Vintage Keys

As you know, I draw a lot. I draw so much, there is no way I could sew all the quilts I design. I’ve been doing this long enough that I now just know when a pattern works, and when it needs tweaking before publishing it on our website.

This was the case last week. I started drawing some old skeleton keys, and I knew I wanted them to be part of an actual key holder. But before I actually published the pattern I just had the vibe I needed to sew it myself first. And I was right. You see, I am often told many of my patterns are challenging because of small pieces. I have also found that many of our members really do like that challenge. I do think, however, there is a limit to how small you can appliqué a piece.

What do you think? Is this too small?

Some of these pieces are so small, they could never be appliqued by machine. And even by hand they can be challenging. I knew I needed to enlarge the pattern. Even so, I will finish what I started… just a little bit of patience to deal with those tiny pieces.

The main part of my project is finished, and I am still working on the borders. I enlarged the pattern by a third and printed it out. Much better. I hope this will be a fun pattern for our users. As to my project? I’m thinking it’s going to be a nice house warming gift for some friends who have just purchased and moved into a new apartment.

A new pattern up is always a good feeling. You can check it out here.