Not sure if this is going to work - but if it does, by clicking on the download link you should have a word document listing of some of my favorite miniature quilting books. The one from Rodale is really good.

Oh some excellent mini's shown here and some excellent advice! The one thing I would add is watch the "l-r swing". This is caused at the beginning and end of the seam. Make sure you are starting your seam exactly on the 1/4" mark and keep that short seam straight. We tend to curve in and out on the beginning and ending of our seams. Not noticeable on pieces larger than 2', but like previously mentioned, every mistake is magnified.

Is it the tiny SIZE of the quilt block he likes or the look of the pattern as a whole? If it is what the quilt LOOKS like, & not the fact the squares are tiny, perhaps you could just enlarge the squares & re-figure how many you will need for the size quilt you want.

Like some of the others on here, I couldn't ever do those tiny ones either, even when I was younger & not quite as shakey as I am now at 77 :wink:

Good luck w/whatever you decide, & may all your quilts be filled w/love.

Are these tiny pieces sewn by hand or machine? Never worked with anything that tiny - looks tedious.

There are a couple ways I'd go about this, depending on the pattern. I'm hoping it's just small squares.

If they're random (like a postage-stamp quilt), then I could not recommend better than Billie Lauder's Quick Quilts where she shows the mix of scrap pieces, dividing, resewing, recutting, resewing, etc. until you end up with 1-1/2" pieces from 5" squares. I recently did a 3,400 piece tablecloth like this and it's lovely.

If, however, there is a definite pattern to make with those pieces, get some fusible that's already lined in 1-1/2" squares (or draw your own - pencil on the non-glue side). Arrange your unsewn squares where they need to be placed on the fusible side, tacking with a mini-iron just enough to hold the piece in place. When all is where you want it, press flat with a regular iron to firmly fuse all raw edge pieces to it. Then, seam from the back like you would a watercolor quilt and you got it. = No matching corners, no individual seams, etc.

Hope this helps. I'm sure you're going to do a fabulous job.

You might check with Rhonda here on the board. She works with minatures a lot I think. Worth a try anyway. Good luck - Do want to see it when it is finished however large you make the blocks.

For me that would be PURE punishment to have to try and work with that small of a block. I don't like little blocks much anyway, but sometimes a pattern calls for them, but I know I wouldn't attempt to make a quilt with blocks that small or pieces in a larger block that were to be that small. Like someone else said, can you enlarge the pattern pieces? i would definitely try that. If you need to enlarge it, and not sure how to go about it, pm me I have a page I printed out about how to go about enlarging or reducing block sizes.

If you use a lightweight foundation, you can just leave it in there. That will also help to stabilize the pieced block. Use 1/8" seam allowances, a Microtex needle in the machine, Bottom Line thread in the bobbin and maybe a lighter weight thread on top too, like So Fine, from Superior.

Is this a pp pattern?

What a challenge if you've never completed one before. My advice is buy a purple thang or use a bamboo stick to help hold your pieces. Their not that bad have fun and sew accurately.

i did small blocks...like 3" that were pieced and it took me an hr to do each one (paper piecing). i enlarged it the next time

Great mini!!! so intricate-excellent job!!!

Great tips here. I think the most important is starch.
At the beginning I thought I would never be able to go so small. Just give it a try and you will see that PP is not so hard. It only takes a lot of patience.
Granny

What if you add 1/4" seam allowance to the 1" block will that help?