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Yippee! We’re the second stop on the blog tour for Whip Up Mini Quilts, the new book from Kathreen Ricketson of Whipup.net.
(Some disclosures: that’s an affiliate link, and Chronicle Books sent me a review copy.)
I’ve been really excited to see this book, because I love the art of quilting, but my living space and ancient sewing machine could never accommodate a full-size quilt project. I adore the idea of these smaller projects, turned into decor or household items.
In terms of educational quality, Whip Up Mini Quilts offers text-based instructions with some nice illustration. The initial sections cover piecing, applique, and various embellishment techniques as well as backing, basting, quilting, and binding. All the pieces are here to complete the book’s projects.
If you’re a beginner, you may need more visual reference, but anyone else should have no problem with these instructions.
For those wanting to reproduce the projects in the book, there’s a set of full-size templates for all the designs, bound into a handy envelope inside the front cover.
I love the diversity in this project set! It’s an inspiring mix of techniques and visual styles, grouped by themes:
- Romantic
- Playful
- Modern Folk
- Modern Elegance
- Geometric
- Punk, Pop, and Politics
- Memories and Storytelling
(This piece, by Sarah Steedman, uses applique and simple embroidery to great effect.)
Lizette Greco‘s treasure map quilt makes me very, very happy.
I love that the book offers quilts-as-toys, quilts-as-pillows, quilts-as-placemats, and quilts-as-wall art.
Here’s a great simple quilt by Shannon Lamden – I love how the bold fabrics carry the design.
This is another of my favorites – Victoria Gertenbach‘s grasshopper design. The quilting is done with hand embroidery, which adds some interesting dimension – and I love the addition of the buttons.
Okay – just one more. Kathreen designed this simple nine-patch shibori sampler. What a great project for playing with fabric-dyeing techniques!
There’s a nice glossary of quilting terms in the back, and, because it’s from Chronicle Books, a very useful spiral binding.
Whipup Mini Quilts is a great inspiration book to get you thinking about quilting in new ways.
What about that giveaway?
Oh, right. The nice people at Chronicle have donated a copy of this book for a giveaway! To enter, leave a comment below and tell me how you’d like to use a small-quilt project – as art? As tote? As runner? Some other way?
You have until noon PST on Friday, June 4th. Good Luck!
UPDATE: Congratulations to Shae, our winner! This drawing is now closed.
I love quilting but have been too busy lately to work on a large quilt. A small quilt would be a cinch, timewise, to start AND finish! :) And I could sure use a sense of accomplishment right now:s I would use a small quilt as a piece of art.
While I'm at it, I just want to say how much I am inspired by your blog and podcasts. TY for them.
Mini quilts are fabulous because they become finished projects, and in a very short amount of time!
I'd love some easy and interesting patterns to make blankets for our animal shelters in Oshawa. I've never done any real quilting and this seems to be a good way to get started.
I'm close to moving into our first house and moving my new baby from her basinet to a crib. I would love to decorate my baby's nursery with a couple mini quilts. What fun and a perfect project size for me to work on during nap time.
I love small quilts as art hung on the wall. I have a few of my own and hope to make some more.
How I adore this book's idea: mini quilts! Exactly what I need for my small city appartment. :) I'm very interested in using this book for quilt art, of course. I love how the crafters used the textures and colors for their quilts, it's so pretty. :-)
I like mini-quilt as art (on the walls of my bedroom) or on a table.
Big quilt are lovely on an armchair in winter :)))
Uva
I'm loving the hand embroidery aspect of the grasshopper design and would love to create some funky kid friendly placemats with that technique. I'm sure I wouldn't stop there but it would be a great way to get my quilting feet wet :)
Love this book, looks so great! I will make small quilts as cushion covers, or as wall hangings in a kid’s room. Thanks!!
Art! I need new art on my walls. I have some ideas rolling around and I think this book would give me the push I need to actually make something. My birthday present box is starting to look a little empty and these would make great totes for generic gifts too.
I’d make placemats!
Some would look great hung up as art!
I love this book! I love the pictures shown. I would make something to go on the wall or pillows. I don’t have the attention span for to big of a project, this seems perfect.
never quilted before, so a mini quilt makes sense – either as a very posh doll quilt or a little wall hanging!
I love mini quilts. I use them primarily as decoration. My favorite is I hate beds with tons of pillows, so I like to lay one small quilt int he middle of the bed to make an impact…..and if your feet get a little cold at night you’re prepared
That looks like such a fun book. I'm interested in quilting, but I didn't think I actually needed any quilts. But toys! That's a great idea. I'd love to make something like that playmat with the airplane landed on it.
WOW This looks like a great book for a beginner like me. I have some dresses from my grandmother that I picked out and saved after she passed away, these were special pieces that I remembered her wearing when I was a child. I always wanted to make a big quilt but have always felt a little intimidated since I am not a very experienced sewer. I think making a mini quilt and hanging it up would be a wonderful way to be able to look at a part of my grandmother everyday.
That book looks like a whole lotta fun! Instant gratification (or at least something with less commitment than my current stalled projects) sounds great!
WOW this sounds like a great book for me, a beginner. I have some dresses from my grandmother that I picked out when she passed away that I remembered as a child. I have always wanted to make a big quilt, but felt very intimidated because I do not have a lot of experience sewing. I think making a mini-quilt to be a wonderful way to have a piece of my grandmother that I can look at everyday.
Oh definitely art! We have a house with lots of white walls, perfect for placing colour and design and fun and quirky stuff on, to look at each day, to make us smile! I like to rearrange artwork too – keeps the surprises happening and can give an area a really fresh look.
I have never made a quilt so a mini one would be a good start.
Wow, what a great idea! Like several of the other commenters, I haven’t quilted before, but a mini-quilt seems like just the thing. I would probably use them for placemats and table runners.
Ooh mini-quilts! I'm in the process of catching the quilting bug from a few new acquaintances but have been apprehensive about the amount of work that goes into the larger quilts. I've also been racking my brains about what to get as a present for the many friends who are popping out babies around me. If you picked me, it would help me get started on mini quilt for baby and even mini-er quilt for their dolls when they've grown a little!
I've had a look through this gorgeous book! I'd love to have a display wall of mini-quilts, made by me and swapped with other quilters. I'm pretty sure I saw one in the book, and it looked fantastic!
Wow! I'd use a mini quilt as an art piece. With lots of embellishments and embroidery, like the one with the grasshopper.
I'd love to make small quilt for my dog. His name is Edmund and I love to have his stuff customized. A quilt is top of my “make list”, but I never did it before and really don't know how to start. So this book would be a great help.
I would love to enter in the giveaway! I am finishing my second year in art school now and I would like to use a small quilt project as part of my search for how to combine textiles and illustration in a way that fits me. This book would be a great inspiration to that and to techniques I hope.
I would love to make all of the above, but what I really need now is a table runner. I LOVE the ideas shown here :)
I see them as everything. A work of art, a special doll quilt, something for the table or just a great way to learn a new technique and try something out side of my comfort zone. :) Thanks for the chance, my fingers are crossed.
Just moved into a new apartment and need some new wall art! Smaller space than before so making a mini quilt seems like just the thing to do….plus I don't think i have the attention span needed for a large quilt!
This looks a fabulous book – hopefully it's available in the UK as well
Mini quilts have so many uses- at the moment I'm loving them as runners
Gill
I'd love to start making mini-quilts. I have a wall in my bedroom that is just screaming for some hand-stitched goodness.
Mini-Quilts would be a welcome change from the large quilts I seem to get myself into! Many of my quilts are too large to display on a wall, so this would definitely give me some great ideas to put some quilt art on my walls and those of my friends and family!
Looks wonderful! Mini quilts are perfect for a summer project!
I would love to make a mini quilt as a playing mat for my little Sunshine!
This is a comment on behalf of Ali at Snipsnaphappy, because for some reason DISQUS isn't letting her comment.
I have been wanting to make a quilting project for each of my children and grandchildren. These mini quilts would be perfect for them to use in various ways. So many options!
I would love to make a sample with some applique. I just love the birds. Fantastic book!!!
I have a toddler, so a mini quilt will make a great doll quilt for her growing baby collection.
LOVE LOVE TO WIN THIS BOOK, I WOULD USE IT AS ART. AND MAKE EVERY THING IN IT.
violet101580@yahoo.com
I would love to try my hand at doing an art quilt and the mini size would be a perfect way to begin. I'd love to have this book to help me get started.
well, i have never quilted! so i guess i would be able to have a go at it. i saw a very sweet quilted hot water bottle cover the other day…
Oooh, just under the wire here. I finished my very first full-sized quilt a few weeks ago (http://ow.ly/1UeCA) and I love it but it left me feeling that I might be more suited to mini-projects! Art for sure, but probably other things, too. It looks like a beautiful book — but what book from Chronicle isn't??
Oh, it's noon by my clock…hope I squeezed in. I'd love to have this book because I've never tried quilting and this seems like a good way to start. I'd love to make one for my newborn baby niece…Thanks!
i saw this book in the bookstore and really likes the projects in the book. i would use small quilt projects as table runners or pillow covers.
I would use a mini quilt as a changing pad for my granddaughter
My grandmother made a Christmas tree print quilt for me to hang during the holidays. I would love to have something to hang every other season of the year.