Happy Easter!

This month's Island Batik ambassador challenge was to try a new-to-you technique. Well, you know I LOVE trying new things!

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I initially decided to do English paper piecing (EPP), which included glue basting and sewing the pieces together. I normally despise hand sewing, but I've started to enjoy having something to work on when riding in the car or when a sewing machine isn't available. I have a really good start on that project, but as the end of the month neared, I knew I wasn't going to finish in time. I will keep working on it though and will show you just as soon as I finish!

When brainstorming other ideas, I knew I really wanted to make some Easter mini quilts for my friends. It didn't take long for me to decide to attempt sewing an inset circle (well, egg).

I started with a fat eighth bundle of Elementz fabric that Island Batik sent me as part of the ambassador program. I picked out the colors that seemed spring-like and cut them into strips in various widths from 1 1/2" to 2 1/2".

I pieced all the strips together using Aurifil 50wt thread in Stone #2324.

Next, I printed an egg shape on my computer and cut four eggs from the strip set.

From a green dot blender fabric, I cut the same shape, but 1/2" inside the egg shape all the way around.

I found the center of the right side of the egg and the center of the right side of the background fabric, lined them up, and began stitching them right sides together.

Once all the way around, the background fabric was all bunched up.

But once pressed, they laid extremely flat! I could have clipped the seams on the tightest curves to help reduce puckering, but it wasn't bad enough to worry about it.

I pin basted with extra fat eighths from the Elementz collection and Warm & Natural batting.

I began quilting by stitching in the ditch of each strip on the egg using my walking foot. I also stitched in the ditch around the egg. For the first egg, I used Aurifil 50wt #2479 Medium Orchid. However, I decided to stick with Aurifil 50wt #5017 Shining Green for all the rest.

Once the eggs were quilted, I switched to my free motion foot to add meandering to the background.

I bound each mini quilt with the leftover fat eighth pieces - by machine of course.

Before mailing, I added a label to each one. I like to press Lite Steam-A-Seam 2 to white fabric, then trim it to 8 1/2" x 11". Then I run it through my inkjet printer to print the label and press it onto the quilt. (I included another line at the bottom of my label that included "made especially for" with the recipient's name.)

Each mini quilt finished about 10" x 14". These are quilt finishes 13-16 for the year!

I'm very pleased with how the inset circles eggs turned out! I love adding new techniques to my toolbox!

Linking up with Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter, Needle and Thread Thursday at My Quilt Infatuation, Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts, Finish It Up Friday at Crazy Mom Quilts, Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict, Friday Foto Fun at Powered by Quilting, and TGIFF at Cheeky Cognoscenti.

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