Snappy Pickledish

I signed up for the IGminiswap during an evening of social media frenzy and mass hysteria (you know how it is), and at the time the shipping date seemed SSSOOOOO far away.
But of course it comes around…

So very last minute I started this just 2 days before I needed to ship.

I knew exactly what I was going to do as I was planning this for a new workshop in 2015. Of course I didn’t know that I would actually be able to do it until I tried!

I’ve always loved the Pickle Dish block and it’s been on my to do list for a long time. But it’s also very fiddly to do the traditional way and I am really into improv stuff at the moment.

So I decided to try it using the same techniques as I’d used for the Freehand New York Beauty at my Stitch Gathering class.

And it worked!
I love the wonky random look (I know it doesn’t do it for everyone).
When I look at these ‘pickledishes’ they look like monster mouths, open and snapping, as seen from above (can you see it?), hence the name I’ve given this mini. Someone else said they look like venus fly traps which I think is an even better description (and I may steal it for a future quilt!).

This class still has places available (unlike a lot of next term’s workshops). So if you’d like to try out this technique and really increase your improv and curved piecing skills then I’d love to have you along on Sunday 1st February!

I tried really hard with my FMQ (my partner has terrifyingly good FMQ skills!) and found I could do tiny feathers as easily as big ones, in fact I think it is easier to FMQ small motifs.

I’m actually in love with this mini and, as usual with these swaps, it was hard to send it off.
But I made the shipping date! I’m still waiting to hear that this mini got to my partner safely and to receive mine.
Meanwhile I have signed up for another swap! the UKminiswap has a shipping date in April – that’s AAAAGES away right??!!