Five Times Five Mini Quilt

We all know 5 x 5 = 25.  And that is the number of years The Electric Quilt Company has been around with Electric Quilt, the leading quilt design software.  I had no idea!  They are having a year long celebration which you can read about here on their blog.

To help kick off  the celebration, Michael Miller Fabrics issued a challenge to create a mini quilt using only Michael Miller fabrics and it must not be larger than 20" x 20".  That seemed doable.  So here is my mini quilt, Five Times Five, measuring 15" x 15".

Five Times Five by Paige Alexander

I only used two fabrics, Quarter Dot and Cotton Couture in black.  I purchased the Pearlized Quarter Dot in black and silver, part of the Glitz collection, when I was working on a quilt for the Modern Quilt Guild's Michael Miller Fabric Challenge.  Here is the half yard cut of fabric with the square cut out for Five Times Time. (And notice how the selvage information lined up perfectly where I cut out the square.)

Quarter Dot where I cut out a block for Five Times Five

The dots were printed at 45 degree angle to selvage so when I cut out the block it was on the bias. The dots did not align perfectly, probably due to me prewashing the fabric, but it was close.  I simply added borders of the cotton couture.  The quilting design worked out fairly well.  I decided to use my walking foot and quilt in a crosshatch grid between the dots.  And when I did that, the quilting lines were exactly an inch apart.  It is hard to photograph black, but here I hope you can see the quilting.

Crosshatch quilting of Five Times Five by Paige Alexander

I thought my idea of the 25 silver quarter dots representing the 25th anniversary of EQ was clever, but my quilt was not chosen as a winner.  I want to congratulate those that won!  You can see the winning quilts on the Michael Miller blog with a link to the winners' Instagram feeds.

Congratulations EQ on 25 years and thank you Michael Miller Fabrics for sponsoring the challenge.

Quilt Stats:

• Finished size:  15 1/4" x 15 1/4" 
• Binding: 1/4" straight grain sewn down by hand    
• Fabrics: Michael Miller Quarter Dot, Cotton Couture in black, Confetti Border for backing
• Batting: Hobbs 80/20 in black
• Thread: Aurifil 2692 for piecing and quilting

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday, Whoop Whoop Friday, Devoted Quilter hosting Thank Goodness Its Finished Friday this week, Fabric Frenzy Friday, Whomp! There IT Is and Show Off Saturday.