Thursday, June 5, 2014

Cam's Quilt

My beautiful friend, the lovely and talented Cam, also know as Curlypops, was turning 40 and she was kind enough to invite me to her party in Melbourne last month.

The invitation said strictly no gifts. Pfft to that, I said. Cam's special. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and the most fabulous and tenacious friend. And she is such an inspiration to so many people, myself included. I wanted to make something, and somewhere in the crazy that is my brain, I decided to make her a replica miniature quilt using her fabric design (my favourite fabric of all time) as the basis. Her fabric is on the left. My version is on the right.

Cam's quilt

Did I mention that the design is really small?  I'm talking 1/4 inch hexagons here.

Cam's quilt

The first battle was colour matching - I found the 6 colours easily enough at my local quilt store, but really struggled to find the perfect grey. Thanks to a friend who saw me at the store one day, I eventually found it - in the prints section of the store! It just took a little bit of fussy cutting, and when the papers are that small, it's not too hard.

Cam's quilt

I started the quilt in late February. I had no plan other than to replicate Cam's fabric. In fact I only made a plan in the last two weeks before Cam's birthday party. This was my one mistake. I really was skating on thin ice time-wise, but jeebers I was loving making this quilt so much!

Cam's quilt

Cam's quilt

I finished all the piecing with a day to spare. I had made a little mini quilt for the hexagons to be appliqued to.

Cam's quilt

I started appliqueing it down in Melbourne the morning of the party. Thank heaven for Roxanne Applique Glue. An hour or so later, I was finished. A couple of hours before the party started, even.

Cam's quilt

 To be perfectly honest I thought I would be showing Cam the quilt, and then taking it home again to finish - it was that tight.

Cam's quilt

The whole quilt is about 11 inches square. Pretty small. Although I got very used to the size very quickly as I was piecing it, even with my big fingers. I'm now making a 1/2 inch hexagon quilt and it seems enormous in comparison.

Cam's quilt

Cam's quilt

The birthday girl wore the exact same pink as in the quilt. How cute does she look!

Cam's quilt

I'm not too sure I won't ever do a 1/4 hexagon project again. It definitely pushed my limits, but I learned a lot about stitching something that small, and also about planning a quilt BEFORE you just randomly start stitching. And Cam loves is, and that really is the whole point.

Cam's quilt

Happy birthday gorgeous friend. Hope I'm around to help you celebrate your 80th too.

I'm joining in with Gemma's I Quilt linky party!


35 comments:

  1. Oh my! Positivity Panda is right - you are a legend - a hero - the greatest person that has ever existed! Fabulous quilt ... still awed that your fingers can work on something at that scale.

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    1. Ha ha! You're hilarious! But Positivity Panda is usually right ...

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  2. Amazing job, Michelle! And Cam is looking fantastic, too.

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  3. Looks fantastic. I bet your friend just loves it

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  4. I love this so much! Such a clever idea and thoughtful present! Xo

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  5. This is such a special quilt Michelle. You really are a wonderful person for making this. It is incredible.

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    1. I do like to challenge myself, it seems! A birthday was just a Very Good Excuse.

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  6. Wow what a job but it is so beautiful. Maybe you could borrow it back as your entry for Canberra Show in the miniatures section.

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    1. Chris, I did actually consider making another for the show! Maybe next year though. Will you be visiting in August? It's later this year. Would love to see you again.

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  7. that mini-quilt is gorgeous, don't think I'd ever have the patience to make something so small!

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    1. Patience is not my strong suit! My quilting tiny ridiculous things seems to have made me a better person ;)

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  8. Absolute amaze-balls, you awesome chicka! So good to get felt up by you too!

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    1. Feeling you up was the highlight of my weekend, Bec!

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  9. Amazing. Even Cathy Miller and Marie Markham would be envious but proud. Well done.

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    1. You know Jan - when Cathy showed me the insanity 1/4 incher that night when she stayed with me a few years back, I was ready to get her certified as insane. But she also lit a spark! Obviously!

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    2. I'm so happy to hear what people REALLY think of me, Jan and Michelle!!! Michelle: you have a wonderful modern colour sense that really shines through on this piece. Love the whole concept, especially the quilting lines behind the appliqued piece. You worked pretty quickly to make all these little guys. Welcome to the insanity society, my friend. Glad to have ya!

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  10. I so love this Michelle, I remember the pics from instagram, and I'm so happy you've shared all the closer-detail pics with us here. It's such a fabulous pressie, and you've done such a wonderful job in creating it. I love that you used the 'perfect grey' fabric for the back and binding too.

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    1. Aw thanks Cat! I had to use that grey - it is pretty amazing and it was shame to lose those enormous pink spots!

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  11. Wow! This quilt is spectacular!

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  12. That is a really special gift! I'm so impressed with those tiny stitches!

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    1. Thanks Michele - each flower only took a few minutes to make. Just 6 stitches on each edge!

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  13. Love it. And Cam is so cute. I follow her on IG and it's so great to follow her journey. She's a bit fab. Hope to catch up soon, Crystal

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    1. Cam is amazing, and such a lovely friend to boot. I hit the sweepstakes when I met her!

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  14. I am in awe! I've never done paper piecing or hexagons (not my style) but the patience, the skill - and the result is beautiful. Lucky lady!

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    1. Oooh - someone else I can draw into the web that is EPP!

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  15. Absolutely gorgeous!
    Your friend is truly blessed with your gift

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    1. Thanks Di! I feel truly blessed to have friends like her (and you) in my life. xx

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  16. Just beautiful!!!! such wee small hexies! well done!

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  17. Oh my goodness! That's so tiny, and so adorable!

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