My Mini Quilt Design Process

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing my creative process behind the making of a mini quilt for Curated Quilts’ Paper Pieced Mini Quilts Challenge. 

Curated Quilts frequently hosts mini quilt challenges for inclusion in their quarterly journal. (Link to the original call for submissions and to the Issue 22 of the CQ Journal.)

The final piece was to be a square quilt, 10″ x 10″ up to 16″ x 16″, made in the inspirational color palette (shown below). A theme of SYMMETRY was also provided. 

Creative Play in 2023 with Rachelle Handmade

“The comfort zone is the great enemy to creativity.” -Dan Stevens

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy being comfortable. Give me a cozy blanket, fuzzy socks, and a hot beverage and I’m in heaven.

Unfortunately, for artists, the comfort zone is a place of creative stagnation.

Last year, I made roughly 20 production/editorial quilts. While I enjoyed making these pieces, I wasn’t especially creative during the process. I stayed well within my comfort zone.

Last year, I made about five (10) smaller quilts/pieces. I reallllly enjoyed making these pieces. Gifts for friends and family, challenge mini quilts, a couple of pieces to help me mourn.

This year, I have challenged myself with embracing more creative play. I have scheduled six (6) projects throughout the year with a set theme.

Each challenge will be assigned size requirements and have limitations set on the design (number of colors, shapes, medium, etc.).

Feel free to play along throughout the year. I will be posting updates here on my blog and via my newsletter (sign up below).

Matrikin Quilt Alternate Colorways

Alternate Colorways to Spark Your Imagination…

If you’re still undecided on which palette to choose for your Matrikin Quilt, I’ve included more than a few alternate colorways below to spark your imagination!

Click on the “Coloring Pages” link at the top menu to download the digital Matrikin coloring page to help plan your quilt.

Let’s Talk about INSPIRATION!

Ahhhh…the sometimes elusive “spark of inspiration” us quilters seek on a daily basis. Some of you are designers, looking for that fun new geometric pattern to set your mind twirling and whirling with pattern designs. Some of you are quilters, looking for that perfect colorway or palette to use for your next beautiful quilt.

In this post, I’m going to share my inspiration for my upcoming pattern, Matrikin. Often the inspirational process is NOT a spark, but a linked series of events in your day to day life.

My husband works his family’s 170-ish year old homestead farm, which we live next door to. So, if you drive by our house, nine times out of ten, there will be a tractor or other farm implement in our driveway or maybe even a combine parked in our front yard (insert eye roll emoji here).