I’ve tried hard (and failed) to not buy too many Christmas craft kits. I always love the idea of them, but am usually short of time at this time of year. A few weeks ago I picked up the Merry and Bright mini quilt kit I had. This Pretty Fabrics and Trims kit contained the pattern with detailed instructions, plus all the fabrics, including pre-printed cotton/linen mix fabric for the embroidery elements, embroidery threads, English Paper Pieces, ribbon, trims, buttons, wadding, backing fabric and binding fabric.

Merry and Bright mini quilt {Part 1}

I had already stitched the pre-printed panels, possibly the easiest part of the kit! I laid out all the fabrics and started cutting according to the instructions.

I had my sewing machine out, as well as my Cricut Mini Press, so I was able to cut out my fabric, sew and press! It felt like a little production line and meant I was able to cut out all the pieces for the top layer.

There were all kinds of different blocks and it was fun, if a little nerve-wracking. Some of the squares were quite small and my sewing machine snagged the fabric in a few places. Hopefully it won’t be too noticeable and I can cover them up with a little button or trim.

Altogether I cut and stitched the four rows.

Then I pressed and stitched the four rows to make the quilt top. Yes, one row is slightly longer than the others but I’m sure I’ll manage to do something at the next stage.