop if there will be another one in the future but have to many other commitments at the moment, rfeally looking ofrward to seeing what everybody come up with though:-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Who'da thunk it?! A triangle quilt, I love it! Lynne, these are all gorgeous, and I'm partcularly taken with the wonky pink squares in the last one.. You deserve a quilt room of your very own at this festival :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loving seeing all these minis in one place! Such diversity! In my head I'm Liv Tyler. It's always so disappointing when my reflection tells me that I'm not ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. I loved your mini quilt parade, your work is very inspiring!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I wondered where you were. Glad you could make it finally! I love that family tree quilt, I must have missed that somehow, what a fabulous idea. And I think you Big Little George is definitely my fav, though then again, I am quite in love with the toblerone now ...
    Thanks for putting your own mini gallery together for us all to feast over!

    ReplyDelete
  15. What a great collection of minis - all so different & special in their own way. Thanks for sharing them!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. thankyou for a great start to my day! all your quilts are stunning and i thank you for the instructions...(i have Big Little George printed out)! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh I love your little mini quilts, such a lot of work and they all look fabulous. Righto back onto the fray :-)

    ReplyDelete
  18. It is really fun to see a little showcase of the variety of work that you do because each piece is so special and seeing them together really is inspiring to see.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Its incredible to see them all on one page! And so many tutorials to try - you're single handedly doubling my to do list, but I have to, they're gorgeous...

    ReplyDelete
  20. So happy to see the lineup of quilts I have come to know after reading your blog for a while. What was new to me was the backside of the Triangle quilt. That quilt needs to be hung in such a way so that both sides can be seen.

    Or better yet since I have I admire it so, maybe you'd let me slurp the pictures and make a composite photo of the front and back? Pretty please? That way it could live in my sewing space too. What do you think? :-)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love your work. You inspired me to make my own triangle yesterday. I did one! What fun and lovely things you do!

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a beautiful gallery- they show great variety in your work and also a Lynne style coming through them all

    ReplyDelete
  23. Oh these little quilts are so wonderful! I am just in awe of your use of color and each one just looks like FUN! I smiled as each one came into view as I scrolled down.

    P.S. I'm also a supermodel in my head .... but, alas, the mirrors seem to be broken at my house.

    ReplyDelete
  24. What lovely mini quilts! Each one is a work of art, but I must admit I'm most in love with the scrappy triangles one. ;o)

    Thanks for sharing these beauties, Lynne.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Lynne, amazing as usual...but aren't you breaking the rules by posting multiple quilts (hehe). Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  26. These mini quilts are great ... lots of bright and beautiful colors and great use of the pre-cuts! I'm always wondering what to do with mine ... maybe I should try this with them. Love the Triangle one, especially ... and the Dresden and the Family Tree. I've always been a suspermodel ... don't own a mirror (LOL)! Thanks for sharing these wonderful little quilts!

    ReplyDelete
  27. bah! Look at all these fun quilts... :) ♥

    ReplyDelete
  28. Oh Lynne, you always make me laugh! I love all your little minis and am so happy to see them altogether here in this post! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Lots of beauties you have on display--you are super talented and I especially love the last one:)

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have loved each of these as you have posted them, and it is great fun to see them all in one room. You are so creative and generous with your ideas and tips. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Love all your work as always! I'm still so in love with that triangle quilt. It's pretty amazing and unique. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

    ReplyDelete
  32. These quilts are as fun and interesting as you, Lynne. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  33. Oh lovely as always! How much practice did it take to FMQ those names? I've done a few but they never turn out as nice as I'd like! :) I guess I'll just keep practicing!

    ReplyDelete
  34. You are too funny..."passing by on the way to the toilet" - made me crack up laughing! And of course Amy won't delete it - such a perfect post! They are spectacular - you really are an amazing artist and quilter...

    ReplyDelete
  35. Lynne, as always: great post with oh-so-wonderful quilts! you are such a talented and sweet person, thanks for all the inspiration you give,
    Claudia

    ReplyDelete
  36. If i had a coffee table I'd have got that Gee's Bend book - your quilts are gorgeous. I love the modern colour/prints mixed with the trad techniques - lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  37. This is just too many beautiful minis. I would spend time in the mini quilt hall if they were all this lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I sooooo love that triangle quilt!

    ReplyDelete
  39. I think this is a great idea for a post to the Bloggers Quilt Festival. I had to look up what that is.
    While I was reading your post, I thought it was an actual physical place, with coffee and treats in analog form. I see now it is virtual, and so, calorie-free!

    ReplyDelete
  40. All your quilts are super lovely. I really enjoyed your podcast interview too. Such fun.

    ReplyDelete
  41. I love your quiet little room and I'm coming back just to linger at all the beauties you have hanging.

    If I didn't come back for the quilting (which I always WILL), I would come back for the writing.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Oh I think I love seeing a lot of mini quilts instead of one big one! They are all beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  43. These are beautiful. I would love for you to add any of them or anything else to my blog's linky party: http://koolbeenz-blog.blogspot.com/2011/05/funky-fresh-friday-6.html

    ReplyDelete
  44. It's been quite a year! Many people would retire on that achievement. Lucky for us, you're a super model with many years of quilting ahead, so there should be plenty more where those came from, right?

    ReplyDelete
  45. they are great :)My new favourite is the triangular one but the are all so beautiful. And I just can't look at the one for Doll Quilt Swap without remembering a certain hilarious flickr discussion ;)

    ReplyDelete
  46. They are all beautiful. I especially love the Gees Bend one.

    ReplyDelete
  47. These are all so lovely, I am so glad you added them to the festival! They look especially good together.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Great set of minis...love them all.

    ReplyDelete
  49. I am still enjoying looking through all the posts in the quilt festival. I think this is a great idea to share all your mini quilts. They look great. There is such variety. Beautiful work!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Comment away peeps :-)