Oxymoron: A Mini Mini

This was one of my goals for 2016, to do a mini swap.  Anja of Anja Quilts offered to do a mini swap with me anytime, and we decided to do a mini mini.  The criteria was to be around 4-5" a side.  I wanted to do something modern for Anja, and it had to have orange in it, her favourite colour. I had a brainwave to do a mini mini plus quilt!  Hence the name "Oxymoron"!  Get it?!

English teacher hat on: an oxymoron is a figure of speech where two opposing ideas or words are side by side in a phrase, like "friendly fire" or "soft rock".  When I thought of a Plus quilt, obviously the plus sign is what it is.  However, think plus size, not just clothing but anything else.  The opposite: mini, and you have "Oxymoron."  :-)
The squares finish at 1", and the bars are 3X1".  I used Moda Grunge (Radiance orange scraps and a purple), Zen Chic Modern Background Essentials, and a few other scraps.

Finished flimsy 5.5" square

 So cute!  So glad (have I said it often enough?!) I brought all my scraps here with me this year.

Quilting...

Pulled out the Sulky metallics

Did some echoes and dot to dot, which, sadly, the binding cuts off a bit.

Mini Mini complete!

Perched in one of our bromeliads to try to capture the shimmer of the Sulky Holoshimmer thread.  I read this past week on someone's blog that it is next to impossible to properly show the beautiful glitter of the metallic threads.

Close-up to show the pebbling done in a purple variegated thread

I did some matchstick quilting in the white corner.

The sun's rays were low in the sky and in real life hit the mini perfectly to show off the qulitng

I used Yvonne's binding a mini tutorial with excellent results.  Here is a great tip:  sew the binding around three sides of the quilt, stopping before the corners so you have two corners not sewn down.  In larger quilts, I usually leave at least a 6" tail at the beginning and have at least that at the end of the binding strip, and leave about 12-15" unsewn on the last side of the quilt, so I have lots of room to sew them at the 45.  You don't have that here!  So leaving the two corners and one entire side unsewn gives you plenty of "tails" of binding to work with.  Pin or finger-match the binding to the last side, folding the ends to meet up parallel to each other (I found one doesn't always have room for the 45-degree angle I always use).  Finger-press or gently press with an iron (there again that mini iron I got from Craftsy is perfect to use with these little guys).  Here I was using it with the Rowan tote bag I reviewed a couple of weeks ago.

Anyhow, sew on that pressed line, RST and trim the ends.  Then finish sewing the binding down.  Don't you love that Moda Grunge in purple? It might become the binding on Aidan's Radiance quilt.

Threads used on that gorgeous plum Grunge

Nearly forgot to show you the back!

All FMQ except for the echo in the plus which was done with a walking foot

Quilt Stats:
Pattern:  original design
Size: 5.5" square
Fabric: scraps of Moda Grunge, Zen Chic for Moda, and stash scraps
Batting: Pellon Nature's Touch 100% cotton
Quilted: on my Bernina
Threads: pieced with Mettler; quilted with Sulky Holoshimmer 145-6054 and 145-6011 and YLI 244-30-20V variegated plum

And now!  Yesterday I finally got (what is it with the postal service these days, in Canada and in the US?  Bark!) Anja's mini!

In the Schefflera, in the shade

I LOVE it!!  I am just tickled, because it is not square!!  Last weekend I finished another mini for someone else which I ended up making round, thinking aha!  Thinking outside the box!  Let me tell you that was hard: to cut it down to a round shape... and a few days later I get a triangle!  My favourite colour is blue, I cannot get enough of bodies of water, and her choice of blue fabric immediately puts me in mind of water and blue skies.  Mmm!

In the sun, same spot as I photgraphed hers a few weeks prior

Didn't she do a fabulous job on binding a triangle?  Love the backing fabric.

It's a Jaybird block she told me, and wow did she hit perfection on all the matching points.

Had to capture that lovely orange (she and Aidan are converting me) against the Florida blue sky and green palm trees

Three is my favourite number.  Three is a powerful, symbolic number, and triangles and pyramids, especially, as I said to Anja, have healing powers.  This is so very perfect for me.  Thank you Anja so much.

I now have 2 minis on my wall! More on this other beauty later.

I can't end without reminding you of the fabulous sale on this weekend at Craftsy (I know, I know, you're hearing it around QBL, and I know, I know, didn't they just have a sale a month ago) but some of the kits and supplies are reduced up to 60% off!  You can treat yourself to fabric, and skip some chocolate at Easter, right? Much healthier. Wink. That mini iron is only $20.99US, and I would not steer you wrong with that particular purchase.  Nor would I on the fabric bundles.  Many of these work out to $4-5/yard, and you find yourself with some gorgeous and unusual prints.  Remember these I showed you over the past few months?

1-yard bundle which grew up, but there is still a TON left, yippee!

Jelly Roll

Fat Quarter Bundles

6" strip of Kaffe glorious Fassett fabric

All these are mine, said in a Gollum-type voice, "Presshhh-ious!" All terrific prices, even with the Canadian not-so-good dollar.   All available, (not these exact bundles, but similar ones) at Craftsy (think Amy Butler, Anna Maria Horner--might have snagged some of hers).  Bye for now; please excuse me while I go and, as Brianne, my eldest would say when she is heading to the cosmetics department to buy the must-have-must-have! new Mac Primer, something to the effect of, "I may have blacked out and when I came to, I discovered I had bought 10 yards of fabric."

That's my story now too.  You can join me by clicking the text links or the Craftsy button in the sidebar, and yep, I'm an affiliate, so I do get a commission on sales ;-)  and I thank you!

Linking up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of A Fabric Addict and TGIFF. which is with Jenn at A Quarter Inch From the Edge.