The brutal cold of the last few weeks encouraged me to finally post my Frosty Fortitude English Paper Piecing wall hanging (table runner) project. It was a delight to make, and I hope others will find it something that inspires creativity.
Frosty Fortitude – English Paper Piecing
The word quilt can mean simply a blanket. However for some, the word is intertwined with memories of a cherished grandmother who provided warmth and a hug through a patchwork creation of love.
The language of quilting, is both simple and complex. It is a craft developed around a utilitarian skill, but unlike its fiber cousins, weaving and knitting, quilting can mean the entire process as well as the specific skill of sewing together the quilt sandwich.
The word quilting describes the task of sewing together two or more layers of fabric, with the modern quilt usually having two layers of fabric sandwiching a middle layer of fiber called batting or wadding. However, historically, the process often was used to bind together many layers of fabric in order to create a dense fabric structure used for armor.
The term quilting has also become synonymous with the process of making a quilt. Piecing the patches of a patchwork quilt is less often used. It is easier to say, “I am quilting,” and have yourself understood than it is to say, “I am piecing,” or “I am doing patchwork”. Plus, not all quilts are pieced or constitute patchwork. Whole cloth quilts and comforters are examples of quilted items that would not require piecing and would not be called patchwork. Plus there is also a category of quilts that are tied or tufted. These are still considered quilts by many (especially when they are patchwork in nature), but these have no quilting stitches.
So what is in a word – the word quilting? Is is just another English word that causes many to shake their head over the confusion of the English language? Or is it a word that is fluid, adaptable, and timeless? It can mean many things – different things to different people, and also many things to one.
In my dictionary it has many definitions. Including the following one.
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This week’s video shares a few more of the quilted items under construction in my home at the moment, as well as a couple finished quilts. I also have another patchwork block to share.
Trying a new pattern just for the fun of it. Windmill was inspired by a block in Barbara Brackman’s book Facts & Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery. I was drawn to the windmill image the block created. I added two center applique circles to emphasize the imagery.
Or simply make your own template following this diagram.
Small or large, this is an easy template to make. Just start with a square.
It’s been eight months since I posted the first of thirty blocks designed for an English Paper Piecing sampler quilt. Today I share the final four blocks in the set. I will begin assembling them into a quilt top, possibly resembling this rendering, in the next few weeks. Then the hand quilting will begin.
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No matter the reason you put off working on it, no matter how displeased it made you feel at times, a finished project will stir your heart when it is completed, if for no other reason than it is done.
A productive week! Three quilts finished, as well as finally finishing the silk I’ve been spinning on-and-off for months. I share these completed projects in this week’s vlog. I also have another English Paper Piecing block to share. It is called the Gemstone Star and can be downloaded below.
Plus I created a couple short reels this week when I ventured out of the crafting room 💜.
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In a world were the pressure for perfection is ever present, the quest for success can overwhelm us, thus causing our creative mojo to get lost somewhere along the journey. This is often the case when we are creating to meet the demand of others, but it can also be the case when we are creating for ourselves. The scale we use to measure success, sadly, is seldom one we create ourselves, thereby placing us at the risk of becoming overwhelmed when our efforts fall short of an unrealistic norm.
As creators, or makers to use another term commonly used in social media, we rely on our creative mojo to keep our inspiration flowing and our ideas vibrant. Our ability to keep creating often relies heavily on our feelings of accomplishment, and therefore how we determine success is instrumental in our ability to create.
In my video today, I ponder the notion of success and the question of whether my latest project is a success. I determine success is achieved when three criteria are met – functionality, structural-soundness, and joy. We are makers not machines. Variables in our creative efforts are part of what makes our product unique and desirable. When we hold onto this knowledge, we can better keep hold of our mojo even as we pursue success.
Simply joyful projects do more than just keep the hands busy, they cleanse and refuel the mind.
This week I have two simple flowers to share. They can either become decorative mini pillow ornaments, or they can be applied to a fabric square for use in a bigger project.
A classic block can shine in both vintage and modern fabrics. The Octagon Star is a great example of a classic eight pointed star set into a square for ease of piecing.
Remove the corners, and like the hexagon, the octagon opens up a world of possibilities.
Or keep it simple by setting the blocks in either a standard layout or on-point.
Every so often a crafter will undertake a project that makes them ask, “What was I thinking?” In this week’s video, I share three of these projects – one of which is my English Paper Piecing block.
This is a block worth making, but it is also one that required a determination to get it to work rather than an expectation of perfection. I’m pretty sure that I was doomed from the moment the pieces were cut. This block required clear labels from start to finish – a step I neglected to do. I’m pretty sure a piece or two was flipped or mislabeled. However, despite being doomed from the beginning, I made it work. True, there was some tweaking and fudging during the construction, but the end result will still work for my project. The final quilt’s sashing should help hide any visible imperfections.
With all that being said, I still love the look of this star block and am glad I pressed on with it despite the foreboding I felt when I realized how finicky its construction would be. For more details on where I went wrong and how I made it work, I recommend watching this week’s vlog. It contains three “What was I thinking” projects and a good deal of me laughing at how much these projects spice up my life.
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Pithy Ponderings 