English Paper Piecing Millefiori Style

There is a group of quilters that gather once a month and I'm thrilled to stitch with them. We also retreat every three months for a few days and the pieces that come from these members are fantastic. Here is one by M.N. All photos can be enlarged, and her choices of fabric is pretty fun.

As the longarm quilter, my goal is to make the piecers work shine. Simple lines, 100wt thread in light turquoise, and a ruler. That's what was needed to help finish this piece. I'm really hoping she enters it in our NW Washington Fair. Enjoy the pictures.

EPP is so portable and easy to do. I purchase my papers from my LQS. I find what I want on Paper Pieces website and then have my LQS order them in. The price is the same, but the shop makes the mark up and I don't pay the shipping. It's a win/win all the way around.

Keep stitching,
Sharon

Traveling EPP Stars

My EPP (english paper piecing) project had been completed.  Sleeve and all!  I thought I'd share the details here.   Maybe I will inspire someone to pull out an old project they pushed to the side, or take on a brand new piece. 
I'm often asked "how do you get so much done?" and that always seems to catch me off guard.  I guess when quilting is your job, and I follow along so many fantastic designers, piecers, appliquers, and longarm quilters, I can sometimes feel like I never get anything done.  That is why there is a statement that says, "Comparison is the Thief of JOY"

But enough of that.  Here are some of my tricks and tips on getting things finished.  Make sure you always have those hand work projects ready to go at a moments notice.  This piece traveled from WA to AZ to HI to NY to ON Canada and back to WA.  It also when to doctors appointments, the Friday night Street Legal Drags (yup, my guy is a car guy), and trips into town 20 minutes away.  I think you get my point.  It's very portable and easy to poke away at. The whole piece is hand stitched, from the basting to the piecing.

Here are my pieces in a hotel in downtown Buffalo, NY

When I finally had the stars all together with the setting fabric, I could put my rows together. Staying organized is very easy now with our smart phones.  A few quick pictures and you have captured your layout.

Once I had the center together, I could finalize the colors for the outside edges.  Plus I wanted to use the 1/2 diamonds for the side pieces and they were on order.

Close up finished edges.

Corner edges still with paper in behind them.  I am a thread baster when it comes to EPP.  I've tried fighting working with glue sticks, and for the record, the glue stick won.  So I continue to baste with hand quilting thread.  It does require a bit of time to pull out the threads, but I am pleased with my results so I stick to my method of choice.  Chocolate and vanilla, right?

Once I removed all the papers and got to the outside edges, I finished the process at the ironing board.   As I removed the papers, I gave the outside edge a quick spray of sizing and pressed with a hot iron.  Remember, I said pressed, not ironed.  You really want to make sure it's an up and down motion, not back and forth.  The edges are bias and I wanted to take care to keep a straight edge. 

I did one side at a time.  After it was pressed, I took it to my machine and did a line of stay stitching about an 1/8" from the raw edge.  This does two things.  It stabilized the bias edges, and keeps the seams from popping apart.

Once it was ready to quilt, I decided to quilt it with the KISS method.  Keep it Simple  Straight lines using a beige/cream So Fine thread did the trick. I also kept the binding narrow, and this is a single fold that started at 1 1/4"

Texture.....

Detail...........

Back and binding.  I used a wonderful Barbara Brackman print that I've been hoarding saving.

Another question I'm regularly asked, "How do I get my string fabric for my quilts?"   Easy, I save the trimmings.

See the thread line below?  Cut off the edge where there's stitching from the quilting process and pull the batting off.

And throw it into your strip basket.  That's one of many ways I accumulate various sized strips for later use.

Here are the details of the finished project.
13 rows
7 full stars
6 full 2 1/2 stars
49 stars + 36 stars (510 diamonds) + 12 1/2 stars (24 diamonds + 24 1/2 diamonds)
280 full background diamonds
14 1/2 BG diamonds
16 1/2 diamond triangles
814 diamonds
38 1/2 diamonds
14 triangles
866 total pieces
26.5 x 44.5 finished
Hobbs 80/20 batting
Straight line stitching
single fold binding cut at 1 1/4"

And yes, I've started another portable project.  This next one is 1" hexi's, 7 per block, 1" equilateral triangles as setting pieces, 12 per block, and 3" equilateral triangles as the joining piece for each block.  I estimate I might have that top finished by Dec of 2019.  I'll enjoy the journey!

Keep stitching,
Sharon

Quiltmaker - True North

It is such a kick to have one of my quilts published.  This month Quiltmaker May/June has my True North Medallion styled quilt on pages 12 - 18.  Gwen Marston got me hooked on medallion styled quilt making and I think if I could only make one style for the rest of my life, it would be this.  I used lots of Minick and Simpson fabrics for this piece, they do make some of the best Americana inspired fabrics.  The outer border was created using charms, so if you have a pack or two languishing in your studio, this is a great way to use them all!  Yes, even the ones you think you don't like.  They all play nicely together in this kind of border.

 

Used with permission Quiltmaker May/June '18 Published by F+W

The best part with Medallion styled piecing is you get to choose the designs for every round.  You can try out techniques but not be committed to an 80 x 80 pattern.  It can be a border that is only 6" wide and 24" long.  This pattern finishes at 52 x 52 but you can keep adding rounds to make it as big as you want.  Add your our design elements to create a one of a kind piece.  Easy, right? This pattern included English Paper Piecing, a template pattern for the center, bias vines that I stitched down by machine, hand applique for the EPP, and a fun design element in the outside border.  I went very scrappy, but this would also be fabulous in batiks.

Each round on this quilt seemed to take on its' own life.  The center star is 20" square so it was a perfect jumping off point. The magazine has instructions for appliqueing the center circle, but if you want to try your hand at insetting the circle, go HERE for a step by step photo tutorial.  Slow and steady wins with this center block.

tUsed with permission Quiltmaker May/June '18 Published by F+W

There are several great patterns in this issue. Carnival by Scott Flanagan looks like a fabulous skill builder pattern and Erin Russek created the beauty on the cover. I worked with Erin on this pattern and she was wonderful. What a thrill to have a pattern in this magazine, this is my first piece with F+W and it was a terrific to work with them.  Go grab your copy, it's on the store shelves right now.

Used with permission Quiltmaker May/June '18 Published by F+W

Check back for a few tutorials from me and start working on this. You'll have it finished in time for July 4th!


Keep stitching,
Sharon

Tula Nova

It seems like this is a timely post, given the news about Free Spirit closing down. Tula and all the other amazing designers will hopefully pop up with other fabric houses, and will continue to give us amazing, unique, and timely designs.

My friend GB  had two hand pieced tops. She loves using Kaffe, Tula, and such.  Look how well these prints play with Grunge dot!

The background was quilted with a swirl based feather, and I added in pebbles (on the larger size).
I wanted to give the background some texture without being too dense.

Ruler work was the primary method used for the Center.  It has been hand pieced and lots of fussy cutting had been done.

Faces always give me jitters.  I don't like to stitch through them.  I just don't.  No idea why I'm like this.  A few lines this way and that solved the problem on this piece.

I really like how the movement of the background design plays on the straight lines of the center.

The fussy cutting was wonderful. GB's piecing is so good, it's always a pleasure to quilt for her.

A stellar selection of prints and colors.

The stripes were fun in this design, and the faces of Elisabeth certainly add to the overall appeal of this pattern.

Gotta love a good back, and I like to show both sides.

It's a fun mix of straight lines, feathers, swirls and circles.  All mixed up to add texture to a wonderful quilt top.

I hope quilters don't hang on to these wonderful fabrics due to the recent news.  Use them up, make fabulous quilts that get gifted and used.  That's what these fabrics were produced for.  Don't let them languish in your bins and drawers.  You bought the fabric because you loved it, so use your top shelf prints and enjoy the end result!

Keep stitching,
Sharon

Prepping for Surgery

Don't get excited, it's not my surgery. My guy is finally getting his shoulder repaired after 10 weeks. We hear it's going to be a very painful recovery, but knowing that every day after the surgery brings us one day closer to being back to working order makes us both happy. He retired in February, so this was his summer of sailing and golfing and getting an old car............. surgery!

So I need to be prepared for the next week, while I sit and keep him company for a few days. What else but EPP!

I have signed up for an EPP group that starts up in the fall, but I'm getting a jump start.  Wow, are those small diamonds small. That really sunk in when the package of 450 pieces arrived from Paper Pieces.  I'm trying a "new to me" method, no stitching through the paper, so the one hole punch is necessary for paper removal with a tiny crochet hook.

I've got lots of diamonds cut.  Super fast and easy since I had scads of 2 1/2" strips in a basket. 

Using small paper clips to hold down the seams makes the basting task more manageable, and I feel that I'm getting a tighter wrap on the paper.

So far, I have a small zip bag already basted.  However, it still looks like 1000's of papers are in the package, even though it only came with 450.

I'll have busy hands along with the surgeon. If I get bored, I also have a facing and sleeve to stitch down, and a wall hanging that is marked, basted and ready to hand quilt.  This should keep my hands busy for the next few days. 

Then it's back to the quilting machine with customer quilts.  I'm staying on task and am working with a 2 - 3 week turn around right now, so if you have any tops you need turned into quilts, please consider me, it's appreciated. 

Keep stitching,
Sharon