Sunday, January 30, 2022

Girls Just Want To Have Fun♡



Hello lovely lovelies♡ I hope you are all travelling okay. Down here at my flowery little place, where sweetly fragranced, rose petals fall into heart shape patterns, it has been day after day of  happy sunshine and lovely warmth.

This year I thought it might be fun to hitch my caboose to the monthly, mini quilt train, over at  Wendy's place of The Constant Quilter. I thought it would be delightful if I joined Wendy and her merry band of mini quilt makers, and fashion a mini quilt each month. Fashioning a mini quilt, monthly, sounds doable and rather pleasant. I rather love the thought of designing and creating on a mini scale every month. It would be a delightful interlude from the everyday of making my bigger quilts. 'Tis always fun to have the thought upmost in mind of going with the flow and seeing where my playing takes me because when one skips down the path of creative play, you never quite know what will eventuate. AND...I'm rather taken with the thought of stitching small and only taking a month in which to reach the finishing line.

What to make??  What will I fashion for my first mini quilt?? With only a week till the end of January; yes I left it to the last minute; I decided to fashion a mini quilt with a vase of flowers taking centre stage. 

Two years ago, before the world went into lockdown, I went to a Rachael Daisy, of Blue Mountain Daisy fame, Whizz Bang workshop, where we learnt all things burr cone, or as some might prefer, prairie point, pretties. At the time I bought Rachael's book, Whizz Bang  which is a fabulous source of inspiration overflowing with wonderful ideas on the how-to's of all things folded triangles. Arranging triangles is really playing in the truest sense of the world. One folds triangles from an assortment of fabric strips and then plays; placing triangles around and around in dizzying, gloriously hued circles, ovals, rectangles, squares; or indeed any shape you can dream up. But, we will chat that about a little later.



I decided prairie point triangles skipping around the edge of the quilt would be rather fun.  For the background I chose a pretty fabric with a collage of hearts, bows, roses, music, butterflies etc etc; all with a nod to Valentine's Day which lovers the world over, celebrate in a couple of weeks time. A perfect fabric. A fabric which was leftover from a knitting bag I made for a dear friend last Christmas. 




But before I could begin making the prairie points I first needed to design and stitch the vase and flowers. From a suitcase overflowing with lace remnants I unearthed a lace curtain remnant.





The remnant had some vases and flowers which would be perfect for what was swirling around in my imagination.  I carefully snipped a vase and flowers, placing these to the background fabric. Mmm....a tad bare, perfectly fine for some, but for me, a little flower magic from my 'Aladdin's cave' suitcase would definitely be needed.


Being a gal who considers more is never enough,  I began to add flowers, leaves and whatever else was needed to make the floral arrangement pleasing to my eye. I happily played, placing  a flower or two here, a leaf there, until what was before me caused me to smile. I had a party of a time as I hand stitched each sweet little flower and leaf wherever it landed. It has been an age since I have embellished with all my pretties. I have missed it. It is always a joy to reacquaint myself with all my vintage pretties. 



BUT!!!! When all the flowers (probably a 'few' too many....if I was to tell the truth....but hey....you did not hear that from me!) were flourishing in the vase the more I looked at what was before me, I didn't necessarily see a vase of flowers per se; I saw what could be a girl's face with flowers flourishing all over her head!! Perhaps one of those fabulous vintage, flower-covered hats?? How fun!! Now, would I continue on with what I had originally imagined, or, would I play a little more?? Mmm.....what to do, what to do?? I am thinking the girl notion might just win by a nose. =) Funnily enough, while I was adding the facial features Cyndi Lauper's song, Girls Just Want To Have Fun, popped into my mind, so that is what I named my quilt, of the funky girl with the flowery hair....or hat....I cannot decide. Mmm....the hat has it! A mod 1960's girl wearing one of those fabulous hats which only a 1960's hip young thing could get away with! I must say though, the 1960's girl's lips look a bit pursed for a girl who's supposed to be having fun! Perhaps the weight of her flower-filled hat is heavy on her mind!! =D Poor darling, she looks positively worrisome!

Just look at those eyelashes♡




With all the stitching on the girl and flowery hat finished, I then hand quilted around some of the sweet hearts that appear on the fabric. I then proceeded to make the prairie points adding them to the edge. The prairie points dancing around the edge as a frame adds to the whimsy. For the back I found a polka dot fabric in a pretty green and machine sketched Girls Just Want To Have Fun on the back. For the binding I again chose a Tilda fabric.













I spent four days and today, Sunday, petting my flowery pretties, placing and hand stitching them here, there and most definitely everywhere! I have a feeling I got lost in LaLa Land where vintage, lacey flowers were raining from heaven. It happens to me sometimes. =) It was fun to just play. It was fun to change course midway and skip down another path to see where it led me. AND.....it was fabulous to sew on a mini scale. In my crystal ball I can see a few more mini quilts in my future. I have put my suitcase burgeoning with vintage lace pretties away for another day when lacey inspiration will again swirl and swirl around my muddly head. Hoping my mini quilt is acceptable to add to the monthly mini quilt party. I wonder, at 20 inches by 17 inches, if my pretty is mini enough. Well, for me who always seems to make queen size quilts, I should think this quilt is downright Lilliputian in comparison. I did look to see what was acceptable, and I read there were no rules. Well.....excepting of course the quilt has to be 'mini'. No rules....my very favourite stipulation when it comes to quilt making.


Bye for now. Sending all you lovely lovelies, a little love, and sprinkles of falling rose petals into your day♡ Hoping your week is a fabulous one♡


Until the next time..............





Linking up this week to Kathy's Slow Sunday Stitching and Wendy's Monthly Mini at The Constant Quilter, Frederique's Applique, Patchwork and Judy's Design Wall Monday.





55 comments:

  1. Hi Kim
    Your mini quilt is so pretty and so much fun. Love your suitcase full of lace.
    Best wishes Kay c xx

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  2. Clever you! well done to create this in such a short space of time, I absolutely love it and the thought process that let to it's completion. I can't wait to see more of your mini quilts in the future. Have a cosy Sunday. xx

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  3. You have all the materials, fabric, imagination and talent to do unique quilt, Kim !
    And your mini-one is perfect !
    Have a lovely week !
    Hug
    Anna

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  4. The flowered vase was already beautiful, but your mini quilt went further and it is gorgeous! You are an artist!
    Yeah! girls just want to have fun.
    Have a great week, Kim.

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  5. Yes, this is fun, fun, fun!!! That suitcase full of lace is breathtaking!!! Love seeing through your photos how the whole project evolved. And those burr cones around the outside make such a perfect frame!!!

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  6. Oh my goodness, your imaginations and creativity amazes me. I don't think I could ever make the jump from a beautiful vase of masses of flowers to a girl with a gorgeous floral hat. This little quilt is gorgeous! I love the folded triangles.

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  7. You are brilliant, Kim! I just love seeing how your creative hands and mind work. That is lovely!

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  8. That certainly is a fancy hat! I remember my mother wearing a turquoise hat with flowers on it back in the day. The prairie point border is perfect!

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  9. Such a fun project... you inspire us to PLAY and see what beauty emerges!

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  10. You had fun, didn't you and it shows! When I look at your mini, I see Marie Antoinette. With your collection of lacy lovelies, it will be interesting to see what you do next!

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  11. oh Kim... I love the finished lady and the prairie points around the edges of your mini! Stay warm and beautiful down under as we are cool and wishing for spring in the northern hemisphere!
    Kathi

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  12. I love how you can change course so beautifully! The title is perfect as she appears to be behind her steering wheel singing along with Cindy!

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  13. so original!! all that lace is so pretty -- yes it is hard to believe it is 2 years of covid and being careful

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  14. Oh, Kim, how delightful. Definitely think this qualifies as a mini and a gorgeous one at that. And seeing you vase of roses is a day brightener as we experience frigid temperatures again.
    Pat

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  15. Your mini quilt is so fun! And oh, that suitcase of treasures! Love me some vintage lace!

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  16. Adorable mini quilt! Gorgeous embroideries. Big hug dear Kim. Have a lovely week ahead.

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    1. Thank you so much, lovely Maristella. Hoping your week is a lovely one, too. Kim Xx

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  17. Kim, that is fabulous! I love how the vase of flowers became a girl's face, and then the wonderful design with the prairie points to finish off the edges. Beautiful, and definitely fun!

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  18. Love your Girls Just Want to Have Fun mini quilt. It did look like a girls head, and all those laces you added looked just like something I would do! Love, Love, Love it! Now that song is stuck in my head! Thanks Kim for another lovely post! They always make me smile!

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  19. Oh, I LOVE your mini quilt, so pretty, and I love your process too. Beautiful prairie points, they are making a pretty border. Well done on finishing such a cute mini!
    Thank you for sharing your inspiration, and linking up ;)

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  20. Absolutely delightful! It looks like it was a lot of fun to create. I would love to participate in this mini monthly group, and Wendy has included me a few times. But, the big quilts keep calling my name. Your little quilt is a perfect addition to the group of mini makers. Pretty pretty~

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  21. Oh, Kim...I just love how your 'artist's' brain works, a bit of here and a bit of there...and add this, up that, and wa-la...a lady instead of a vase...and a wigged lady of flowers! LOVE THIS! Sandi

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    1. 'A wigged lady of flowers".....I love that, Sandi. Thank you so much for your beautiful visit and sweet words. Kim Xx

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  22. Hi Kim, what an amazing mini :-) I love how it went from vase with flowers to Girls Just Want to Have Fun! I love playing with fabric...it's my favourite thing to do and that's what keeps me going. Enjoy your monthly mini!

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  23. How wonderful it must be to live where the rose petals fall in the shape of hearts. Oh Kim, each photo is more lovely than the previous one. Your quilt is absolutely gorgeous. That suitcase of laces had me drooling. It looks like lots of fun just to go through each of them and imagining what they can make.

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  24. I hope you put your name on the quilt after the photography.

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  25. ¡¡¡QuĂ© gran imaginaciĂłn tienes!!! has pasado de un jarrĂłn florido a una niña sesentera en un plis-plas y lo mejor es lo bonito que ha quedado tu mini-edredĂłn. BESICOS.

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  26. I love your approach to embellishments: the more the merrier. Your projects often remind me of crazy quilts. There is so much detail to look at!

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  27. Lucky you to have taken a workshop with Rachael Daisy. Girls is fabulous! Over-the-top flowery and hippie girl wanting to have fun. Lovely laces which looks labor intensive to stitch by hand. Prairie points frame it nicely. Certainly you could teach a workshop.

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  28. You have such a treasure trove of lacy things. What fun! I mean, what's a girl supposed to do but have fun. lol I thought the vase of lacey flowers was absolutely beautiful, but I'm not surprised to see that you changed it into a girl's hat. You see with different eyes and don't I just wish I saw things that way. Super, Kim. If particular sizes aren't listed, then it's in the eye of the beholder. Hey, I'm a character witness to all your large quilts if you need a witness. :)

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  29. What a wonderful change of plans with your mini quilt! I really liked how it turned out with those beautiful blue eyes and that incredible hair! Isn't it fun with a project morphs into something better than you originally envisioned?! You are so blessed to be enjoying your lovely gardens, too! We are stuck in midwinter around here and the forecast is for lots of snow mid week. Not as much as our eastern seaboard with feet of snow but a lot for us. I'll be hunkered up in my craft room planning the wedding picnic quilt so don't worry about me! Happy week, dear Kim! Zenda

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  30. Just love it! You went down the rabbit hole and what a wonderful adventure followed that leap! To escape and see where the journey might lead was keeping me sitting on the edge of my seat. Reading every word and just enjoy the joy of each and every moment with each discovery, thank you!

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  31. Theres no doubt about you, you are certainly a girl who just wants to have fun! And fun you did have, creating this gorgeous mini masterpiece. You have wonderful eye for such things, I love all the beautiful vintage lace.

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  32. Gorgeous! You're a talented lady, Kim! I love to see lace suitcase and your play with the laces is so exciting! Thank you so much for taking us to your beautiful sewing artist place, sharing and providing inspiration and joy! Have a wonderful week!

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  33. What a fun, fun little quilt! And what fun you've had playing with your trims and laces to make this beauty.

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  34. OH WOW!!!!! Your imagination and beautiful goodies made for a Fantastic creation. I do love me some prairie points and I just love how they frame this beauty, and love your color choices in the fabric too. How you saw that would make a lovely hat I have no idea but it worked perfectly and love how you brought her to life, gorgeous layering of the lace flowers and how you finished off the back with the name of the quilt is so fun!!! I have a few of my mini quilts around my home, I have a few more kits that I would like to make too, I need to cut my list of cards I send so I have more time to work with fabric, we will see if that ever happens. can't wait to see what you do next, have fun and enjoy that beautiful weather!

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  35. What a fun quilt. All that fussy cutting you do is awesome. What an amazing piece!

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  36. Beautiful mini quilt. Creative and really "fun," Kim.
    Now I know where creativity blooms!

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  37. You have created a beauty Kim, love how your work changes as you work on it. You have an amazing collection of lace.

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  38. Unexpected transformation :) It was a real fun to follow the flight of your creative mind, Kim!
    I wish I had such a lovely hat!

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    1. Always expected the unexpected when you visit my little place, Alina. =) I can see you sporting a fabulous hat such as my fun girl's, up there in NY state. Kim Xx

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  39. Oh my - that is just the most amazing of amazings!!! I saw the head too and love where you took this beautiful piece!!

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  40. She is gorgeous! And certainly lots of fun. I love the prairie point border too. xx

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  41. Oh my goodness...I had fun scrolling through this and seeing how the vase turned into a face!! What a fabulous creation you fashioned, Kim! It's a good thing that you keep a stash of beautiful lace and trims. Lovely work, Kim!

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  42. I got lost in Lala land just reading your post filled with lace and lovely petals. I could almost smell the delicate rose fragrance wafting from the screen. You should name her - she is a delight.

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  43. AMAZING!!!! You surprise us time and again with your beautiful quilts and now a mini quilt that stands out.
    The fact that you saw a face in a vase is completely unique.
    Sooo curious what you'll be next.

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    1. Thank you so much, lovely Loes. I too, am a little curious what my next mini will be. =) Have a beautiful day, Loes. Thank you for stopping by my little place and blessing my day with your visit. Kim Xx

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  44. I adore your narrative of the creative process. It just makes me smile and wish I had the lacy goodies you have. Mostly I think it would be fun to witness your flow of inspiration toppled with enthusiasm. You just shine! And your mini is absolutely wonderful.

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    1. Thank you so much, Debbie, for your beautiful words. You have sprinkled many a smile into my day. There is always a plethora of inspiration toppled with enthusiasm and passion for all things creative, here at my little place. Thank you for the gift of your lovely visit. Kim Xx

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  45. I just love your mini quilt Kim. It is amazing. The Tilda fabrics go so well with it all. Love the back too! Your case of lace just makes me feel happy! Hugs, Christine xx

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  46. hehehehe, more is never enough, i like that!! you have such a creative mind and imaginative spirit...the mini quilt is another work of art.

    i hope you decide to live in la la land, it's a great spot for you!! have a wonderful weekend!!

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  47. Such a fun finish! I love how you switched gears just slightly, but what a difference it made to the final mini. You picked a perfect name, sounds like the girl making it really did just want to have fun.

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  48. You've outdone yourself once again Kim! As I was reading the post and came to the part of you changing direction into a face I couldn't imagine how it could be any better than what you'd already created. I was so wrong.
    I love the idea of doing this and it would be fun to change them out on display each month in the years to come.

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  49. One of the first quilts I made when I started quilting had a pieced back, black flannel with two vertical rows of colorful blocks. When I first basted it I had it way out of line, didn't know what to do. I finally came up with the idea of measuring from the edge of the fabric to the edge of the row of blocks, then measuring the same distance on the quilt top and marking with a pin. I did this at intervals of 6-9" then put the layers together and used my hands to feel if the pins were aligned. Once the first row was aligned it was a little easier to do the other row. With the two rows pinned correctly I could proceed to baste the quilt. There is probably a better way to do this, but it worked for me.

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