I can hardly believe I finally finished this little quilt, which has been hanging around here for about 15 years. I had quilted about two-thirds of the top with a diagonal grid, and I just wasn’t happy with it, so I ripped out the quilting and it took another 4 years for me to pick it up again. Although I had planned an all-over quilting pattern again, I changed my mind and settled on a circular pattern, which meant I didn’t have to worry so much about the wonkiness of my blocks and the fact that the angles don’t line up. This is a fairly challenging pattern to make in this size, and I think I could probably do a better job now that I’ve had more experience working with miniature blocks.
The pattern is from Mini Quilts From Traditional Designs, by Corcoran and Wilkinson, and I tried to make mine look just like the one in the book, which is something I don’t normally do now. The top was made when I first began using vintage fabric — the brown and tan background fabrics are reproduction, and the compass circles are vintage. Several of the prints in the compasses and the sawtooth border are much more contemporary than the period represented by the repro backgrounds, but I didn’t know much about vintage fabrics back then and was just thinking about the colors. The compass circles were hand pieced with a running stitch (I don’t do paper piecing), and then appliquéd onto the background squares.
Mariner’s Compass Doll Quilt
Martha Dellasega Gray, 2014
hand pieced, appliquéd & hand quilted
17″ x 17″
Those have to be some tiny pieces in the compasses. Looks very good.
Far out Martha you’re a star! I’d have to do them by foundation piecing they are so small. 4″ circles? Wonderful.
I find miniatures are hard to hand quilt too! I love the circles, they really look great! Did you paper piece the compasses?
So intricate. As always, amazed by your skill.
Beautiful!
Just lovely!!!
I LOVE it! It’s a REAL treasure. I love the way you went with the same color families for your compass points. The period fabrics really work. I’m attempting my own mariner’s compass quilt at the moment, but don’t think it will be finished any time soon! xx
just incredible I can’t stop staring at these blocks and this little quilt
oh it would be amazing hanging on my wall of little quilts ! always in awe of your work.
Kathie
At 17 x 17 I can’t believe how incredibly small the pieces are you have stitched together. I don’t even think I would attempt a big Mariner’s Compass. What a gorgeous piece of work!
Another beauty! The circular quilting looks great!
This defines “charming”. Thanks for sharing bith the history of the project and your techniques!
The Mariner’s Compass has been my favorite pattern since before I even knew what quilts were! There was a photo in a book or magazine of my grandmother’s and I remember being fascinated with it, and going back to look at it over and over. Your mini stars are amazing, so charming and fiddly!
It is incredible! Charming colors and sweetest quilt blocks. I love the way you quilted it in circles and added miniature triangles in the border. Yoir piecing skills amazes me 🙂
Stunning!!! Love all the fabrics and your quilting!! 😉 xo Heather
Dear Martha,
You were right to take out the diagonal quilting and go with the circular quilting. I know that it took a long time for you to complete this quilt but it is so wonderful the way you finally did it….you listened to the quilt. I know that might sound strange to non-quilters but…as a quilter…I know it to be true. Wonderful job. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Wow! Those little blocks are so very wonderful! Thank you for sharing your amazing project with us, it is beautiful! I have made a couple of mini quilts, (nothing that intricate!) and I love the process.
I love this quilt! It’s so detailed, and so beautiful.
I love the “Marners compass quilt. I would like to do it in large blooks.
I have never done a quilt as you go. I am excited about doing a quilt this way. Because I all get to the quilting part and I get bord with it. I have to really push my self to finish the quilt.