Bloggers Quilt Festival - Mini Quilt - Spring Basket

It's like Lays Potato Chips -- you can't enter just one!!

I just couldn't help myself and decided (at the last minute) to throw a 2nd entry into Amy's Bloggers Quilt Festival.

Here it is "Spring Basket".  For those new to my blog - Welcome! Here is a bit of history...

"Spring Basket" is an 11" x 16" wool applique on cotton, half-moon, mini quilt.  The Original Design quilt represents a lot of First's for me!!

• My first ever completely wool design
• My first ever published "for sale" pattern
• My first ever Big Stitch quilted piece (ouch -- that hurt -- I Love to FMQ)
• My first ever teaching adventure (thanks Quilters Corners for taking a chance on me)
• My first ever ...

Well - you get the picture.  It all started when I shared a picture of my "Penny Garland Revised" wool on cotton quilt to Cheryl.  Penny Garland is a pattern by Kim Diehl..  You can learn more about "Penny Garland Revised" by clicking here.

Cheryl is a very talented Wool Felt Artist and a local Fiber Arts cheerleader.  Each year she organizes a Spring Fiber Festival event which includes animals, vendors, felters, woodworkers, and other wool related craftsmen.  Cheryl took a chance on me and invited me to show my Wool quilts at the next event.

One thing led to another, and a handful of ladies at the event signed up to learn wool applique!

I reached out to a Local Quilt Shop - Quilters Corner in Ithaca, NY -- and the partners there decided  to give me a chance.   (Thank you ladies!).

But wait, I needed something original to teach -- In two weeks time, I designed, stitched and delivered a "Spring Basket" sample to the shop so a class could be formalized and announced in their upcoming Newsletter.  See the debut in the Newsletter by clicking here (I was so honored and excited...)

The Spring Basket design came to me as I longed for warmer weather, spring flowers, and the return of the Carolina Wren to our cottage.  I also wanted it SIMPLE, and easy to learn, so beginners would feel comfortable making it.   I hope I've achieved that goal.  The PDF pattern includes many color photos and step by step instructions for preparing your background, wool pieces, order of stitching, etc.

Spring Basket is available as a PDF Download from my Craftsy Pattern Store.  If you are interested in a printed version of the pattern, feel free to send me an e-mail.   The printed version of the pattern includes the applique shapes already printed on freezer paper -- a sweet little shortcut for you!

Carrie from A Passion for Applique Blog graciously reviewed and stitched her own version of Spring Basket.

Image courtesy of http://apassionforapplique.blogspot.com

You can read her review here:

If applique appeals to you, you should jump over to Carries' blog, look at her beautiful work, and take in her awesome tutorials. (Thank you Carrie).

Well I hope you've enjoyed the "Spring Basket" tour with history.   You can see a sweet little Printed Quilt Label tutorial I made with Spring Basket by clicking on the image below...

"Spring Basket"

an Origial Design Mini Quilt

by Karen L. Miller

11" x 16" half-moon shape

Wool applique on Cotton background

Big Stitch Quilted

Quilt Festival Category: Mini Quilt

Voting starts later today -- I hope you have time to jump over to the Quilt Festival and see all the beautiful work by very talented Bloggers in the Quilting Community!

Hugs,

Karen