Pay It Forward Mini Quilts

I really enjoy testing patterns for quilt pattern designers! I just finished up some quilt blocks for Melanie Collette (@hellomellydesigns). Her new pattern, Rhinestones, was really fun to put together!

I made three blocks, and decided to sew them up as mini quilts as Pay It Forward gifts for a few friends!

Missouri Art Quilt

On Instagram, there was a swap (Make Yourself At Home swap) that not all the participants sent their mini quilt as they promised, so “angels” were needed. I stepped up because I had an idea and wanted to try it. The swap was to make a mini quilt that represented where you live.

I took a photo in the fall of the road on the way to our house, and I wanted to try to recreate it in quilt form!

Missouri Star Mini Mini Quilt

On Instagram, several people have started making “mini mini quilts.” They measure less than 5” square (!). While making the Missouri art quilt for the Make Yourself At Home Swap, I decided to make a Missouri Star mini mini quilt to send with the quilt.

I chose purple, teal, and white solid fabrics from my stash. 

I printed a mini version of the paper pieced pattern found on Quilter's Cache. (I just printed it on regular copy paper, then use a small stitch length when sewing.)

Chevron Baby Quilt

When my childhood friend, Kendra, announced she was pregnant, I knew I wanted to make her a quilt. I messaged her sister, Kayla, for nursery colors/theme, and she sent me a couple pictures of the nursery. They were going with an “arrows” theme.

When visiting our friends Jeremy and Laura in Omaha, Nebraska, Laura and I visited several quilt shops. At The Modern Quilter, I purchased a fat quarter bundle of Serengeti by Birch Fabrics. It was $4 per fat quarter – the same as $16 a yard! The most expensive fabric I have ever bought!

Happy birthday!

I have pattern tested quite a few quilt blocks. I rarely get around to turning them into something, but this cupcake block designed by @basil_and_ivy was begging to be finished!

The cupcake is paper pieced (I don't believe the pattern is available anymore). I used some fun and colorful scraps to make it, then decided to paper piece letters to spell "Happy Birthday." The letters are a pattern by @fromblankpages (the pattern can be purchased here).

Bookshelf Mini Quilt

After seeing a library quilt photo go viral on Facebook, several of my friends inquired about having one made. I decided to surprise my librarian friend, Melissa, with a mini version for her birthday!

Sugar Candies Mini

Shortly after joining Instagram, I found Nadra Ridgeway of Ellis & Higgs. She lives in Germany and her website is translated from German. She is a pattern and fabric designer. After designing her Sugar Candies Mini quilt pattern, she needed a few people to test the pattern. I loved testing the Hexies a la Mode quilt, so I was eager to try another pattern!

I wanted to use fabrics from my stash, so I chose to use the pastel fabrics left over from making my starflower baby quilt.