Annies Crazy World

I was a bit short on description last night because I have hurt my back and couldn’t sit for very long…Last night miniature block measured 1 1/2 inches square and is one of the blocks from this miniature quilt which measures 3 1/2 in x 4 1/2 in and is a miniature of
my first quilt Hearts and Flowers.

Miniature crazy quilts do not need to be made to any strict scale, when the fabric patches and stitches are tiny the eye doesn’t see that the lace and beads are oversized.
I piece my miniature blocks on a foundation exactly the same as I piece full sized block…the secret of piecing small blocks is to work down to the size, that is make a 4 inch block, then make a 3inch block, then make a 2 inch block by which time you will be ready to tackle a 1 inch block…A trick for manageing the tiny sized block is to cut the foundation several inches bigger and draw the finished size block in the middle and cut yourself a window template for the finished size and hold it over the block so that you can see the piecing that falls within the the block without being distracted by all the extra fabric in the seam allowance.

The embroidery is mostly single thread and whilst stitches that small might look daunting they really aren’t and can be easier in the sense that as you make each stitch it is worked exactly the same as the full size stitch but instead of making 1/4 inch stitches you pick up just a few threads and the few threads can be easier to measure by eye than the full size stitch.

For the embellishments I use the smallest laces, braids and beads that I have…since making this miniature I have accumulated quite a collection of suitable bits including miniature charms…The tiny basket of flowers I embroidered over a tiny basket that was printed with white on the cream fabric…

Tonights detail is one of six blocks in a miniature quilt.

Tonights detail is a detail from detail 84.

Before I call a piece finished I sign and date it…Sometimes it goes on the back of the piece but when I can fit it in around the embellishments I like to sign on the front and on this piece I couldn’t resist signing on a shell, reminiscent of the souvenir shells from my childhood.

Below is the finished piece…When I was making this piece I didn’t know what I do now and I did start to worry a little when I had all the seams embroidered and most of the embellishments done but it was Not working as a united piece…That was when I added the gold ribbon in last nights detail, it helped a bit and did add nice movement…I then added the black ruched ribbon Thing on the left, it did nothing to help unit the piece and I can’t tell you why it doesn’t look awful but somehow it does blend in and it did add more movement…What solved my problem was the silk ribbon seaweed that you have seen in most of the details, The repetition of the seaweed united all the elements and brought the piece together.

Earlier in the year I used a bail of pea straw mulch on the garden, it must have had pea seeds in it because I have had pea plants growing every where that I used it, I have left them grow because they make good compost, I did not expect them to flower so although they are wild peas it was a sweet surprise to find these beautifull flowers on them.

More Shells…This detail has some net at one end and a Seahorse button as a focal feature.

I love garden beds bordered with white Alyssum, I love the way the white sparkles against its background of green leaves.

This detail is a piece of rayon ribbon that has lengths of twisted ribbon between sections that I scrunched and held in place with beads…I had in mind the shapes that seaweed forms when it breaks away and floats free.