It is my great pleasure to share with you the completed Stone Sheep Mini quilt today!
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt
I put a lot of thought and time into alternate ways of finishing this mini quilt: should I stretch it across a canvas or frame it or put it in a shadow box? After exploring all my options, I opted for a black binding to frame the quilt. The mini quilt finishes at 11″ x 17 1/2″. This mini quilt is not for sale nor do I plan to enter it in any shows. I plan to hang it proudly on display in my home as a reminder of the amazing summer I spent with my husband in the arctic.
Male Stone Sheep, photo by Michael Fuchs
As a reminder, this is the photograph taken by my husband, Michael Fuchs, from which I was working to create this quilted/thread painted interpretation.
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt
I did block the mini quilt one more time prior to finishing quilting the details in the face. I went back down a few shades from pure white to outline the left side of the face to help it stand out from the background white. In the same manner, I also made his left lip darker and filled in more fur details to the left of the forward horn. In all, I have over 20 hours of quilting this small piece. After I was done with the quilting, I used a warm, not hot, iron on the back side of the quilt to help flatten out distortion from the dense quilting. I was then able to trim the mini square and bind without any difficulty.
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt
I opted to machine stitch on the binding. I do love handwork and hand binding, but with all the thread in the quilt, I did not want my hand binding thread to show through to the front of the quilt and I thought I would be most pleased with a machine binding. I can definitely tell that my machine binding technique has improved over the years.
I also think it’s a bit weird to see the quilt from the back; it’s odd to see the sheep facing the right instead of the left. Overall, it’s a pretty remarkable mirror image, isn’t it?
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt – Aurifil Thread
I wouldn’t have been able to make this quilt without these 14 spools of Aurifil thread:
- 50 wt 2692 (Black)
- 50 wt 4241 (Very Dark Grey)
- 50 wt 2630 (Dark Pewter)
- 50 wt 6736 (Jedi)
- 50 wt 5004 (Grey Smoke)
- 50 wt 2620 (Stainless Steel)
- 50 wt 2600 (Dove)
- 40 wt 2340 (Cafe’ au Lait)
- 50 wt 2326 (Sand)
- 50 wt 2312 (Ermine)
- 50 wt 2000 (Light Sand)
- 50 wt 2309 (Silver White)
- 50 wt 2021 (Natural White)
- 50 wt 2024 (White)
For a complete recap on the process I used to create the mini, please visit my earlier posts:
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt: Fabric and Thread Selection
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt: Layout
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt: Basting & Background
Stone Sheep Mini Quilt: Layering & Blocking
Linking up with Cheryl’s October Favorite Finish Linkup.
Fabulous Yvonne. A fantastic piece to treasure and remind you of your travels. I am impressed with the multiple blocking steps – it looks so flat and perfect! Really like the black framing.
WOW-spectacular !!! What a wonderful way to remember such an adventure you have been on.
Words cannot do this justice! It is simply stunning, Yvonne! A work of true art. Thank you for sharing your trip, your creative process and this remarkable quilt with us!
Exactly my thoughts as well. <3
Astonishing, what a great memory quilt.
Now I have to try this too, thanks
He looks so real like he could just walk right out of your mini quilt!
Hi Yvonne! I think the selection of the black binding as a frame for your lovely piece was just genius. This looks so much like a painting that should be framed and hung in the most famous of galleries, and it is very fitting that it will be doing so at a quilt show or shows. Being able to see the reverse side in all of its glory was a wise choice, too, in my opinion. Fabulous! What a gift and talent you have. ~smile~ Roseanne
Absolutely Stunning piece of art. Great work.
Wow! I can see why you would not part with it. It is a treasure. You have a talent in bringing cloth and thread to life. Congratulations
Magnificent!
Yvonne, I had to go back and read each of the pieces again for this beauty. What a beautiful piece and a great memory of your trip. I enjoyed keeping up with your trip and hearing the wonderful places you visited and enjoyed.
Absolutely amazing and beautiful!! It looks like he could move at any moment! The black binding does look perfect. The back looks good as well. Such a wonderful gift to yourself and your husband. ❤️
Yvonne! This is amazing! I’m blown away at how you were able to bring the photo to life in this quilt. I don’t even have words…it’s spectacular!
Simply stunning! Thank you for sharing!
Such a spectacular piece! I can see why it is so personal to you and not going anywhere. What a wonderful way to commemorate your trip.
I am in love with your finished quilt! Makes me want to try something similar, but I don’t think I’m ready yet. I love that you are keeping that as a memory for your trip.
This is really amazing!
Simply stunning, Yvonne! A true work of art.
OMG! At first, I didn’t realize that was the back of your quilt. I thought it was a reversed photo! it’s just as beautiful as the front – amazing! And if I’d made something as good as that, I don’t think I would part with it either. It should be a family heirloom.
So how is it being home again? Is it an adjustment or have you easily moved back into your regular routine? Does if feel good to have a whole big room to work in again? I’m still amazed at what you were able to do in such a small space. And what about your cat? We have two kitties and one very large dog that we love and would have missed them something awful.
With the incredible pictures your talented husband took, you’re going to have a marvelous story to tell your grandchildren some day. You two are an amazing couple. Wish I’d had your kind of moxie when I was young!
This is just amazing, Yvonne. What a great reminder of your adventure. You two are very talented individuals. Thanks for sharing this with us.
That small quilt is absolutely amazing! It’ll be a wonderful reminder of your trip forever. You are so talented. Thanks for sharing your journey with us.
This is so much more meaningful to you both than just some postcards! You’re an amazing artist and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
EXCELLENT JOB!!! WHO-HOO!!!
Amazing! And a wonderful reminder of your adventures this past summer. I enjoyed seeing all the pics on IG.
Congratulations on such a beautiful quilt and memory of your trip. This is gorgeous and I am blown away. The workmanship is wonderful. He will give you so much pleasure every time you look at him. And the back is as beautiful as the front. Thank you for sharing him with us.
Such a masterpiece. Congratulations.
Hello Yvonne, This is superb! I am so glad that you shared this adventure and treasure with us! You truly have created a masterpiece. Have a spectacular day!
Words are hard to come by when describing this quilt. You captured the stone sheep perfectly. What a treasure and great memory of your trip.
Wow! Wow! Wow! I am speechless! It is truly a masterpiece. You should be very proud. Fantastic work!
This is a triumph, Yvonne. I am glad that you have such wonderful remembrance of your trip.
I just skimmed through the comments, and truly I agree with every single one. It’s one of the most amazing quilts I have ever seen. Congrats! Mary
Wow! Yvonne, mere words can’t express how gorgeous this quilt is. You did an amazing job. I pinned it.
Oh My Goodness!!! You made him look amazing!!!!!!!!
What an amazing work of artistry. The mirror image is absolutely striking!
Outstanding and a wonderful memory piece
Your Stone Sheep is absolutely stunning, and it gets a First Place Ribbon from me! You have done an incredible job. What a wonderful memory you have created, and the back is impressive too. Have a great week, and many thanks for sharing – such talent.
I know I already commented on your IG, but I just couldn’t pass up the chance to tell you again how freakin’ amazing this quilt is! Congratulations on bringing your idea to life. Here’s to enjoying those happy travel memories every time you look at her 😉
Wouah!!! Amazing!!!
Absolutely amazing! What a great piece to highlight your trip. I enjoyed the photos of you working on it during your travels.
What a stunning piece of artwork for you to remember your amazing summer travels. All that texture makes me want to touch it (secret – I have a hard time at quilt shows keeping my hands to myself!). I’ll admit, I was momentarily confused when I saw the mini from the back seeing the sheep backwards. Again, congrats on a beautiful finish.
There simply aren’t enough words to describe how stunning and spectacular this quilt is! This is definitely a masterpiece and should be in an art gallery commanding extremely high dollars!!! It is just that amazing!!!
Extraordinary! Your work just keeps bringing surprise after surprise. Awesome!
You have created him just like your husband’s photo. Both sides of the quilt are just amazing! Such a wonderful reminder of your trip every time you look at your creation hanging on the wall.
Yvonne, I watched this come together with social media posts but this is the first time I took a close look at it. I know you are but truly you should feel so very proud of this piece of art. It is just stunning. I understand wanting to keep it (as opposed to selling it) but it should hang somewhere at some point for others to see it. Just incredible!
One more thing, when I saw the back side, before reading further, I wondered how you had manipulated the photo to show the mirror image. I had no idea that was the back. Wow.
Really amazing art! I’m glad you made this piece to remember your summer away.
This is simply amazing, I still can not believe that you were able to create this beautiful design using simply thread, it looks like a photograph and has such wonderful texture.
Thanks for telling about the process you took to make such an amazing quilt!