How I Made a Modern Miniature House Quilt Studio (and Why!)

Earlier this month, I took a BIG creative risk in a tiny format—by building a modern miniature house version of my quilt studio. And it all started with a 3-foot pegboard…

When I signed up to be part of the Designers Pavilion at H+H Americas—a massive business-to-business trade show for the crafts industry—I had no idea I’d end up falling headfirst into the world of modern miniature houses. While I’m not offering my miniatures to the public or selling miniature quilts, I’m now absolutely obsessed with all things tiny.

What is H+H Americas?

If you’re unfamiliar, H+H Americas is the U.S. sister show to the world-renowned h+h cologne in Germany. It is a business to business trade show that brings together makers, shop owners, distributors, and designers across all types of handicrafts—think fabric, quilts, yarn, patterns, kits, and beyond. It takes place every spring in Chicago, Illinois, and it is packed with creativity around every corner.

While many booths are 10′ x 10′ or larger, I was part of the Designer Pavilion—a shared space where 18 designers each got just 3 feet of vertical pegboard space. That’s it — Three. Feet.

Preparing for My H+H Americas Booth: A Glimpse of the Trade Show:

When I signed the contract last year to exhibit, I knew I needed to find a way to convey the aesthetics and spirit of my work—modern quilt patterns, Block of the Month (BOM) programs, and embroidery kits — all in a space that small. It was a challenge, especially considering to date I’ve designed over 40 quilt patterns, 5 Block of the Month quilt pattern bundles, and 3 embroidery kits! I had to go miniature in order to best represent all of these offerings.

The Big (Tiny) Idea: A Modern Miniature House Quilt Studio

With just 3 feet of space, I had to get clever. And then I had a wild idea: what if I went tiny?

A couple of years ago, I discovered the world of modern miniature houses. Pinterest is full of stunning 1:12 scale (also known as 1 inch equals 1 foot) room builds, and I fell down a delightful rabbit hole. I was especially inspired by the brilliant Christopher Thompson (@the_tattooed_miniaturist), also known as @the_tattooed_quilter, who generously shared resources and tips when I reached out.

That’s when I decided to build a 1:12 scale modern miniature house of Whole Circle Studio—a mashup of my real-life studio, my booth from QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh, and my dream/future creative space.

Over a period of four months, I slowly started dreaming up what would become my miniature Whole Circle Studio. It all started with some rough pencil sketches and notes, then turned into a digital schematic that blended three spaces: my current studio, my dream studio, and the booth I had at QuiltCon 2024 in Raleigh.

Making the Modern Miniature Quilt and Embroidery Samples

My first priority was recreating my quilt pattern samples and embroidery kit samples in miniature.

Using fabric printed with photos of my quilt designs, I made tiny quilt tops and embroidery samples in tiny hoops. For the quilt samples, I added machine quilting to give them more texture and dimension.

I didn’t want the miniature quilt and embroidery samples to look like they were just floating in space—or worse, like tiny quilted coasters. True story: while I was designing the booth, I actually had a nightmare that people would think I only made quilts for dollhouses or designed patterns just for miniature quilts and coasters!

It was important to me to create an immersive mini world. My background in exhibit design kicked in, and I started thinking about the setting: how to make the display feel like a real working studio, complete with furniture and props, in miniature.

Custom-Made Mini Furniture and Sewing Tools

This is when Jason (my husband and chief builder) joined the fun.

We transformed our dining room into a mini-making studio. For months, we had a piece of pegboard leaning against the wall so I could test the layout. We borrowed a 3D printer from a neighbor, and Jason taught himself how to use it. Together, here are some of the things we created, all in 1:12 scale with the 3D printer and with some fine carpentry skills. All of the tools and supplies are products I love and use:

• Janome 6700P sewing machine
• Oliso mini iron
• Aurifil spools—270 of them, one for each color they offer in 50wt!
• Scissors and rotary cutters
• tables, quilt ladders, and pattern displays

Even Miniature Casey—the official studio dog of Whole Circle Studio—made an appearance in the display, posed in front of the Paws Up! quilt design she inspired.

Tiny Fat Quarter Bundles, Fabric Bolts, Thread Spools & Quilt Patterns

Behind the Scenes: How We Made the Miniature Sewing Supplies:

Every element in the display was designed to help shop owners visualize how they could bring my quilt patterns and kits into their stores. I even scaled down the printed quilt patterns (and packaging).

Making the miniature Fabric Bolts and Fat Quarter Bundles! Many thanks to Three Owls Handmade for a wonderful tutorial!

Making 270 spools of Aurifil Thread

Jason 3D modeled and printed all the spools and then I hand-wound thread in every single Aurifil 50wt color onto each plastic spool.

Bringing the Mini Quilt Studio to Life in Chicago

Once every tiny quilt was stitched, every spool wound, and every bolt stacked just right, it was time to take the show on the road—literally. I carefully packed up the entire miniature Whole Circle Studio in small boxes (yes, with padding and lots of crossed fingers), loaded everything into the car, and headed to Chicago for H+H Americas. I had just one day to get everything installed on my 3-foot pegboard in the Designers Pavilion.

Take a look at the actual installation process and the final mini modern quilt studio display:

Beyond the Booth: Demos, Trunk Shows & a Pop Up Shop

The miniature studio may have drawn folks in, but the real magic of H+H Americas was the people. Over the course of the show, I got to chat with so many shop owners, industry pros, longtime colleagues, and creative friends I hadn’t seen in ages—it felt like a big, crafty, colorful reunion.

The night before the show officially opened, I participated in Sample It!, a whirlwind 90-minute pop-up shop event that takes place in a ballroom above the show floor. I set up a 6-foot table filled with kits, patterns, and fun extras for shops to get a sneak peek (and a head start) on new offerings before the trade show opened the next morning.

During the trade show, I shared some of my favorite foundation paper piecing tips—including how I get super flat seams—in a demonstration in the Oliso booth. I was thrilled when friends of Whole Circle Studio stopped by during the demo, including quilters currently working on the Starry Signs Block of the Month. I loved that they brought their blocks in progress to share with me (and you):

I also gave a mini trunk show in the Designer’s Pavilion, where I shared my actual sized samples of some of my quilt samples, Block of the Month quilts, and embroidery kits.

It was a jam-packed few days full of energy, inspiration, and connection—and I left totally creatively recharged.

Do you Love Modern Miniature Houses Too?

I’d love to hear from you! Are you into modern miniature houses? Have you ever made a tiny quilt or tried 1:12 scale crafting? Leave a comment below and tell me what your favorite detail was from my display—or what you’d want to see made mini next!

Are you a shop owner (or know a shop that would love my patterns & kits)?

Since 2016, I’ve enjoyed working with hundreds of shops and stockists throughout the world, offering our quilt patterns and stitching kits to their customers. We love working with and supporting other small businesses and retailers. If you are a shop owner (or know a shop owner), I’d love to get in touch and share all of my offerings.

What’s Next for the Modern Miniature House Quilt Studio?

I’m still catching my breath from the whirlwind of H+H Americas, and for now, the entire miniature studio is safely packed away. I’ve been thinking about how I might share it again—maybe by setting it up in my own studio so I can photograph and film it more closely, or possibly finding opportunities to display it at a public event in the future. This tiny studio deserves more than just one debut!

And like any good creative space, it’s already nudging me to add more. I’m dreaming up expansions, fresh details, and fun additions—because let’s be honest, no studio (mini or not) stays the same for long. More fabric, more quilts, and more little surprises are definitely on the horizon. This mini obsession wil continue. Stay tuned!