making :: Blueberry Park mini

Blueberry Park Mini Swap
After signing up for my first Instagram quilt swap I tried to wait patiently for my partner assignment email to come. I busied myself with finding inspiration for the person who would have me. And then I waited and waited...

Really, I didn't have long to wait before the email with details on my secret partner came. One look at the mention of paper piecing and I was off and running. I could tell my secret partner really loved her kitty and so I set about searching for a free paper pieced cat pattern. I found this sleeping cat pattern at Paper Panache. It was almost a perfect match for my partner's cat and with a few minor modifications I was able to make the face markings even more closely match. That took some sneaky snooping of her Instagram feed. Good thing her kitty love shows up often.

Blueberry Park mini swap
sleeping kitty + a million little pieces to remove

With the cat in mind, I knew I wanted to add a pretty geometric sewing machine to the table he was resting on. I drew inspiration from this amazing paper pieced sewing machine that was making the rounds. Using this pattern as a guide for sewing machine shape (and hoping that maybe it would actually look a little like the machine my partner sews on) I drafted my own pattern so that it would fit with the cat and table. Good thing I remembered that it needed to be mirrored - just before going to stitch I used the window as a light box and traced the lines to the backside so everything came out facing the right way.

Lastly, I just had to add a few butterfly charms because don't all kitties day dream about butterflies? These were so fun to piece and my skill got better with each one. I particularly loved choosing which fabrics to place where. I made the first orange one and posted it to Instagram for feedback on my piecing skills. Right away I got great feedback and was really encouraged. What an amazing tool Instagram can be.

Blueberry Park mini swap
first attempt at a butterfly charm block - could use some work on fabric placement!

My binding could use some practice and I totally forgot to include a method for hanging the quilt, but I LOVED how it came out. It was hard to part with and I was nervous for my partner to like it. I needn't have worried though. She wrote me glowing notes back (this and this) that made me smile ear to ear as I read them aloud to Lukas. I especially loved that her husband recognized their kitty right away. Included in the package was the mini mini fancy fat cat I made and a little charm pack of fabrics in the colors she likes.


Blueberry Park Mini Swap
Patterns & Inspirations
:: Sleeping Cat - Paper Panache, Maureen Sparrow
:: Geometric Sewing Machine - Quiet Play
:: Basic Sewing Machine - DuringQuietTime
:: Butterfly Charm Blocks - lillyella

Fabrics
:: Blueberry Park - by Karen Lewis
:: Botanics - by Carolyn Friedlander


Blueberry Park mini swap
my favorite butterfly charm block + a little embroidered quilt label

Comments

  1. I love everything about this!! Great fabrics and the kitty is adorable! Butterflies add the perfect touch of whimsy :)

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  2. Oh that is just so sweet and I love the butterflies - what a gorgeous finish!

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