Every other project had to be put on hold so I could start my doll quilt for Lori’s annual swap, which is something I look forward to every year. I copied the “Old Italian Block” pattern from an antique quilt sold on ebay last year, and I have since realized this is a pretty popular pattern, with lots of examples and instructions online for various methods of construction.
For my miniature version, I used the more old-fashioned technique of drawing my design on grid paper, making plastic templates, then tracing and cutting the pieces with scissors. Quilt making with templates doesn’t seem to be popular anymore, but I find that rotary cutting and strip piecing techniques just don’t work that well when you’re using small pieces from a scrap bag, which is how I usually make my quilts. On this little quilt, I had a lot of fun using my clear templates to fussy cut some of the pieces.
The top is 16″ x 19″ right now, and I’m thinking of just leaving it like this without a border. Now I just have to work out a design for the hand quilting. You’ll want to check out Lori’s blog when all the doll quilts are displayed — they are amazing!
Click image to enlarge.
