Paper Piecing Symposium

First I chose a 'pattern' from Carol Doak's book entitled: "Easy Paper Piecing Patterns". Then I traced over the pattern directly from the book: line by line onto the tracing paper. I used the pattern at 100% of it's original size. Then I number my traced pattern with the order of the pieces to be sewn (which is all outlined in the instructions in the book.) After that it's a matter of sewing the fabrics -- right sides together of course, DIRECTLY to the pattern. Follow the numbers, like a paint by number project...... trimming away any excess fabric as you go along and pressing each seam 'open' as you proceed. When you're all done, you've got a wonderfully precise square with amazing angles and points. Have I mentioned that I'm wild about paper piecing??

One Day Project # 8

Yesterday I went up to our community clubhouse for my initial entrance into the Tues. afternoon quilter's group. I was delighted to find a half-dozen gals all sharing their projects and enthusiasm. They unlocked the cupboards and we had 'show-n-tell' so that I could see the numerous projects that they've created together -- for donation to a variety of charitable organizations. Wow. How do you spell impressive? Lots of seasonal wall-hangings & a number of crib sized creations, too..... some are for donation, other's to be sold with the funds being donated.

The best news is that there is a lovely library with a huge stash of quilting magazines and quite a few quilting books, which are available for loan! Yeeee Ha!!

In our quick dash outta OH I got my sewing machine & fabrics into the car, but neglected to bring any of my books. I borrowed a wonderful book filled with paper-piecing-patterns and came home and immediately got to work. The 'focal diamond' is from a pattern in Paula Doak's book and jiffed together fairly straight-forwardly. (I just had to remember how to follow a pattern. LOL.)

The last picture is of the two major segments, just plopped into their IKEA frame.

One Day Project #3

Whooooohoooooo. Starting to get some color into our black and white living room!! Well, at least theoretically. Technically I 'kinda/sorta' did this project in a day. The first picture is the UFO that I mentioned earlier. I created that block as an exercise in learning how to "paper-piece" and did it some time ago, back in Ohio. The rest of the piecing was undertaken in a day's time, however. I even have the quilt bat and the IKEA frame upon which to stretch the piece. Unfortunately I didn't think to bring my free-form quilting foot..... so I've decided to be patient and do the machine quilting as another day's project. It will have to wait a couple of weeks till I can get back to Ohio to pick up the machine foot. Now who's gonna remind me to pack it and bring it on my next journey for returning down here??

I have two more IKEA frames. So this is wall hanging #1 in what will ultimately be a series of three, which will eventually hang above our TV set in the living room. My. I CAN plan ahead!!