My Small World--Finished Quilt Top

I finished my My Small World quilt top!



I started this project back in May last year. It's been fun to work on, and challenging. Choosing colors and making the applique portions in part 5 have been the hardest parts. There are a few color/fabric choices I don't really love, but overall I am really happy to be to this part of the project.

A few tips for anybody thinking of making this quilt: follow along with the hashtag on Instagram--#mysmallworldqal and/or #mysmallworldqal2. There are people there who have done blog posts with details for completing each section. Sarah at Sew What, Sherlock, has free paper piecing templates she'll pass on if you send her a ransom photo of you with the pattern. I don't know how it's even possible to do the New York Beauty block in section 5 without them, so thank you, Sarah!

I made the pinwheels, quarter-square triangles, churn dashes, and flying geese using traditional piecing methods and good old quilt math, rather than make templates for every size of square, rectangle, or triangle. I did use the pattern templates for the hourglass rectangle/triangle blocks, the orange peel applique blocks, the circles, the rainbow, the Dresden, the little doors, and the scallops. I found a website and printed my own 1/2" hexagons on cardstock.

When I appliqued the hexagon section to the background, I used a water soluble marker to draw the semicircle pattern onto my pieced hexie chunk, then pinned it in place. I turned the edges under as I sewed it to the background, and then cut out the backing behind it and trimmed the bulky hexagon excess. I had thought about staystitching and trimming it before appliqueing it, but the way it did it worked ok.

Pattern info: the pattern is by Jen Kingwell and is available here. The finished quilt top is around 33" x 53".

I'm taking a little break from this project but soon I'll be figuring out the back and getting it ready to quilt. If anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer in the comments.