Over the past six months, I have become the master of small projects. The phenomenon started last fall with thread catchers that became so addictive that made almost two dozen of them. (I foolishly gifted the lion’s share of them at QuiltCon without taking any pictures!) It continued with the Hudson pouches I made for a family trip and then for teacher holiday gifts ...
What is it about small projects? I think it’s the nice hit of dopamine I get from finishing something. Quilts, on the other hand, seem to take forever.
At least, that was my mindset when I signed up for the Sewtopia Galentine’s Day mug-rug swap. I hadn’t participated in a swap in years, and I couldn’t resist the idea of plotting a small project to gift to another quilter.
The picture at the top of the post is what I made for my partner, Laura. It’s the Sawtooth Star with Log Cabin by Joe, June, and Mae. I originally embarked on sewing the Bear Paw Quilt Block by the same designer but quickly determined it required a bazillion pieces. The Sawtooth Star was a better option—more simple but still visually interesting.
I was so pleased with the top that developing a quilting plan was intimidating—I didn’t want to mess up my beautiful foundation paper piecing! Some simple stitching in the ditch worked well and created the effect I was going for. Check it out on the back, which also features what’s become my finishing signature: chunky-stitch binding ...
What did I receive from the quilter who was sewing for me? Heidi sent me this gorgeous, scrappy strawberry mug rug. I didn’t have the heart to put a drippy mug of tea on this beauty, so it has joined other mini-quilts on the wall in my kitchen.
I am always looking for small projects—ones that will put the fabric and notions I have on hand to good use. (The thread catchers used up scraps of linen and batting. The Hudson pouches busted through a ton of zippers.) What are your best recommendations on that front? Let me know in the comments!
And on a completely different note, if you’re in New England and want to talk jelly rolls ...
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