During the Christmas break of 2021/2022 I made a couple of small whole cloth quilts. I wanted a project that I could work on downstairs while spending time with my family. For the first quilt I used a simple concept. Don’t waste thread. I’d take a piece of Wonderfil Eleganza Perle 8 cotton and stitch until the thread ran out. Only then was I allowed to switch colours.
I had fun with a couple of different stitches. This was basically doodling, but with thread and fabric instead of pen and paper. There are 10 different thread colours in this piece. It is very small (5 ½ x 7 ¾ inch) and I love it.
Don’t waste thread is the first quilt that I finished with a facing instead of a binding. It was not difficult to do and I love the clean look of the edges. I have used this technique several more times since then. If you want to give facings a try I can recommend Audrey Esarey’s (Cotton and Bourbon) tutorial.
This little quilt also started my oldest daughter’s hand sewing/quilting journey. She saw what I was doing and wanted to do the same thing. I did post her first quilt that was the result of this new endeavor, but forgot to show mine. I’ll try to find some time to also write a post for the second whole cloth mini quilt that I completed after this one.
I like the concept and the result.I too was glad to learn to face quilts; often it is the perfect finish.
Thank you! Sometimes a binding would box the design in too much or attract too much attention away.
I love the visual richness of this. It’s a great principle too. I try not to waste thread; often I will have a pincushion full of needles with different colour threads, waiting for a mend or a button to sew back on, and the short ends I clip off go in a thread catcher to go out to the birds every so often for nesting material. That last one works, too – I’ve seen sunbird nests with bright pink thread in them!
Thank you! I got a lot better at estimating how much thread I’d need to fill a specific spot as this quilt progressed.
Beautiful stitching
Thank you!
Oh my goodness that is an amazing little piece and you did not waste thread! I am impressed with your stitching!
Thank you! It was so much fun to make.