This weekend I got the opportunity to angel for a swap. This was my first time being an angel, but it won't be my last. Knowing I could help make someone's day after being forgotten about is just so rewarding. I haven't had the best swap experiences (mostly from people not even taking the time to say thank you for the item I sent), so I understand how frustrating it is when a swap doesn't turn out as fun as you'd hoped.
I just popped this in the mail today, so the recipient will have to remain a secret for now. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to the original swap info, namely the form with all the likes & dislikes, so I did a little stalking. I already had the idea for these wonky cross blocks, because it felt a little like maybe I was supposed to be this person's partner. Like our paths were supposed to cross, but not in the usual way, which I feel like the wonkiness implies. I just needed to stalk my partner a little to make sure she would be into wonky, and after my reconnaissance, I decided it was safe to proceed with my plan.
The quilting is dense sorta-kinda-not-really wavy, organic lines. I didn't want the quilting to be perfectly spaced but I also didn't want it to appear random. I hope it appears that it was meant to be uneven, and not give off the impression that I was being careless!
I have a thing for white binding when the background is white. I admit that I don't know how my partner feels about that, but I thought it would be okay since it's sort of like a piece of me. I also added a bit of red stripe to the corner. I like that it's a stark contrast to the white, but also that it anchors the red blocks. This was me being deliberate with design elements, balancing the wonkiness of the blocks and the unevenness of the quilting. You know, groups of three and triangle placement and all that.
Anyhow, I hope my partner loves this mini. It was a joy to make. Have you ever been an angel in a swap? This is definitely something I'll be volunteering for in the future if my schedule permits.
Darling mini! I have not been an angel before but I hope there's a time when I can be. Thanks btw....
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad I read this post. I hadn't noticed the rainbow stripe binding until you pointed it out. I'm sure it feels super obvious to you. Isn't it funny how different things look to fresh eyes! This turned out so fun. I think I'm going to make a mini quilt for someone and you've inspired me. Doesn't have to be hard to be meaningful!
ReplyDeleteI love how much thought you out into this. It's perfect. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet idea…swap angels! I love all of the thought you put into it!
ReplyDeleteIt's great Kristan!
ReplyDeleteI love it, and am thankful for your willingness to be an angel for me. ;-) It's a darling mini and it'll be hanging in my studio soon! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI follow Debbie and saw her post about your gift. What a sweet thing to do! It's not too fun when someone doesn't swap back but being an angel is pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteI read Debbie's post. What a nice thing for a quilter to do :-) I love how you put the label on the back. I love to label my quilts but I struggle with liking my handwriting and also with liking the actual label. Your method would solve both problems for me. How did you do it?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful mini! So nice to hear it was for Debbie!
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