Valentine Swap with a Friend

A Valentine's Mini Quilt Swap with a friend. What could be better?? I love hearts and wanted to try my hand again at some paper-piecing so I went out and found two paper pieced heart patterns here and here and shrank one 50% on my scanner. Then I added a freeform pieced block into the mix. For colors I stuck with traditional reds and deep pinks, pulling liberally from my scraps and stash and framed them all in a bright Kona green solid. (I think they would have looked just as nice framed in white or even grey, but I really like the green against the pinks and reds). I framed the mini quilt with several sashed borders of differing widths, some even with sparkles, and backed it up with an off beat Jane Sassaman print from my stash, offset cut to include the quirky pink and green scalloped border (and the bugs!). I then waited and waited for a free-motion quilting book I ordered to arrive. (I've been stuck in FMQ 101- the Meandering Stitch) and needed to brach out in 2012. I'm going with Concentric (sort-of) circles. It's a small enough piece to give a new stitch a try and do it justice at the same time.

pieced top

clips awaiting hand stitching on the binding, front

Back

Close-up of quilting. This photo shows the actual color of the apple green best

Out door shot of quilting and paper pieced heart

Voila!!

Finished front

Finished back

Stats: Valentine's Mini Quilt Swap among Friends- 22" x 18",  Feb. 2012
Materials: Scraps and stash including:
                 Pieced Hearts: Various quilting cottons from my scraps
                 Robert Kaufman Kona Solid Background in Grass Green
                 Sparkle sashing: Michael Miller Damask sparkle
                 Outer sashing: Free Spirit Fabrics Kumari Gardens- Holiday
                 Backing: Jane Sassaman Prairie Gothic
FMQ: Concentric circles from 365 days of FMQ project
Thread: variegated dark pink/red by Auriful

Hope you have some lovely things coming your way this February- don't forget the February DeStash- Give away right here on my blog! You could be the winner!!