This is the doll quilt I am making for Lori’s (Humble Quilts) annual swap — the completed top can be found in an earlier post.
When I’m creating a doll-sized quilt, the most important thing for me is scale — in the design, prints, and quilting. Although I know it’s practically impossible to make a doll quilt that looks exactly like a full-sized quilt in miniature, that’s always my goal. So, I try to make quilts no larger than 18″ x 24″; draft blocks that are 3″ or less; select prints that have a smallish design; and make the quilting stitches as tiny as I possibly can (this is the hardest part — so many seams!).
My quilting pattern is pretty simple — double footballs in the diagonal pieces, a tiny circle in the center square, and 2 nested circles in the triangle pieces. I am using my 10″ Edmunds half hoop, which makes hand quilting edges so much easier (Edmunds also makes a larger version for big quilts).
Your quilt is gorgeous, Martha, and so is your quilting. I love those little “double footballs,” as you call them. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a half hoop before but gosh, it looks handy!
I’ve only made a few doll quilts and a few baby quilts but I, too, try to keep the prints proportionate to the size of the quilt. It’s just been recently that I’ve seen antique doll quilts that were made of one or two blocks that appear to be leftovers from larger quilts. So I guess there’s a history of making doll quilts both ways. I like both but if making another doll quilt will probably continue to use prints and make blocks in proportion to the size of the quilt.
Lovely Martha!