Warning for lovers of antique quilt patterns: Addictive quiltmaking ahead. Proceed with caution.
Author Mary Elizabeth Kinch says she couldn’t have escaped the appreciation of all things historical if she’d tried. As the daughter of avid antique collectors, creativity runs deep in her family. Although collecting antique quilts has given Mary Elizabeth great satisfaction, her true passion lies in designing "antique" quilt patterns that are all her own.
Mary Elizabeth does admit to having a streak of what she calls “modern-style quilt renegade” in her work, however. Along with the legendary quilts of Gee’s Bend, she found a connection with Gwen Marston and her landmark book Liberated Quiltmaking. But Gwen’s influence on Mary Elizabeth and coauthor Biz Storms goes beyond mere admiration. In fact, it was Gwen herself who inspired the pair to write their first book. In Mary Elizabeth’s words:
“Biz and I had spent about a year admiring quilts with small blocks and pieces at quilt shows and exhibits. We were brimming with ideas and enthusiasm. At a Gwen Marston retreat, Biz mentioned to Gwen that we thought she should do a book on full-sized quilts made with small blocks. Gwen said, ‘no, YOU should do one.’ The rest, as they say, is history—that’s how our first book, Small Blocks, Stunning Quilts, came to be.”
Their new book, Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts, shows how you can create the look of antique patchwork quilts with small pieces–and do it smarter by using streamlined techniques that make the process manageable. Because isn’t that the question we all want to ask—how do you manage all of those tiny pieces? Mary Elizabeth has a tried-and-true plan for making these stunning quilts (see the slideshow at the bottom of this post), and she’s here to share it with us today as our guest blogger.
Spill the (tiny) beans, Mary Elizabeth!
Batchwork: Making Light Work of Full-Sized, Small-Pieced Quilts
Sewing with small pieces is addictive. Small pieces will sweep you up in their beguiling beauty. As you stitch them together into ever more adorable little blocks, you’ll be rapt with their wonder. The temptation, as you admire the one block you hold in your hand, is that you will be drawn into making just one more, and then another and another. More than once I’ve looked at my watch with a gasp and an “oh my gosh!,” and anyone watching would see me fly out of my sewing room, off to an appointment or to pull something out of the oven. I’ve had to learn to set a timer or commit to sewing through just three songs or a favorite episode of The Big Bang Theory. This advice is only a band-aid solution—the truth is, if you’re at that point you’re fully addicted!
When people see the diminutive size and the sheer number of pieces in one of our quilts, the first question is usually how many pieces are in the quilt, followed by an audible gasp when they hear the answer. Inevitably, the topic turns to how long it took to make the quilt. While the number of pieces and work involved can seem daunting to some (even I am staggered when I finally calculate the total number of pieces in a project as I write the instructions), this is where the beauty of batchwork comes into play. It’s extremely useful when making quilts with lots and lots of small pieces.
So what exactly is batchwork?
- It’s a system for organizing your work
- It divides up cutting, piecing, or assembly processes into manageable chunks
- It uses efficient construction methods
- It’s well suited to sewing during small snippets of time
- It offers mental variety by changing up tasks
Resealable plastic bags and tackle boxes help keep pieces and units organized as you sew.
Some projects naturally divide themselves into batchwork by blocks, rows, or units. “Making Waves” (left) is a quilt that epitomizes the concept of batchwork. Using a couple of organizational tools made switching back and forth between units and rows easy to do. We were soon rewarded for our work as each row was added and we watched the quilt top grow.
The quilt “Wassenaar Windmills” (below right) is a project that’s perfect for chain piecing. I used thread pads between components or blocks as markers, which helped to remind me what belonged with what. This technique allowed me to stop and restart, and to easily keep track of where I was between snippets of sewing time.
"Wassenaar Windmills" is also what we call a great “Pocket Project.” The blocks can be hand pieced during bits of time—simply take pieces along in a resealable plastic bag or small container. Some might refer to it as “emergency quilting”! Biz and I have both completed many blocks in the hours we’ve sat on riverbanks during rowing regattas as we wait between races for our children to compete.
“Across the Pond” (below) offers opportunities to break up stitching pieces for inner rounds by tackling some of the piecing for the outer rounds, which require more piecing. We ended up with long ribbons of half-square triangles ready and waiting when we needed them, offering some mental variety as we stitched.
So now with batchwork as your strategy, you can curl up with Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts and enjoy planning your next project. Happy stitching!
Thanks for the tips, Mary Elizabeth—it’s all about getting there one piece at a time.
Visit Mary Elizabeth and Biz at their website, Kinch and Storms Quilts.
So, how many pieces have you counted in one of your quilts? Tell us about your petite patchwork and you could win a copy of the Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts eBook! We’ll choose a winner one week from today and let you know by email if you’ve won. (You can also purchase the book here, and if you do, you can download the eBook for free right away.) Good luck!
Comments are closed for this post.
Thanks to all who entered the drawing to win the Small Pieces, Spectacular Quilts eBook! The randomly chosen winner is Pat.
Pat said:
“I must confess that I have never counted. I fear it might keep me from quilting entirely. I am looking at the fab border on my Amsterdam Star quilt in my dining room. I used all the leftovers and made some very tiny pieces, 70 in just the bottom border. Please don’t make me do the math.”
Pat, we’ll email you a special coupon code for your free eBook. Congratulations!
Wow! What an awesome book! In all honesty, I’ve never counted how many pieces in a quilt. I’m not a numbers person. I can tell often tell you the name of the fabric line the tiny pieces are from, but don’t add them up. Thanks for the opportunity to win this book! I see several quilts that I would love to make!
—Becky in Georgia on May 17, 2012The most pieces I have in a quilt is 204. That was a 55cm Lone Star mini quilt that I recently finished hand piecing. It wasn’t the small pieces that gave me fits, though, but dealing with the pesky seam allowances on the back. I was so careful to match points hand piecing, and the *!%? seam allowances wouldn’t play nice on the back! Drove me mad!
My favourite design is ‘Pumpkin Peel’–*so* unusual and eye-catching! But, I can feel my blood pressure sneaking up at the thought of joining the inner and out curves–and all those seam allowances on the back…
Also, *knock, knock, knock*
—Hazle on May 17, 2012Penny?
*knock, knock, knock*
Penny?
I’m new to quilting, and right now am sticking to easier (& faster) patterns for now. I’ve not yet made a quilt with gazillions of little pieces.
—robin on May 17, 2012I would really get good use out of the book!
—marci on May 17, 2012Im still quite an inexperienced quilter for what concerns small piecing
thank you!
m.
I made a quilt years ago that was all 1/2 square triangles and formed stars. It had 3168 pieces in it and was fun to make as it had lots of different fabrics and colors in it. I would love to win your new book.
—Nina on May 17, 2012I made a tiny quilt for the AAQI that had about 500 pieces in it, but it was very abstract and layered rather than organized like the ones pictured in the blog. Using small pieces in larger, more defined projects is something that appeals to me, especially with all the little pieces that take over my quilting room when I’m making larger projects, so I’d love to get my hands on the new book.
—Ruth in AZ on May 17, 2012Wow, this looks like a great book and I am already sold looking at the photos on the post. I need this book so I can use the already many little pieces I have in my stash.
—Lynne on May 17, 2012The very first quilt I made was a Grandmother’s Flower Garden from a free pattern I received in the mail. I hand pieced just over 2000 small hexagon pieces and enjoyed every stitch. I was very pleased with myself until I realized that I should have pressed as I finished each flower. The back looked like chenille and the top stayed in a bag until the appearance of the mini iron.
—Glenda on May 17, 2012I still love it.
This book interests me. I love the scrappiness of all those little pieces.
Glenda, glad you were able to "iron out" the details of your hexie quilt! What a great story; thanks for sharing it.
—Jenny on May 17, 2012I’ve never counted the pieces in my miniature quilts. I did a wall hanging that had 1,544 pieces. Making the small pieced blocks is so addictive. Thank you for the opportunity to win!
—Sheila F. on May 17, 2012I created a small quilt with 1396 pcs in it several years ago. Named it "insanity"!
—CarolynW on May 17, 2012Oh my! There’s some great patterns in this book and i’m totally curious about the system used. I’m a huge lover of all things small! Right now i’m working on Sue Garmin’s OhMyGosh. I even use a featherweight to piece smaller quilts because of the more exact 1/4″ seam it seems to provide. This book looks fabulous and I’d love to win it…but if i don’t…i do believe a copy will come to live at my house all the same. Thanks for the opportunity to win one!
—Pam Huggins on May 17, 2012Looks like a great book, thanks for the chance to win one!
—Nancy on May 17, 2012Guess I need to add more to my comment! I use lots of different fabrics in my quilts, the more the better, &, the more pieces the better! Hubby often looks at me & says, lol, are you nuts? Like, doesn’t he know by now, lol! Love it though, & love the tiny stuff too! Can’t wait to see the book too, even if I don’t win one, lol!…
—Nancy on May 17, 2012I haven’t made a quilt like this, but love the "Go With the Flow" pictured. Gives me an idea how to use up those one inch wide scraps I have in a bag. (You know how hard it is to throw away even the smallest scraps!)
—G Britten on May 17, 2012I am relatively new, and definitely an amateur! I think I did a block of the month once that was paper piecing and it seems to have about a hundred pieces!!! My quilts are too simple to have that many
But, I want to try to do something like this book talks about.
—Mike Pearson on May 17, 2012Oh wow! How I would love to have this book! I think 546 pieces is the most in any quilt I have made. Thanks for a chance to win this book!
—Brenda Hulsey on May 17, 2012I’ve made a block with 76 pieces once. I do count my Dear Janes, but I’ve only made 8 and that totals 209 pieces.
Great book.
—BillieBee on May 17, 2012I’ve started a Dear Jane quilt, but I have never counted the pieces in it or in any quilt I’ve made. In the case of Dear Jane, there are a lot!
—Diann Cornell on May 17, 2012I have not made a quilt like this yet. But I will someday real soon. This book would come in very handy for when I do start one. Thanks for having this giveaway.
—Marty Askins on May 17, 2012Saw a quilt made with 100,000 pieces at the Bowers Museum. I twas made in the WW2
—Jane on May 17, 2012years by a Man. He devoted every day to it. How did he stay organized?
I have yet to do any small piecework. I love these patterns though and would love to try it.
—Lisa Garrett on May 17, 2012Looks like a fun book! I divide my time by how many episodes of a favorite show I can listen to also. lol
I’ve never counted how many pieces are in my quilts. Might be fun and scary at the same time.
—Robin (RsIslandCrafts) on May 17, 2012shoot a mile girls! I have never counted pieces in my quilts. It is enough to 1. have enough of the color scraps I want; 2. find the place to lay out and place rows; 3. finish the quilt. I’m making quilts bigger than I did when I started way back in time. Some days I feel like my quilting juices are drying up, then a day dawns when all I want to do is sew whatever is waiting for me to finish.
—Donna Wheeler on May 17, 2012My smallest, with the most pieces, is a mini quilt that’s 8″ x 8″ finished size and each of the 4 blocks (3.75″ each finished) has 100 pieces. I LOVE doing minatures! Would really enjoy this book! Thanks for the chance!
—Janet F on May 17, 2012I made a charm quilt with 2028 pieces. It is a rail fence block.
—Carrie P. on May 17, 2012That book sounds like what I need to get my pieces organized
I would definitely like to try this! With my hectic schedule, this would allow me time to sew a "little" bit! Oh, my, I do hope to win this book! I would love to tackle the quilt on the cover!
—Stephanie on May 17, 2012Great tips! I didn’t count all the pieces, but I made a quilt with 437 flying geese!
—Mary on Lake Pulaski on May 17, 2012The smallest pieced quilt I’ve made is a doll quilt using 1.5″ squares to make a split 9 patch design. I love it!! I’d love to win your book.
—MaryBeth on May 17, 2012I have yet to try doing a large scale project with tiny pieces. it always felt too daunting. you guys make it look easy and approachable……. The book looks great and gets my fingers itching…
—Bonnie L on May 17, 2012I am hand-piecing a grandmothers flower garden – 1″ hexs. I have 40 flowers so far- just started. I love hand-sewing, it is very relaxing.
—Cindy Luedeman on May 17, 2012I’ve designed a sampler quilt with a pieced border as a BOM for my quilt guild members to make. There are 772 pieces in this twin-size quilt. Corn & Beans is the top block, using 44 patches alone!
—Meredith Miller on May 17, 2012Gone un-noticed. I made a small quilt for my bathrom wall made up of the colors from the granite countertop. It was random size strips and pieces of rich browns, greys, burnt orange and black. I quilted in a meandering design with veregated gold thread. I thought it was beautiful but no one noticed it. At a Packer Party that I hosted a guest (a little girl about 13 years old) came out of the bathroom and said "what a beautiful quilt on the wall"….that did it. Everyone piled in the bathroom to check it out. Made me feel proud.
—Dustyroads on May 17, 2012I cut all the pieces for the "Oh My Gosh" quilt last summer. It took me almost 2 months just to cut the pieces from all my smallest scraps. I’ve only sewn a small portion of it.I would love to have this book. Thank you.
—Gwendolyn Clark on May 17, 2012I am currently working on a queen-sized Storm at Sea quilt. I believe it has around 3500 pieces in it, and very few could be strip pieced.
—Julie in GA on May 17, 2012this book answers all my questions I love small piece work it is such a delicate process but I seem to get lost in the preparation so now this book will let me stitch on thanks so much
—Juanita Williams on May 17, 2012I made my last baby a quilt consisting of postage stamp size squares, but I never counted them! I not only made this quilt once, but ended up having to make another when ours was lifted from the diaper bag during an outing. The second time around I stitched it with my toddler on my lap helping. He’s requested a third version that fits him better, but I’m not sure I’m up to the task since he’s now 6 foot tall!
—Kari on May 17, 2012I’m working on my first queen size quilt that will have 1142 pieces in it. I made a table runner that used mainly 1″ finished HSTs. Would love to win this new book – thanks for the chance.
—Joyce Mitchell on May 17, 2012I don’t think I have ever counted the number of pieces in one of my quilts but I supect the one which has the most is one I am working on in stages. It is a reproduction of a medallion quilt I saw, and made a scribbled note about, in a museum in West Virginia in 1983, The current ’round’ is of 2″ by 4″ flying geese and I have to make 112 of them, There will be another 2 ’rounds’. One with quarter square triangles and a final border of a large pillar type print This is my heirloom quilt and unlike anything else I have made.
—Gloria B on May 17, 2012I must confess that I have never counted. I fear it might keep me from quilting entirely. I am looking at the fab border on my Amsterdam Star quilt in my dining room. I used all the leftovers and made some very tiny pieces, 70 in just the bottom border. Please don’t make me do the math.
—Pat Hersl on May 17, 2012oh my goodness are the new quilts great. i am currently working on a small pieced triangle quilt about 1/200th done and a mini tumbler (3/4 inch) quilt which is currently about 18 inches square but needs more piecing and cutting of pieces. would i love to win a copy of the new book yes yes yes
—Kathy Buteau on May 17, 2012Well, I must admit I have never counted the pieces as I am still making the quilt (Bonnie Hunter’s Orca Bay) and that’s the smallest I have ever made. I know she posted how many pieces it ended up being but I can not remember. I just wonder if I would drive myself crazy before I ever got a small piece quilt made!
Thanks you for the opportunity to win.
—Donna on May 17, 2012One of my quilts has 760 pieces not counting the border or binding. It measures 38 square so I think that’s quite a few pieces. I love making small quilts because they have a charm of their own and I find many uses for them.
—Joanna on May 17, 2012I am in the process of making a picnic quilt.
—Lisa Cox on May 17, 2012So far there are 105 5 inch squares and 210
2 1/2 inch squares. And I’m not done yet. LOL.
I also have made a rail fence in greens. At best
guess there are 420ish 2X3 rectangles in it.
Thanks for the chance to win this book.
The smallest I’ve made so far is about 350 pieces and it’s 9×12. I love the small quilts, need to finish some UFO’s before I begin another project. Always on the lookout for a great little pattern though
—Connie on May 17, 2012I’ve never counted the pieces for my quilts… but then again, I’m a newbie and haven’t done any quilts with lots of little bits. These quilts look wonderful!
—Carla G on May 17, 2012I have yet make any small piecework quilt. Im still new to quilting. I love these postage stamp quilt and maybe i will make one soon..
—Hueisei on May 17, 2012I have made about 4 quilts and I have no idea how many pieces but seemed to go on forever – bits here and there – and I love that. So I am thinking I will love this book! thanks!
—Lee on May 17, 2012I don’t count all the pieces in any of my quilts. I do keep count of how many pieces I need for each block. I have made 6″x6″ blocks with over thirty pieces. Being so small I often put them together by hand. It is hard to keep them the right size, even with some small tools to do the job.
This look like a very interesting book to use up small pieces.
—Linda C on May 17, 2012I haven’t yet counted the number of pieces in my quilts, but I do love the small pieces into big quilts concept. I have many small pieces sewn up into 1/2 square triangles and twosies, but haven’t yet put them altogether into a quilt. I think this book would have the perfect quilts for doing that, and I hope I win. Thanks for the opportunity!
—Susan on May 17, 2012This book and system looks to be right up my alley. I love little pieces, I am working on a postage stamp with 1′ squares. Who knows when or if I will ever finish. Thanks for the opportunity to win this lovely book.
—Mary on May 17, 2012Oh my! What beautiful quilts! I must be destined for a book like this as I save every tiny little scrap and look for a use for it! Would love to win!
—Bobbi Palagi on May 17, 2012Hi. I’m in the process of completing a baby-sized Chicklet quilt. I had invested in buying many 2″ pre-cut squares on eBay. I have adjusted hst and everything else to make a miniature. Almost done with the top. I misplaced the final tops and bottoms of the last 8 squares. I wish I were more organized. If I don’t win the book, I definitely will purchase it. I love "Patchy" patchwork. I have so many different types of fabric in small quantities I need to find other small projects in order to use them up so I can buy more. Best wishes and good luck to all. Peace and love to all. Hilda.
—Hilda Villalobos on May 17, 2012Oh my goodness such tiny pieces! But I love it!
—Shirley in Canada on May 17, 2012I have never pieced a small quilt since it seems so insurmountable. But my sister made a lovely "stamp" quilt when she was just 20 or so. I would like to try. Doing it in small batches seems so much more doable.
—Joyce Mosby on May 17, 2012I’ve never counted the number of pieces in my quilts. I think I would feel defeated before I begin! I just finished a bargello but it is at the machine quilters so I can’t count that but I’d say that quilt probably has the most pieces to date.
—Lisa B in AK on May 17, 2012I’m creating an English paper pieced, queen sized, quilt using 1/2″ hexagons. Eventually I’ll sew them all together in a riotous bouquet of scrap-happy flowers.
—Kayt on May 17, 2012Not only have I become obsessed with these adorable little hexagons, but I find my friends giving me fat quarters of small scale print fabric saying, "I thought this would be lovely for your Hexie Quilt." As this began as a way of using up my stash of off-cuts, it’s certainly getting out of hand! If I ever used all the fabric I have stashed away for this quilt I could probably cover the house! Even so, I find myself saving little scraps of fabric (even from other people’s off-cuts) to add to the collection….
Addicted? Hmmm…..quite possibly!
I love miniature quilts and have kept every copy of Miniature Quilts magazine that I bought when it was published a few years ago. One of the quilts that I made from one of the issues had 250 pieces in it and everyone is amazed at how tiny it is and wondered how I did it! It is about 5″ X 7″ and foundation pieced. I would love to win this book and am looking forward to seeing the designs!
—Vicki Sprain on May 17, 2012I don’t exactly count the number of pieces in a quilt but more or less get an estimate and my estimate for my Granddaughter’s quilt is 260 give or take 20 pieces. All of the blocks were not identical. I make small blocks that I construct into book cover’s and give to my friends that read self help books in public. The world does not need to know our business all the time so these small blocks on books not only makes the book look better but also provides privacy
—Grace Capuano on May 17, 2012I have been looking for a new "emergency project" since finishing Gretchen Gibbon’s Pennies From Heaven (in 2 1/2 months using "wasted" time.) This is very promising! My fingers are fairly itching to get at a big, tiny project…this is hard to talk about, isn’t it?
—Ann Tascone on May 17, 2012These are great patterns. The most pieces in a quilt I have completed would be 926. It was called Mosaic in Blue, a bed-sized quilt from Marti Michell’s book "Quilting for People Who Still Don’t Have Time to Quilt." Blocks of 16 patches and 4 patches and set on point. I decided after finishing that I am not a very fast quilter! Took forever!!! I like the idea of taking small parts along to piece when waiting for appointments, watching TV, etc. I have also found the quilts I hand piece are usually more precise. And this forces organization, which goes a long way with quilting, doesn’t it? I would love to win this book, but will buy it if I don’t win.
—Johnnie Woolard on May 17, 2012I’m a brand new quilter and my first (and only so far) quilt top is a jelly roll race quilt. 42 pieces. I’m sure my piece count will go up from there! Thanks for the chance to win this fascinating book!
—Ellen M. on May 17, 2012Amazing quilts! Loved the post as well. I’m currently working on blocks that finish 3″. This is the first time I’m making blocks this small. I’m piecing this quilt by hand and loving it.
Thank for an awesome giveaway and a chance to win.
usairdoll(at)gmail(dot)com
—usairdoll on May 17, 2012The book looks fascinating. The largest number of pieces I’ve used in a quilt so far is 3,295 — hexagons and elongated hexagons in a hand pieced king-size quilt.
—Cathi on May 17, 2012A group of 12 of us from all over the USA, Canada and Australia are doing an online sew along making miniature Civil War Quilts that finish as small as 3″ blocks. It is a challenge that we are all enjoying. I would have to count the pieces but there are many in the quilt my mother and I made together 46 years ago. I wish I knew what happened to the quilt my mom made one winter "Postage Stamp" with each stamp sized piece sewn over a 1 cent stamp. I can remember how everyone was saving stamps for my mother. It would be a delightful heirloom for sure. I can remember as the years went on, if you crumpled the quilt it had a slight crackle to it. I love the book and it will be added to my library whether win or buy. My fabric addiction is secondary to my quilt book addiction. Thanks for a chance to win, but even purchasing it makes one a winner doesn’t it?
—Jeanne from Missouri on May 17, 2012I’m obsessed with small blocks and antique quilt patterns. This book would be right up my alley! I’m working on the Dear Jane quilt, so I’m always counting pieces.
—Wendy on May 17, 2012I didn’t count the pieces but I made a miniature quilt from the corners & pieces cut off while making larger blocks. I’m fascinated with small quilts and would love to have this book as a guide into that new world of quilting.
—Joyce Meinhardt on May 17, 2012the smallest i’ve done is a 2.5 inch postage stamp quilt, so nothing too tiny here!
—craftytammie on May 17, 20122 summers ago I participated in the 9 patch project that was circulating on the internet. The idea was to make 1 nine patch each day of summer. I decided to use my scraps and ended up making 108 nine patches that summer! I pieced the 9 patches into 9 patches, added sashing between the larger 9 patch blocks and sewed it all together. I donated the quilt to a local foster child graduating from high school.
—Karen on May 17, 2012I have a tumbling block quilt in production. I can’t tell you how many pieces are going to be in it. Eack block has three 2 1/4 inch diamond that are about the size of my palm when put together somewhere around four inches across, 7 of them (21 pieces) yeild a block around 8″ across, so if the quilt is 80′x80″ that’s 100 block x 21 which is over 2000 pieces all hand sewn. Oh my word when put this way it sound so daunting, but I get so excited each time I finsh one 3 piece block and lay it out with the others and see the jewels of colour.
—CHRISTINA on May 18, 2012I’m in the process of making a quilt with 1″ finished size HST. They are cut-offs from another quilt that I wanted to do something with. The final count is yet to be determined, but so far I have 248 HST and will probable end up with a couple of thousand, if I make a full size quilt. I usually don’t have any desire to make small patches like this, but I just couldn’t resist these cute little squares!
—Miz Pat on May 18, 2012I have made a seven stars for seven sisters with 148 pieces in it finished size is 9″ x 12″. All by hand I love making miniatures and everyone who knows me in our local guild keeps offering me very small bit of fabric. If they are large enough (1/2″ square or aprox) I accept! Would love to know other methods of helping to piece these little lovelies.
—Simone on May 18, 2012The quilts are beautiful and makes me want to make them all. I’ve always been attracted to the old quilts. They feel like home and the stories they could tell.
—Rose Landon on May 18, 2012I’ve got 2 hexie quilts going, I can’t seem to stay on track with counting how many are done so far. I love little bits and pieces, that Pumpkin Peel quilt is fab! There’s nothing like sitting down with a few minutes of small piecing to relax you.
—SewLindaAnn on May 18, 2012the first quilt I made from scraps was a yo yo quilt from bits and pieces of clothing I made as the kids and we grew olde. As the years passed the quilt grew in size to a king size quilt. I never counted but the quilt is a king and the yo-yo’s were about 1 inch so about 8,256 ??? 86 x90 approximately One row is 86 times 90 rows. I counted in a picture I have. I started the twin quilt for my daughter of 5 years and decided she was to young so countined to full, she still wouldn’t take care of it so I added to quilt then she married and needed a king, and we added her family husband and kids after a time. only thing I did wrong is used a sheet to back it. Never do that
—Nancy Bonnette on May 18, 2012I love the look of tiny pieces but find them daunting. It sounds like this system would be do-able. I’ve never counted the pieces in any of my quilts, but I like making large, scrappy quilts, so I bet there are a lot of pieces in them. Thanks for the giveaway!
—Jeanne in Ohio on May 18, 2012Wow! This looks like one of those books I’ve been waiting for someone to write! My quilts tend to have a lot of pieces but I’ve been wanting to reproduce the antique look of "tiny" pieces, particularly with an Ocean Waves. I’m not sure I can estimate the number of pieces in most of my quilts but probably the most pieces was from a Bargello quilt where pieces were as small as 7/8″. I know there were a lot of them because I had to "unsew" some of it and thought I would never get through that!
—Beth Strand on May 18, 2012I quilt I did for my youngest son when he went to University
—Sharon on May 18, 2012had more pieces then what I wanted to count. This book looks great.
I only counted one quilt, because of the tiny pieces, but it is a wall quilt, about 20 x 20. It has 720 pieces in that small space.I paper pieced it.
—Madeline on May 18, 2012I am making a flying geese quilt right now. Its a scrap quilt I started a few years ago, and set aside for awhile. how many pieces? hmmm, I know it will be 24 four inch squares by 24 five inch rows. Each square has two pieces. Not nearly as many as the tiny pieces in this book, but still quite a few to sew.
—Connie on May 18, 2012I am fascinated by watercolor quilts, which are based on using one inch blocks, I would like to try one of those someday.
—Connie on May 18, 2012I’ve not done tiny piecework, but I certainly want to now. These quilts are magical, they really are. Sparkle, or something. Beautiful.
—Sandy on May 18, 2012Since I had to make a first place ribbon for our Challenge project for the local quilt guild back in the early 90′s I made a mariner’s compass.
—Dianne Deaver on May 18, 2012The drafting of a compass the width of my hand was my first venture into paper piecing (used adding machine paper) which was not a widely known skill at the time. I only used seven fabrics in the piecing with 1/8″ seams. The border of the compass had the pleating around the outside and the streamers finished it off nicely. The winner of that year’s challenge said my ribbon should have won (what a nice thing to hear).
ok can I estimate??? Well it is a BOM that I am working on now and I am on block 10 so I am close to done
I think there are at least a million pieces. Alright that may be an exageration (maybe?) but there are a lot. The blocks are all different sizes. To my amazement as I put together several of them….they all fit perfectly!! Whoooopie and bring on some more of those little pieces!! Love the sample pics. If I don’t win I think I will have to purchase!!
—vickie van dyken on May 18, 2012Thanks for the money saving chance…lOL Vickie in currently sunny Wa
That book sounds exactly like me! I just finished some English paper piecing and am ready to start something new. Thank you for the chance to add to my collection!
—Maria Hart on May 18, 2012Also, what an interesting read this post was!
The number of pieces in a quilt that I’ve made is only about 120. Thanks for the chance to win. This book sounds great!
—Karrie Smith on May 18, 2012I’ve never made a miniature quilt, but have promised myself to create at least three small quilts this year to donate to The Alzheimer’s Art Quilt Initiative.
—Crazy Cuban on May 18, 2012The smallest pieces I have worked with are 2″ squares which make up the nine-patch blocks used for a quilt I’m creating for my BFF’s wonderful, sweet, 94 year old Mom.
I stopped counting after cutting 900 squares.
So, Y’all need to help me out here, and let me win that book so I can become Coo-coo king of small quilts, and have more quilts to donate to AAQI!
Wow! I fit her characteristics so this would be a great book for me to win. I’ve attempted hand-piecing a 4 inch finished LeMoyne Star block. Think this variation had 24 pieces per block. I don’t remember how many hundred I made – it’s enough that if I separated with 4 inch solid squares it would make a queen size quilt. My problem: my accuracy was awful so they are not a uniform size. Now I don’t know what to do to assemble these. Thanks for the giveaway.
—MarciaW on May 18, 2012I love making miniature quilts with tiny pieces. The smallest blocks I made with the most pieces were approximately 3-1/2 inches square and contained 50-60 pieces each – they were tiny little baskets! They were smaller than I had intended, but I had no intention of doing all the drafting to make them a bit larger!
—Ellen Flaherty on May 18, 2012My smallest project so far has been my Farmer’s Wife Sampler quilt. It boasts an amazing (for me) 3173 pieces for its top. I usually stick to very simple disappearing 4 and 9 patch of rail fence styles with 9-12″ blocks, so this has been a labor of love and learning for me. I do think I’ll try the companion quilt "The Pony Club" or one from your book when I’m lucky enough to win it.
—Gwen Boyce on May 18, 2012I made a memory quilt for my dad and the border is tiny pieces of blue fabrics in random order. I haven’t counted them, but I’d guess at least 400 – 500 pieces. I need to take a picture of it next time I visit him!
—Debbie C. on May 18, 2012I have done quite a few miniature quilts, and have not really counted how many pieces. I do have a take-along project…I have been making
—Rhonda Desgranges on May 18, 2012yo-yos that are when finished, about the size of a dime. I probably
have about 1000 of them made. I would like to use them to make a bed
covering one of these days. This book looks wonderful! I have saved
all of my scraps, and "make-do" with the stash that I have on hand.
I could really use this book! Thanks for the chance to win!
I haven’t counted how many pieces yet to any of them. I guess I’ll have to start.
—Mary Mac on May 18, 2012What a great book filled with ideas and inspiration. I don’t worry about counting pieces. One of the first mini-quilts I made many years ago had pieces about as big as my thumbnail,lots of cursing and counting pieces in that one.
—Bev C on May 18, 2012Happy days.
Bev.xoxo
I wouldn’t say this Saturday Sampler quilt would qualify as tiny pieces, but it would qualify as a lot of pieces to be together for each month’s block. i’ve not made a quilt with a gazillion tiny pieces, but I would love to win this book.
—Deb on May 18, 2012I haven’t made any intricately cut & pieced quilts with lots of tiny pieces. I have made a queen bed sized quilt with half square triangles that had 240 pieces. This book looks amazing, thanks for the lovely giveaway.
—Fran on May 19, 2012I have never really counted the number of pieces. I am in the process of making an English Paper Pieced Grandmother’s Flower Garden and I know there will be a lot of pieces in it. They are being assembled "bathwork" fashion as I use it as a take along project when I know I have to sit and wait someplace.
—Nancy (Cat Lady) on May 19, 2012My current quilt has about 50 pieces. It is an applique quilt. This quilt has the most number of peices i have used for a quilt. I am curious to start working with small quilts.
—Emily C on May 19, 2012I haven’t made very many Quilts, as I am still learning. The Quilt I made with hexagons had a great many in it, how many I’m not sure I just kept going until it was the size I wanted.
—Claire C on May 19, 2012This book looks great and I would love to be the owner of a copy. Thanks for this chance to win.
My very first class quilt dad 1938 pieces in a 52 by 66 in quilt i hadn’t even been quilting for a year. I tore my hair out. Since then i have gone on to create quilts with over 3000 pieces in them. I find your book interesting. Thank you for the chance to win, Happy quilting to all
—Sharon Meyer on May 19, 2012I haven’t made a quilt with small pieces. The smallest so far has been 4″! After looking at these, I will gladly reconsider! Thanks for the chance to win!
—Garilyn on May 19, 2012Never more than a hundred – but I’ve put my eye on the "Farm house quilt" in their first book Small blocks – Stunning Quilts ( which I browse quite so often) and I hope to start the project soon, having all the fabric for the top ready to be cut!
—Inger Martinson, Italy on May 19, 2012I feel like a slacker, the mostI’ve evrr had on a mini is 156. Would love to see the book.
—ohsue on May 19, 2012I haven’t made any quilts with little pieces yet, but I’ve been saving scraps. This sounds like it would be an ideal book to make me less fearful of trying it. I would love to try "Wassenaar Windmills".
—Carmen on May 19, 2012I’ve honestly never thought to count the pieces I used in a quilt. I’ll have to remember to do that next time.
—Ginger on May 19, 2012I’m also a person who has yet to make a quilt with small pieces, but it looks so facinating – a little awe inspiring, but so much fun!
—Judy S on May 19, 2012The smallest that I’ve made is the one I’m working on now. It is all 5 inch blocks and one block has 25 half sqaure triangles. I love the quilts in this book!!!
—Dawn on May 19, 2012I don’t usually count how many pieces, but did make a queen size pine burr quilt with Ohio stars in the center of each block. there are 30 blocks with 55 pieces each. the sashing has 60 degree triangles all around each block and a mini-ohio star cornerstones in the sashing. the sashing pieces on each side of a block have 48 triangles, and there’s about 100 of those, plus the little Ohio stars in between each block so about 30 of those and then I stop counting. But I love scrappy quilts with lots of little details, and would love to win this book!
—Pam Cope on May 20, 2012I have never tried petite patchwork, it looked to complicated. This article has opened my eyes, that it is not that difficult, you just have to be organized. I would love to win the book.
—Donna W on May 20, 2012LOVE your new book! Your last one inspired me to make a queen quilt from mini log cabins, fabric foundation pieced. They finish at 3.5 inches, I’ve made 520 and have about 100 more to go. Still deciding on the amount of "drop". It will have about 8300 pieces when finished. My friends think I’m nuts, but it will be in our Guild quilt show this fall.
—Dianne Bondaroff on May 20, 2012Also made a queen double heart bargello with about 2500 pieces, but its srip piecing.
Looking forward to your new book. Thanks for the inspiration. Glad I’m not crazy all by myself!
I’ve just counted my Mod Sampler which has 319 pieces just on the top alone. Great looking book – would love to win – thanks for the chance.
—Amy in UK on May 20, 2012Purchased the "Small Block, Stunning Quilts" book two yrs ago for the pink and yellow "Where’s the other half" quilt. Made it with civil war fabrics..it’s beautiful. But I kept going back to p.15, the Fourplay quilt photo. Made it last yr before the pattern came out..about 3000+ pieces. Thank you for the inspiration! I am currently working on a 4″ block with 40 pieces. Blocks and sashing will put the total around 7000…I’m hooked and am thrilled that you have a new book out.
—linda simons on May 20, 2012Absolutely love it!
—Linny on May 20, 2012I have never counted the number of pieces in one of my quilts. But I can tell you that I save all scraps that are at least 3/4 of an inch. Some have been pieced together to become the "thread" in a spool quilt. Some were pieced together to become the backgound fabric for an applique quilt. Right now I am making a queen size log cabin quilt with the barn raising setting to use up all my 1 inch pieces.
—Elizabeth P. on May 21, 2012You new book has given me more ideas on using up all those scraps. Love the orginzational tips.
i’ve made a couple of the tiny quilts you’re talking about, but i did not count the pieces! they were paper-pieced and lots of fun. the one quilt that i made for my brother where i DID count the pieces, there were 2156! it was a storm at sea pattern, and he loves it!
—Lynette on May 21, 2012No kidding, those quilts are stunning. Worth the time spent (what’s the rush anyway). Love ‘em.
—Cathy on May 21, 2012I once cutout(by hand) and hand stitched a traditional postage stamp quilt (around the world styling)with over 1200 pieces….whooo! I would be overjoyed to receive your book!
The quilts are amazing and I would love to learn all those organizational and quilting tips!
—Blair C on May 21, 2012Wow, lots of little pieces.
I’m getting ready to start one that has 625 squares for the foundation, & most squares have added pieces such as triangles. All totalled, it will have 1525 pieces, plus borders.
—Jane Smith on May 22, 2012A mystery quilt I did someone figured 4000 peices in it. Dont know if it’s true but it felt like it. Looks like a great book to win . Thanks for the chance.
—Jeanne on May 23, 2012Those are beautiful quilts! My last quilt had approximately 400 pieces.
—Abra on May 24, 2012i, too, have never counted pieces, but this looks great-very interested
—linda on May 27, 2012