One Thing Leads to Another :: Skinny Minny

As with many of my projects creative license has a way of happening!  This doesn't just happen with my own designs.  When I use another makers pattern I like to put my personal twist or creative license in a design.  I give full credit to the designer, always love their original concept and especially enjoy that because of their creativity it inspires me to take it to another creative level.

Such is the case with Skinny Minny Geese.  The pattern is by Kelly of Jeli Quilts and available in her Payhip shop.  Who doesn't love flying geese, a rainbow and paper piecing?!  A couple of those might be an acquired taste to some, but for me it's the perfect storm!  

SKINNY MINNY WALL HANGING
16.5" x 16.5"

It all started with the need to paper piece.  Something.  I settled on Skinny Minny thinking it would be a fun, small, quick-ish project.  The 'quick' part was a total fantasy, as paper piecing isn't usually quick in any way shape or form.  



And it's less quick when you decided to use one of every color for the geese, and decide to make the background gradient grays!  Once that idea takes hold I'm hard pressed to stop it.  It just happens and I have to go with it.

At this point I could have stopped and called it done.  I could have...but I didn't! 



I added three (3) 1/2" borders while carefully matching the seams along the sides.  I liked it so much that it made me want to do more...one more round...of something...



With the tiny geese being so small I wanted to add a little more color in some way.  That became the point of no return and down the rabbit hole I went!  

More geese seemed like a great idea and with that I had to draft my own paper piece geese pattern.  It had to happen.  The idea was firmly planted, therefore it shall be!



The madness ended with another round of three (3) borders.  And with that, this part of my crazy train ride came to an end.

You know what that means don't you?  The dreaded quilting part rears it's ugly head!  Admittedly, I don't mind quilting small quilts like this.  It's a heck of a lot easier than big ones and it allows me to quilt like I know what I'm doing!

 

The center circle ended up not being perfect as you can clearly see.  I'm not terribly sad about that, as I am not a perfect quilter.  And I don't mind sharing, showing and pointing out imperfections.  There is no shame here!

  

My usual method of quilting is to take one section, or in this case one border at a time.  I've never been able to look at an entire quilt and come up with a good all over quilting design.  It just doesn't happen.  



I ended up with a combination of circles, echoed geese, grids and straight lines.  Somehow it worked and I'm pretty pleased with the results.  



Many times you can't see the quilting detail unless you turn it over and look at the back.  My one regret throughout this entire adventure was not using a solid gray on the back.  Then again I used a print and that means I have one less print in my stash!  



I feel like complete finishes have been few and far between lately.  Finishing this wall hanging has encouraged me to quilt up a couple projects that have lingered on my design wall for far too long.  And, I can't believe I'm saying this, I'm excited to be machine quilting again!  Coming from one who dreads that process...that is a monumental statement! 

LINKING:

OH SCRAP! ● MAIN CRUSH MONDAY ●  MONDAY MAKING 
LETS BEE SOCIAL ● MIDWEEK MAKERS ● NEEDLE & THREAD 

PEACOCK PARTY  ● TGIFF 

BRAG ABOUT YOUR BEAUTIES ● FINISHED OR NOT FRIDAY