My own infatuation with miniatures began when I discovered small plastic barnyard animals and then spent hours setting up elaborate farm scenes on the living room floor as a child. The plastic sheep and horses are long gone, but as I look around my place I see I have a whole new set of miniatures– cupcakes in the pantry, mini hamburgers in the freezer, and decorative animal figurines in every nook and cranny. Terrie Sandelin’s Introduction in her new release Miniatures in Minutes begins, “Why miniatures? Because they’re so darn cute!” With other types of miniatures, the appeal might end there. But with Terrie Sandelin’s mini quilts, the cute factor is only the beginning.
Terrie’s Introduction goes on to explain how miniature quilts saved her from a descent into unfinished project overload: “Because not only can I start and finish a miniature in a timely manner, I will“. With Miniatures in Minutes you can make a gorgeous miniature—with perfect accuracy—in just a small fraction of the time it used to take. The secret is the paper piecing techniques, pioneered by Anita Grossman Solomon and updated in this book to bring miniatures within reach of even the most time-challenged quilter. To this, my short attention span says “Hallelujah!”
This week we’ll be giving away a copy of Miniatures in Minutes to one lucky blog reader. Leave a comment below that describes a certain mini thing that you like, have in your house or were impressed by. On Monday morning (March 2), we’ll pick one commenter at random and announce the winner later that day. Good luck!
*Note: Comments will be closed on Monday, March 2, at 9am PST
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37 Comments
I have a postcard miniature that was made to look like the Italian countryside with warm golden and green rolling hills and tall thin trees done with heavy stitching. So simple and yet so elegant. It is a lovely daily reminder of our past travels AND the artist who made it.
As a child, I collected anything small. It started with a tube of ‘interesting’ bits that I bought. My girlfriend and I would poke through those contents for hours! Then I just kept adding to it…little plastic dolls, erasers, pencils, charms,….anything small. I may still have some of those relics in the attic! I saved everything as a child! A friend made me a mini quilt about 8×10″. I am challenged to try one for myself to display in my sewing room. This book would inspire me and give me ideas to jump start that project.
I have been known to make mini blocks for key rings…..THANKS for the reminder as I have a Craft fair and Studio Art tour coming this summer and those would make GREAT goodies to sell!!!
I have a minature pineapple quilt that is paper pieced. Each block has six rungs and is about 3 inches in size. It is done in color wheel hues. It is about 5×6 blocks and is about 15 x 18 inches finished. I made back in the early 90′s and it is a favorite of mine.
I have always been fascitinated by miniature quilts and this month I attended a trunk show and lecture on mini quilts with Deb Tucker.
Minature cats, mostly china, my husband thinks it’s hilarious that there’s tiny cats sitting everywhere!
Love paper piecing minatures, and it’s easy to keep organized and uses the tiniest pieces of fabric that I can’t seem to throw out. I am working on a tiny basket minature that I love and would like to add tiny flower buttons to.
I have a tiny pewter minature poodle (1 inch tall) on my dresser that looks just like a beloved gray minature poodle that I had for 15 years. I purchased it when he was still with me and it makes me think of him every time I see it. I think my pewter minature poodle could definitely use a minature quilt to sit on. Then my two favorite things – quilts & dogs – will be with me every day.
I love anything in miniature and love to make miniature quitls. That book will be a great source for my growing collection of “mini” scrap fabrics. :-)
a mini thing i like, that’s not really quilt or fabric-related, are novelty salt and pepper shakers, but ones that are truly small, say an inch and a half, tops.
i love miniatures! when i was a little girl, i had a doll house, but no dolls. i loved filling the house with doll furniture. i loved how realistic it was, but yet so tiny.
Miniature Sewing Machines! I purchased one a few years ago and my collection has now grown to more than 70. I plan to make several miniature quilts to display along with them.
I’m always picking up miniature things and miniature quilts have always fasinated me. I see some miniatures in my near future.
I love miniature bears because you can put them everywhere! I have made big quilts but have not tried miniature one yet.
I remember those plastic farm animals because I played with some of those too. For me, though, the tiny porcelain tea sets I had and still love to collect are what have inspired me to love miniature quilts.
I love miniature sewing machines too! Also miniature quilts; I’ve never tried it, but I will!
I love miniature items and quilts. My favorite is a teeny hand-blown glass pitcher that matched my grandmothers good glassware. It’s the sweetest little thing at about 1 1/2″
Ann
In Canada when I was growing up Red Rose Tea used to contain ceramic miniature figurines. They had many different series and are still highly collectible. Mine are on my shelf.
These are all such great comments, whether about mini quilts, or other mini things from your childhoods or the present time. DeLynn, your story about your poodle is such a heart warmer – you are so lucky to have a mini that resembles your dog! I’m a dog lover too but the odds of finding a porcelain figurine that resembles my pit bull-coon hound mix are VERY slim indeed :)
DianeH, I had forgotten all about Red Rose Tea! My English mother drank Red Rose nonstop so we had oodles of those animal figurines!
So I have never made a mini quilt myself but the book has inspired me as well as all of you who have posted comments about your miniature quilts. I have started a Flickr group so that you can all see some of the project quilts from the book as well as add your own miniature quilt images to the group pool! Please join the fun at http://www.flickr.com/groups/miniaturequilts/
Good luck to all of you in the book giveaway!
I cannot wait to see this book in person! I have just joined a block of the month club last month and accidentally cut some pieces too small and didn’t realize it until after I sewed a few of the smaller inner blocks and they are so cute!! I may sew them up for my DD to use with her polly pockets.
I also just finished a jelly roll 9 patch quilt class and have decided instead of 1 big quilt, I’m making 2 smaller ones.
The “mini” things I love are the felted handbags my MIL makes for my DD. So cute and colorful! If only she’d make one in a practical size for me! ;)
Danielle, I am off to see the flickr group! :) Exciting!
I an lucky to have inherited family furbiture, my favourite piece being a classic Edwardian china cabinet. Not too old, a very simple design – CR McIntosh, but stacked with mini pieces collected by my mother and great aunts. We have no children but lots of little visitors and the small tea sets, dinner services, flatware, and even small pieces of furniture keep them amused for hours.
I visit antique fairs and sometimes find a little gem to add to the collection – the latest being a group of mini mohair bears, O am currently looking for kitchen items and have my eye on a gas cooker!
I just love to look at full size quilt made to fit Barbie Doll beds, The tiny block with all the details of large blocks. So many tiny pieces when a 8×10 inch has block pieces of less than 1/2 inch. Libby
I love to grow miniature vegetables!
Miniature quilts are amazing! I’ve enjoyed taking a few classes on techniques and I’m sure I could learn some more techniques from “Miniatures in Minutes.”
I’ve got a thing for miniature houses. They’re so cute! And there’s so many different kinds and series. Help! I also love a seasonal miniature quilt kit that I bought several years ago. It came with a mini quilt rack, too.
I have a penchant for nature made miniatures. I like to seek out and collect tiny seashells. Other people are wandering the beach looking for the big guys, I am pretty much face down in the sand picking out impossibly small shells. It’s a sickness really.
I have a miniature orange pepper plant in the kitchen, a mini fairie in my sewing room curtains to make sure the room stays fun. I have always wanted to make a miniature quilt and this book can help me do it. Thanks for providing the give away.
I’ve been nuts about miniature quilts since I hand-pieced a six-inch one and framed it for my goddaughter when she was born.
I’d love to win this book and learn more. “Overload” is my middle name!
I love tiny things, Re-ment miniatures from Japan, doll houses, and this morning I made a tiny 3/4″ long carrot out of felt, and a tomato, for my daughter’s doll house.
I have always been interested in miniatures & have completed 6 tiny quilts about 6″ each including lone star and log cabin. I would treasure this book.
I had seen framed handmade miniature quilts by artist Kate Adams in the mid 80′s. Since then I have been hooked on miniature but have never had the courage to try one. They are so tiny. After reading the the review that Danielle has written on Miniature in Minutes I think I’m ready to try it out. I had taped Anita Grossmans guest appearances on Simply Quilts and continue to watch my video before I start a paper piecing project. I would love to win this book
i have a whole collection of miniature dogs, porcelain china plastic you name it thanks for the giveaway
My favorite mini is three tiny little mugs that I bought years ago. One had my hubby’s name on it, the other my name and the third a heart.
I love lots of mini things, mini hershey candy bars, mini ceramic or resin Basset Hounds ( my real life Basset is great but he drools), mini ceramic pitchers my Mom gave me.
The challenge quilt for my guild this year has to be a minature, I would really love to win the book to help me along.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Sue Cahill (sbonetsue at yahoo dot com)
I have a shelf full of minis. Tiny bears, vases, unicorns, dogs, cats…everything is there. The only criteria is miniature. I just love them.
It’s always such a thrill for me to see other quilters who love miniatures as much as I do. And the Flickr group? Awesome. I’m off to join! I have some additional projects using the Miniatures in Minutes foundations that I’ve been posting on my website (http://www.terriesandelin.com) — so come visit to download the project patterns. And I would love to see some photos from other quilters on the Flickr group!
I have always loved minature animal knick-knacks….that and miniture stuffed animals….I had a ton of these as a kid growing up and always wondered what happened to them after I moved to college and wasn’t able to take them with me…..I think I need to put in a phone call to Mom!
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