Moda Love Mini in Vintage Picnic and Little Ruby

This past weekend I was excited to give a quilty gift to a good friend who recently earned her doctorate degree in nursing. We became friends through our sons, and I’ve counted her as a blessing in my life for the past ten years. Carolyn is smart, enthusiastic, supportive and giving. She brings energy and laughter to any get-together, and I love her for that.
Carolyn would also like to begin quilting in earnest. She has made a couple of quilts in the past, but she hasn’t had much time to devote to it with her busy schedule. Well, now that she’s earned her degree, you just know I’ll be pushing her to get the sewing machine out again. I need another partner in crime!
When she’s been at my house, Carolyn has commented on my Moda Love Quilt hanging in a hallway, so that’s the project I chose to make for her. The Moda Love Quilt Pattern is a free digital download from Moda United Notions. It comes in three sizes depending on the precut you choose (layer cake, charm pack or mini charm).

I chose a mix of "Little Ruby" and "Vintage Picnic" (both by Bonnie & Camille for Moda) for my mini quilt. The final quilt measures just 12" x 12" and it is so darling at that size. I was afraid it might get a little "lost" as a wall hanging though, so I decided to layer it with a rustic frame and a bit of chicken wire. I was so happy with how it came out, I had second thoughts about giving away. ;)

I also knew that for this project, I wanted some extra special custom quilting, so I sent the top off to Starlit Bear of Starlit Quilts. I've admired her quilting on Instagram (@starlitquilts) and was excited to have Star work her magic on this mini. When I received the quilt back from Star, I have to tell you I was in awe. There were so many delicate details that I just stared at the quilt for several minutes, taking it all in. I hope these pictures give you a sense of her beautiful quilting talent!

Star used a Glide thread (by Fil-Tec) that has a sort of shimmery sheen. It catches the light and adds a beautiful dimension to her quilting!

I've been doing a lot of "business" sewing lately, which made this project even more special and enjoyable for me. Bright and happy fabrics, a terrific pattern, beautiful quilting . . . all coming together to create a special gift for a special person. It doesn't get much better than that for us quilters, does it?

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today, and indulging me as I showed off the amazing talents of Starlit Bear. I hope you'll visit her website! Star is also part of the creative team at Stash Addict Quilts, one of my super sponsors.

Have a great weekend, friends! I hope you take some time to get carried away quilting!

~Taunja