Category: quilting

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Learn How to English Paper Piece

 

English Paper Piecing (EPP) has been on my bucket list for a year or so. I bought the basic supplies. I have the 1” hexagon template, the 1” triangle template, papers, glue, and Wonderfil thread. Now what?

blog hop photo

Carolina Moore has written a book, “Learn How to English Paper Piece”, available at https://www.nancysnotions.com/learn-how-to-english-paper-piece-book.html.  It is beautifully laid out with color photographs. The projects are broken down into easy to follow steps.  And did you know, EPP is portable.

 

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The book shares the basics of how to paper piece hexagons and diamonds, and then provides step-by-step instructions for how to make 10 projects:

Hexie Pillow: basic hexagon piecing. And adding a zipper.

Zippered Pouch: Making a zippered pouch is a skill all sewists should learn!

Mason Jar Drawstring Pouch: Adding buttonholes and a draw-string.

Pillowcase Dress: This is the first project in the book that shows how to applique EPP

Hexie Placemats: The hexagons are appliqued down during the quilting

Grandmother’s Flower Patch Quilt: A much simpler alternative to the “Grandmother’s Flower Garden”

Handmade Hexagon Tech Pouch: Adding a clasp, dealing with irregular borders.

Diamond Tote: The first project in the book with diamonds

Fussy-Cut Coasters: Talking about how to fussy cut, and creating a fussy cutting template

Dream Catchers: More on Fussy cutting, and an on-trend project in a hoop

 

Should I make the zippered pouch first or the hexi pillow? I love them all. Which project will you make first?  Carolina put together a blog hop. Take a minute to visit the others to see what some of them have already made.

 

Friday, January 25th: Carolina from Always Expect Moore

Saturday, January 26th: Linda from Linda B Creative and Havalah from Sisters, What

Sunday, January 27th: Teresa from Sewn Up, Teresa Down Under and Stephanie from Modern Sewciety

Monday, January 28th: Jen from Faith and Fabric and Alicia from Sew What Alicia

Tuesday, January 29th: Sherry from Powered by Quilting and Marie from Underground Crafter

Wednesday, January 30th: Brooke from Brooklyn Berry Designs and Melody from Two Maker Chicks

Thursday, January 31st: Ali from Home Crafts by Ali and Sarah from Quilted Diary

Friday, February 1st: Bobbie from the Geeky Bobbin and Gemia from Phat Quarters

Saturday, February 2nd: Beth from Garland Girl Quilts and Bobbi from Snowy Days Quilting

Sunday, February 3rd: Kirsty from www.bonjourquilts.com and Simone from Charmed Life Quilting

Monday, February 4th: Aimee from Things Small and Simple and Mathew from Mister Domestic

Tuesday, February 5th: Kathy from Kathy’s kwilts and more and Kim from Stitched in Purple

Wednesday, February 6th: Audrey from the Cloth Parcel and Anorina from Samelia’s Mum

Thursday, February 7th: Laura from Slice of Pi Quilts and Lauren from Molly and Mama

Friday, February 8th: Sarah from Saroy and Stephanie from Swoodson Says

 

Purchase your copy of Carolina’s book today. https://www.nancysnotions.com/learn-how-to-english-paper-piece-book.html.

 

Kim

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No Yellow Snow

I spend hours scouring the quilt shops for fabric. I am looking for the perfect shades of red for the ever popular red and white quilt. Do I stick with one red and one white? Do I scrap it up with a variety of reds and a single white or one red and a variety of white on whites? (Maybe your preference is a blue and white version.) Whatever the color choice, you know THAT quilt. This quilt will be gorgeous.

I have a pattern in mind. You know. That pattern you have been mentally saving for the stunning red and white quilt. It has the perfect balance of focus fabric to background. This quilt will be gorgeous.

Time to prepare my fabrics. I prewash (or not) my red fabric. I starch. I press. I cut. These stacks of red and white pieces are beautiful. Oh! I think I need to post a picture on Instagram. Only other quilters can appreciate my giddiness over organized stacks of cut fabric. This quilt will be gorgeous.

Piecing takes time. A couple of well-planned sew days. Sew days, not snow days. Oh, wait! A snow day is a sew day. After two days, I am not finished. More piecing time. In the mornings. In the evenings after dinner. The points are perfect. The flimsy is complete. Time for a picture to share with friends. This quilt will be gorgeous.

Luckily for me, I also purchased a wide back at my local quilt shop. The backing just needs to be torn on the straight grain to the specifications of the longarm, Simon. Check. This quilt will be gorgeous.

Quilting? Does this quilt need to be custom quilted? I have so much invested in this quilt. Will an edge to edge show off my piecing? What color thread? White thread will stand out on the red. Red thread will stand out on the white. This is a classic red and white quilt. White thread it is. This quilt will be gorgeous.

The quilt is off the frame. Time to trim up the edges. I think I need to post a picture of the almost finished quilt to Facebook. This quilt will be…what? (insert needle scratching across an album sound effect) It must be the lighting. Morning sun? Indirect lighting? Overhead lighting? Flash? No flash? My beautiful red and white quilt. What happened? The lovingly chosen snow white fabric. This quilt looks…

All my time! Every step was well planned, except for the batting. Did the batting choice cause my snow-white fabric to appear yellowish? Why? I used the same batting as always. I determined the size batting I needed. Then I price shopped. The least expensive layer of my quilt sandwich. Ouch! Should I have given my batting choice more careful consideration? The answer is yes. Some of the factors to consider when choosing batting are fiber content, loft, brand, how the quilt will be used, breathability of the fiber, hand quilting or machine quilting, and color. Did you know batting comes in colors? It comes in pink, green, black, natural and bleached, or white. Yes, it comes in white. That’s it! White batting behind white fabric equals no yellow snow.

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2018 Color of the Year

Thank you Pantone! Purple and its various forms has been my favorite color since I was five. I know everyone does not share my passion for purple. With the announcement of Ultra Violet 18-3838 as the 2018 color of the year, I am excited to see how my favorite color will shine. How will you use Ultra Violet 18-3838 in your upcoming projects?

 

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Sewing groups

Do you sew with a group of people other than an official guild?

Tonight was the monthly meeting of Loose Threads. We are a small group of only six ladies, neighbors really. The group has been meeting a little over a year. Earlier this year, one of the members, Vickie, suggested we start a sampler quilt with each member responsible for choosing and teaching two blocks in two separate months. The only parameter we set was the size. Each block must be twelve inches finished. Before we got together for the first sew-in, each member chose their fabrics only knowing we would make two of each block per month for twelve months. About a week prior to the monthly meeting, the facilitator of the month will send out a hint and cutting instructions. At the monthly meeting we gather at a member’s home with our sewing machines and fabric. A couple of hours, and a lot of laughs later, we each leave with two complete blocks. At the end of twelve months we will each have a pair of twelve different blocks for a total of twenty four. We decided to make the layout and setting a personal choice.

Tonight’s block was Jacob’s Ladder. If you are not part of a sewing group I highly recommend you find one or start one soon. We have so much fun creating our own mystery sampler quilt.

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Sunday Afternoon

How do you spend your Sunday afternoons? We are off to our favorite coffee shop for an afternoon pick-me-up. Did you know Starbucks has free treats for dogs? Ask for a puppaccino. It is a small puff of whipped crème, no coffee. (That is just opposite of what I order – flavor of the day, no whip.)

Now back to that messy cutting table.

Enjoy your Sunday.

Kim

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Day 2

IMG_3328[645]Can you see it? Right there, a little to the right of middle in the picture. Look between the two plastic tubs and the black batting. That my friends is my…cutting table.

Am I the only one that pulls everything out before I am ready to start the project? I need to clean off the table and make a list. The projects on the table range from key fob patterns to be made for gifts, two quilts to be made for Christmas, the fabric for several zippered pouches, a couple of cork bags, the beginnings of the Bonnie Hunter mystery quilt, and my current leader/ender project. Whew!

I have some work to do before I can watch Clemson in the ACC championship game tonight. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday everyone. Go Tigers!

 

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31 Day Blog Writing Challenge

I had been putting off getting this blog started. Well, today is the day, the first day of the 31 Day Blog Writing Challenge. Thank you Cheryl Sleboda at www.muppin.com for the push…off the high-dive at the swimming pool. The blog will be a bit clunky. Hopefully in 30 more days this page will be easier to maneuver and to read.