Right now, some of the most fascinating reality television involves people who decide they want to simplify by downsizing to a tiny house. Watching the process as individuals shed unnecessary stuff is, in my humble opinion, incredible. (Generally, it usually also means very few children are involved.) By the end of the show, they are carefully ensconced in a mini-house with only minimal possessions. It’s cute if a bit impractical.
Mini quilts, on the other hand, are anything but impractical. They’re a bite-sized creation, that takes less time and commitment to create, while also being a great place to push the boundaries of conventional quilt-making. Since its foundation, Curated Quilts has had a penchant for mini quilts, and we want to see your mini-quilts, too!
You can show us your mini-quilt by submitting to our Mini Quilt Challenge. A Curated Quilts mini quilt is no smaller than 10 x 10 inches and no larger than 16 x 16 inches. We post guidelines for the next Mini Quilt Challenge four to five months before the issue releases on the Curated Quilts blog, Instagram, and in our newsletter. Included in the guidelines are a suggested color palette, the focus topic for the next issue (i.e. log cabins, curves, triangles, etc.), and the due dates.
To have your mini quilt potentially published, upload a picture of your mini quilt on the Mini Quilt Call for Entries page on our website (detailed directions at the bottom of the page). Curated Quilts will select 20 to 25 mini quilt entries to feature in the magazine. If selected, you will be required to send your mini quilt to Curated Quilts for professional photography. Once the issue featuring your quilt is released, Curated Quilts will ship your mini quilt back to you with a hard copy of the journal.
Here are some of the fabulous Mini Quilt Challenge quilts made by Curated Quilts readers:
Featured in Issue No. 1: Linear
Saturday Morning by Virginia Cole @virginiaquilts
Mirrored Windows by Lucinda Walker @lucindawalkerart
When All Else Fails Start Over by Laura Piland @sliceofpiquilts
Featured in Issue No. 2: Log Cabin
Crow Catcher by Bridget Jane Vian @bridget_jane_creates
Improv Abstraction Meets Log Cabin by Karen Foster @capitolaquilter
Log Cabin Jamboree by Audrey Workman @artandstole
Featured in Issue No. 3: Minimalistic
Blue Stairs by Terry Aske @terryaskeartquilts
Typewriter Tape by Heather Black @quiltachusetts
Triad by Jayne Willis @twiggyandopal
Featured in Issue No. 4: Triangles
It’s a Three Fling by Jen Broemel @highfivesandsilverlines
Hexangleby Isabelle Selak @southbaybella
Wadsworth by Annie Jeffrey @anniedov
Featured in Issue No. 5: Improv
Connections by Janice Gunner @janicegunnertextiles
Connections by Emilie Trahan @mili.tra
Disconnectby Suzanne McManus @sosuesews
Featured in Issue No. 6: House
Little Boxes Made of Ticky Tacky by Meredith Lee Sewell @meredithleesewell
Upward Perspective by Cassandra Ireland Beaver @cassandra.beaver
The Ordered House by Heather Black @quiltachusetts
Featured in Issue No. 7: Curves
Circulo by AnnMarie Cowley @runandsew
Sharp Turn by Patti Coppock @patticoppock
The Pantheon by Sharon Hamlin @sharquilts
Featured in Issue No 8: Well Said
In Charge by Kathryn Upitis @kupitis
Me by Jill Fisher @pieladyquilts
Always Darkest Before the Dawn by Erin Andrews @erin_sew_fun
Directions for Submitting a Mini Quilt
- Go to the Mini Quilt Call for Entries page on our website. (Found under the ‘Blog’ tab.)
- At the bottom of the page on the left-hand side, click the ‘Add Link’ button.
- Please provide an email address in the field provided.
- Click on the ‘Upload’ button on the left side of the webpage. You can drop and drag your image into the picture field or you can click ‘Click Here’ if you want to upload an image from your hard drive.
- After the image is uploaded, click the ‘I Agree’ box.
- Click the ‘Save’ button.
- If you are adding the photo without a link, click the ‘Enter without link’ button under the ‘Link’ field.
- If you are adding a link, click the ‘I have a link’ button under the ‘Link’ field and add a URL or link an image from Instagram.
Detailed video instructions available in our archived Instagram stories under ‘Mini upload.’
By Brittany Bowen Burton
PS - Look for our next Mini Quilt Challenge in early November.