Hoop + Loop + Line

I really look forward to the Curated Quilts mini quilt challenge every few months. The challenge provides a broad theme, limited color palette, size restrictions (10-16" square), and a short turnaround time.

This quarter's challenge theme was "minimal" and had a color palette of light gray, leaf green, gray, orchid pink, blue gray, and black. (Mini quilts must be linked up by January 10th - so there's still time to enter your own!) I actually had every color in my stash! The fabrics are a mix of brands. The only ones I know for sure are Kona Cactus and Kona Black.

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I chose gray and black for my background, then the green and pink for my focal colors.

I made 1/2" bias tape from the color strips, then sewed the ends together to make circles. Pressing the circles around a plate or paper circle are all that's needed to get the circles to have a "memory" of the shape you want.

After sewing the gray and black pieces together along a 45 degree angle, I pin basted the top, back, and batting together on my dining room table. I used a fat quarter of a colorful chevron fabric from my stash and 80/20 cotton batting by The Warm Co.

After basting, I pinned the bias tape circles in place. I used a plate as a guide to make the large circle and a roll of tape for the small circle.

I started quilting by stitching just inside both edges of the circles. I used 50wt Aurifil in Shining Green #5017 and Light Magenta #2588.

Next I used my walking foot to quilt straight lines using 50wt Aurifil in Black on the black fabric, perpendicular to the gray/black seam. I used the edge of the walking foot as a spacing guide so they are a little less than 1/2" apart. I know the "right" way is to bury all the threads when I stop/start in the middle of the quilt top, but....I'm impatient! Instead, I just backstitched a couple stitches each time to lock the stitches in place. The stitches don't always lock well, and it usually creates a bit of a bird nest on the back, but for a mini quilt that likely won't get washed, it works well enough.

I used 50wt Aurifil Grey #2605 to quilt straight lines on the gray fabric, this time parallel to the gray/black seam.

Once quilted, I trimmed up the threads and trimmed the quilt to 16" square.

I considered using both gray and black binding to match the background, but then my impatience won, and I just used black. I cut 2 1/4" strips and machine stitched it on using black thread.

I love how the quilting looks on the back of the mini quilt too.

I'm naming my mini Hoop + Loop + Line.

Now I just wait to see if it will be accepted to be in Curated Quilts Issue 3! My linear mini quilt was in issue 1, but my log cabin mini quilt was not accepted for issue 2 (but I will have a 72" square quilt pattern in that issue!).

Have you subscribed to Curated Quilts yet? It's much more "art journal" than "magazine," and I am honored to be included among the many talented artists and quilters in the first two issues.

This is my 50th quilt finish for 2017! Think I can get two more before the 31st to hit my unofficial 52 quilts in 52 weeks goal?? I'm sure going to try!

Linking up to the mini challenge post at Curated Quilts, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF at Kathy's Kwilts and More, Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting, Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, and Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts.

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