Snail Trail Block – 3and3quarters

TUTORIAL: Mini Snail Trail Block!

Now, I’m pretty sure I’ve shared with you just how much I love making mini sized versions of quilt blocks before… My Happy Quilt & Golden Trail Mini may jog your memory! And so today I want to take another opportunity to discuss and teach you how to make this one: the Snail Trail Block!

If you’re regular reader of my blog, you may remember me making this little mini last year…

It was my entry into the Sydney Quilt Show. I was so immensely proud of it. It was the first mini quilt I had ever made and loved everything about it. (And still do, actually!) At the moment, this little mini adorns the door to my bedroom. It represents my love for modern quilting, my love for pattern, texture and direction as well as the love I have for mini quilt blocks!

The inspiration for this quilt block has come from my favourite quilt book in my library, 130 Mini Quilt Blocks by Susan Briscoe. I pour through the pages almost daily, looking for sparks of inspiration or for a reason to simply start cutting up fabric and piecing together a little block!

So after a request and a genuine want to share how this darling little block is made, I created this tutorial for you!

Now at the beginning, I have a small little chit-chat explaining a few little tips that I think will help you when you’re piecing… Then I dive right in and guide you step-by-step in how the Snail Trail Block is pieced together!

If you would like to make this block here are the measurements and cutting instructions:

From the PINK fabric you will need to cut:
– x2: 1&1/8″ squares (for the centre four patch)
– x1: 1&3/4″ square (cut in half, resulting in two triangles)
– x1: 2&1/8″ square (cut in half, resulting in two triangles)
– x1: 2&5/8″ square (cut in half, resulting in two triangles)
– x1: 3&3/8″ square (cut in half, resulting in two triangles)
For the BLUE fabric, cut exactly the same as the pink.

The FINAL BLOCK SIZE measures: 5″x5″ or 12.7cmx12.7cm.

NOTE: I will just say that the more experienced you are at patchwork, the easier the block will be to piece together, obviously. But if you are a beginner, I still encourage you to give this block a go! Take your time, read the measurements carefully and never be afraid to make mistakes! It’s only through our mistakes we learn how to do things better!

So, I hope you enjoyed learning how to make this block and have been inspired to make it yourself!

Happy Sewing, Friends!!

‘Golden Trail’ Eye Candy!

My Golden Trail mini quilt is that next step closer to be completed.

All I need to do now is sew on the back: a hanging sleeve and label to be Show ready!

Happy Sewing Friends! xx

Excuse Me, My Quilt Nerd Is Showing!

I tell ya, there’s nothing like receiving Quilt Show entry forms in the mail to get you back into the swing of quilting again!

After a lull of about three weeks or so of near to no sewing or quilting, it was a wonderful feeling to get back on the machine.

I admit that over the past weeks, I’ve been giving more of my time to my YouTube channel than to my sewing machine. This is due to –

a) a lack of enthusiasm

b) the horrid Australian humidity that’s been hanging around

But once that burning desire to get stuck into some quilting rose up in me early this morning, I was truly back in my ‘happy place’!

So over the course of the day I got lickety-split into finishing my Sydney Quilt Show entry.

Before basting the mini-quilt up, I instagrammed a photo of the heart-racing intricacies that are on the back of the quilt-top.

So divine! So intense! So lovely!

I absolutely love the way that the shapes fit and conform next to each other as well as the differing lines and textures the seams create! But at the same time you can differentiate the shapes that form the block… (Excuse me, my Quilt-Nerd is showing!) It’s these little things that capture my heart and passion for patchwork (and quilting!).

After today, I believe I can honestly say that I am hands-down, cross-my-heart in love with making mini-quilts! They’re easy, fast, non-fussy and oh-so cute!

I tried to capture just how small this little mini is when I was quilting by comparing it with the size of my hand…

This quilt is itty-bitty and I love it!

I’ve decided that the quilt will be entered under the name Golden Trail – I think that works best.

It’s currently hanging up to my left ready for me to lovingly finish hand-stitching the binding and hanging sleeve!

Excitement is at its maximum tonight!!

Oh gosh.

I just love quilting!

Best hobby ever!

Oops! There’s my Quilt-Nerd showing again! 😀

Happy Sewing Friends! xx

WIP Weekly Update | #3

Okay.

Confession time.

I haven’t done as much as I had hoped for this past week on the Rail Fence Quilt.

I did do a few more lines of quilting here and there over the days but not to the point where it’s worthy for a WIP photo opportunity…

In the moments after I finished writing the previous sentence, I had a quick squizz at my quilting efforts on the R.F Quilt and felt compassion. (Weirdo alert!!)

So here is an up-to-date ‘progress-report’ image…

Yeah….there’s not much difference from what it looked like last Monday.

I also must confess that I have been giving my time to another (new!) project.

I received an email Saturday morning from the NSW Quilting Guild containing information and forms for this year’s Sydney Quilt Show.

A more-than-mild wave of panic washed over me at that moment.

I hadn’t at all begun planning my entry for this show; the thought had always been at the back of mind but nothing else!

Although the Show isn’t until early June, it’s always nice to have things on-the-go from an early start!

Of the categories in the show, one or two stood out: Amateur Small or Wall Quilt (minimum size 40cmx40cm) as well as an Open category named Miniature (a quilt with a scaled down pattern with a perimeter of 200cm).

So early Saturday afternoon, I picked out a bunch of pretty and modern fabrics and raided my quilt book library for some block inspiration.

I had the thought of pairing two contrasting modern fabrics together and patch them together into a ‘traditional’ block formation.

In one of my favourite patchwork/quilting books, 130 Mini Quilt Blocks by Susan Briscoe, on page 46, I discovered an itty-bitty version of the Snail Trail Block that had a finished block size of 12.7cm or 5”! Perfect!

I have made this block before a few years back so I felt pretty comfortable tackling it.

Start to Finish | Mini Snail Trail Block

I quickly drew up a sketch to make sure the colours would sit well together – and they did!

The next hour or so I cut out all of the tiney-tiny pieces and begun sewing mini squares and HST together.

Four blocks were completed by yesterday; they were quickly sashed together and the quilt top is now ready to be quilted!! Whhhaaattt?!?!

(You know, I’m really liking this Mini-Quilt making thing – it’s quick, easy and non-stressful!)

The size of the quilt top measures 46cmx46cm or 18”x18” and fits into both Show categories as previously mentioned. I’m just not sure which one I’ll choose yet.

I’m also torn on what I’ll name this sweet little mini; I have two in mind…

Golden Trail

— OR —

Yellow Brick Road

Which one would you choose??

So there we have it.

Perhaps next week I’ll have more progress on my R.F Quilt to show and not have to confess that I’ve been distracted (again!) by other things.

Happy Sewing Friends! xx

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: