You are going to love making this miniature quilt! The pieced circles are so much easier to do than they look. You don't have to know how to stitch a curve because this pattern uses a non-traditional technique that even beginning quilters can master. My favorite part is that there are 14 different layouts to play with which I'll tell you all about! Info about the limited time Pattern Sale to celebrate the Mini Moons being released is at the end of the post.
The idea for this quilt pattern started when I attended a a live broadcast of Kaffe Fassett talking about color and pattern at Quiltique, a gorgeous quilt shop here in Las Vegas, NV. They of course had his fabrics on sale for the event and since I didn't have any of his fabric in my stash, I bought a charm pack that gave me a nice collection of his prints. I'm guessing that you feel like I do, in that it's always a good idea to buy fabric that is associated with a special event, especially when it's on sale. I attended the lecture with some lovely ladies from my local branch of the Modern Quilt Guild and then we went to lunch at Biscuits and Bourbon (yummy!) followed by a charity sew-in for Quilts of Valor at Downtown Sewing Machine Co. That table was incredible for us to work on because it was HUGE and sturdy!
Fun Fact: Did you know that Kaffe paints his designs and sends his paintings to the fabric manufacturer!?! They then turn his paintings into the fabric prints!
On the drive home from that lovely day, the idea to use the Kaffe charm pack as the moons in a miniature version of my Many Moons quilt came to me and I love how it celebrates his obsessions with color and pattern using it in this way. I also had some left over Kona Solids that I used to make the original Many Moons cover quilt and they coordinated beautifully with Kaffe's prints. The quilt uses half of the charm pack so I took what I had left to make a fun backing.
Sue Heinz of Kizmet Quilting came to speak to Desert Quilters of Nevada 6 months ago and her use of Elmer's Glue (I can hear her reminding me that "It's not glue, it's a starch!") in quilting has stuck with me. Yes, I made a glue joke. Her redheaded friend Elmer makes tricky piecing more accurate by holding fabrics together exactly where you want them. Plus, if you don't like where the pieces are, pull them apart and re-stick them. When everything is perfectly lined up and the glue is set (use a dry iron), then it can be stitched and it will still be perfect. There is no unpicking because the pieces were in the right place before they were stitched and the glue washes right out. This technique is perfect for making the circles of this mini quilt and all the details are laid out in the pattern. Don't just take my word for it, my tech editor Adelle commented, "This pattern is so fun and I love the construction method."
Once I tested out my ideas and wrote up the rough draft, the pattern was off to my wonderful group of pattern testers. Here are the quilts they made...
This one was put together by my Aunt Carol. She is one of the sweetest people on earth! I love that she tied it back to the pattern's title by using shades of yellow for the moons and blue and black for the background.
When she had her blocks made, she sent me a few pictures of her blocks in some of the different layout options. Isn't it fun how rotating the blocks a little creates different looks?
This next version was made by Amanda, who's been with me testing my patterns from the beginning. (Thank you Amanda!!!) She is never afraid to put a stripe in and her attention to detail really makes this quilt shine!
She also tried out her blocks in different layouts and said that her husband loved playing with them as much if not more than she did. These are the same blocks just rotated a different way...
Susan was new to join my team of pattern testers and she was a wonderful addition! Ever since she made her quilt using Bubble Up and Glass Beads fabrics for the moons, I have been seeing these fabrics everywhere. They are so playful and pop off her dark background fabrics! I love that she used yet another one of the layouts. Do you see it?
Of course this post about Mini Moons wouldn't be complete without giving a shout out to Adelle Pears @borderscrafter for being my tech editor. I love that she catches every little thing, makes my patterns better, and has helped me be a better pattern writer. Thanks Adelle!
One of my favorite things about quilts is how different they can look with different fabrics and different color placement. Some days I get lost in creating mock ups. I've already shared so many versions of Mini Moons but here's one more - a mockup using fabrics from the Blossom Collection by Lisa Dolson for Paintbrush Studio Fabrics. Insert heart eyes emoji here because I love these fabrics.
Now that we've covered some of the layout options executed so beautifully by my pattern testers, the coloring pages will make a little more sense. There is a coloring page for each setting - one for on point and one for straight set. The coloring pages lack the diagonal in the blocks intentionally. This way they can be used for all 14 of the layouts which are all in the pattern. Choose your favorite one to design your quilt on your coloring page. The coloring pages are included in the pattern but you can also download them by clicking the link below.
Pattern Release SALE!!!
To celebrate the release of this new pattern, I'm offering a Full Moon pattern bundle with the Mini Moons quilt pattern and the Many Moons quilt pattern for just $20. That's $5 off if you bought them separately. Offering the full sized quilt and the mini quilt together reminds me of my childhood. American Girl dolls were popular then and I grew up sewing clothes for my Samantha doll. What was so fun about these patterns was that you could make a matching dress that fit you! Similarly, with the quilt pattern bundle you could make a Mini Moons quilt for your doll and Many Moons quilt for yourself! These quilts are the perfect holiday or birthday gift for a child that loves dolls. The patterns come in a print format that I'll mail you and in a PDF format if you'd rather download the pattern onto your device. The print patterns will be mailed out on July 11th, 2023 and you can pre-order yours today. The PDF format is available now.
To me the moon has long been a symbol of women, fertility, and motherhood as it cycles monthly. The original quilt design for Many Moons was a way for me to reflect and remember all the amazing women I cared for over the last 2 decades as I worked in women's health and delivered babies. The new version Mini Moons will forever remind me of the new women in my life I have found in the quilting world, the day I spend with them when I bought the Kaffe fabric, and my amazing team that helped me bring this quilt pattern to you.
Thanks for being here and supporting my small business. I'd love to see what you make with these patterns. Please share on social media using #minimoonsquilt, #manymoonsquilt, post in the Snapdragon Facebook group, or email me at Jen.Snapdragon.Quilting@gmail.com.
Happy Quilting!
This is such a fun pattern to make! The technique was totally new for me but Jen's instructions made it easy to understand. I can't wait to quilt mine (it's the one with the stripes)!