Tag Archives: quilts

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The Joy of Slow Crafting

When I started my journey into English Paper Piecing just over three months ago, I never envisioned how much joy I would find in the process. While not my first slow-craft (the trendy way to call traditional crafting), it has been the most surprising. Yes, it is true, my aging eyes need excellent lighting to manage, and a needle threading tool is quite helpful, but the joy of creating with needle and thread is abundant.

Finding balance seems easier now that I have added an additional slow-craft to my life. Without the slower hand work of crafts like EPP, it is easy to feel everything in life needs to be high-speed production in order to have value. Life, yes even crafting life, can speed out of control until one unexpected obstacle or turn derails you. Recovery is then required before the journey can continue.

This week I share three EPP projects: one that took weeks to make, one that is a component of something bigger, and one that is full of holiday joy. Each brings with it the benefits of slow-crafting.

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Three English Paper Piecing Pattern

Blowing in the Wind Wall Hanging Download
Hexie Snowflake Ornament Download
Autumn Leaves Quilt Block Download

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I share a few additional crafting ideas in this week’s video.

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Confused Geese – EPP Block 10

I often wonder if animals get as confused as we do when the weather doesn’t follow normal patterns. Based on a traditional Flying Geese pattern, this block takes a twist, with one column of geese flying in an opposite direction.

Confused Geese is a fairly straight forward block to piece. You construct each goose unit, apply sashing strips, and then borders. Much like the geese in my block, I was confused when I assembled it (as I discuss in my vlog this week), but the block worked out well despite my oops. I chuckled to think that the confusion the geese in the block were experiencing might have been contagious.

I hope you enjoy making this block as much as I did.

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Download Pattern for Confused Geese Here
10-confused-geeseDownload

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The North Star – EPP Block 09

A block that benefits from the use of light, medium, and dark contrasting fabrics for greatest impact. It is also stunning when made with a low contrast collection of fabrics.

Pattern for this block can be downloaded here.
09-north-starDownload

Still using 4 different fabrics, the blues are low contrasting for a subtle effect. Another option is to make it using one star fabric and one background fabric.

When the background fabric is changed to a dark contrast, the effect is dramatic.

This quilt layout uses 4 of the North Star blocks and a thin 1 inch border. Its finished size is 22 inches square.

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This week’s vlog shares my finished Halloween Quilt and some handy zippered bags. I include resource link in the vlog description for those wanting to try the zippered bag either with machine embroidery or with traditional sewing methods.

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Finishing the Unfinished

In the world of crafting, the UFO is anything but a rare occurrence. UnFinished Objects, the UFO, can also be called unfinished fiber objects in the world of knitting and crochet. At its heart, the UFO is simply a project that, once stated, was never finished. It is important to distinguish the UFO from the Grab n Go projects many crafters keep at a ready for times when crafting is out in the wild (dentist’s office’s lobbies, children’s school performances, stressful social engagements). It is also important to note that the UFO should not be mistaken for the slow projects kept on hand for the occasional break from the must-make-as-fast-as-possible projects and what-was-I-thinking projects which often dominate the crafters time. The UFO is separate from the rest, often because it is tossed into a hidden corner and somewhat forgotten.

However, this languishing UFO is not the only type of UFO in the crafter’s universe. Sometimes a UFO is simply a project put aside because life gets in the way of finishing. It might even be relegated to the infamous To Do pile, much like mending a favorite item of clothing. Every indication says that it will get done, just not at this particular moment. These UFOs are often the joy-filled projects a crafter begins but a misjudgment of time for completion occurs.

It is one of these latter types of UFO I completed this week along with all my other fiber and fabric fun. I share my UFO bag, this week’s English Paper Piecing block, and a few quick projects in my vlog.

Download EPP block 08 here.
08-courtyardDownload

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See the aforementioned UFO in this vlog.

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Cactus Rose – EPP Block 07

A block with so much potential. Change the colors and it can work for any season. I envisioned a Christmas Cactus when I put mine together.

The pattern for this block can be downloaded here.
Cactus RoseDownload

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Check out this weeks podcast for more adventures in fiber and fabric. This week I visited a fiber festival and brought home just a bit of fleece.

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Spool of Thread or Bobbin of Wool: EPP Quilt Block 06

What’s it name? This week’s English Paper Piecing block may be traditionally called The Spool, but in my world the spool of thread and the bobbin of wool compete for dominance. Whatever you choose to call it, this block pattern adds a bit of a spin on the standard block pattern.

The pattern for this block can be downloaded here.
Spool of ThreadDownload

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Plus more inspiration in this week’s podcast.

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Scrappy, Spooky, So Much Fun

English Paper Piecing dominates my days, especially since there are so many seasonal inspirations simply begging to become EPP projects. This week I am sharing two blocks for my ongoing EPP quilt project, plus a quilt pattern I’ve named Ghosts & Lanterns.

In addition to these EPP projects, I share more seasonal projects in this week’s podcast. With autumn breezes finally cooling the air, I have returned to my sewing room with excitement. In fact, that is were I am off to now.

Happy Unwinding with Fiber and Fabric💜

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Patterns for this week’s blocks can be downloaded here.

04-scrappy-16-patchDownload
05-wonky-16-patchDownload

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Pattern for Ghosts and Lanterns can be downloaded here.

00-ghosts-lanternsDownload

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Important Note: This is an untested set of basic schematics for this quilt rather than instructions.

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Hexagon Pinwheel – EPP Quilt Block 02

A twist on an old favorite.

Hexagon Pinwheel pdf linkDownload

One of the most iconic quilts of the 20th century is the Granma’s Flower Garden. Made from hexagons combined to create the appearance of flower petals, this design has been created with one unit – the hexagon. The concept and design has also appeared in crochet, with the hexagon replacing the more common Granny Square. Whether sewn or crocheted, the look is memorable and inviting.

Putting a spin on the more common block, the Hexagon Pinwheel adds the twist of piecing together the center hexagon before building the floret. I have added one additional twist and placed the floret into a pieced block. As with other similar designs, it would be easy to simply applique the floret onto a solid background, but I have chosen to challenge myself. It would be perfectly acceptable for others to bypass this challenge. There would be nothing wrong with cutting an 11 inch square of fabric, applying the constructed floret, and then trimming the block to 10.5 inches. Sometimes, one twist in a project is more than enough.

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Evening Star – EPP Quilt Block 01

Precision and Just Winging It can work together, especially when playing around with paper piecing.

The first block in a series of paper pieced blocks I plan to make (and share) over the next few months. I have a rough plan for a sampler quilt drafted in my quilting software*. For the blocks, I plan to use a combination of vintage fabrics I have collected over the years, hand dyed fabrics I created early in my dyeing exploration, and some unbleached muslin I have in abundance. I will decide on sashing fabric once all the blocks are constructed.

Each of my blocks will finish as 10″ blocks (including the cream borders). I am hand sewing each of the blocks, but will likely construct the quilt top by machine once I reach that point of the process. Many of the blocks are variations of traditional blocks. In most cases, the major modification was to set them into the block borders.

While most of these blocks could be constructed using other methods than English Paper Piecing (EPP), the scale of the blocks makes EPP the best choice. I will provide a pdf with fabric recommendations and template sheets. The template sheets have been arranged for ease of printing directly onto cardstock.

I share the Evening Star block in the second half of today’s podcast.

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Pattern for the Evening Star Block

Evening Star pdf download linkDownload

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Saith Me… Perspective

Imperfection fades away, replaced by snuggly comfort.

In the crafting world, the stress created by seeking perfection is offset by a simple 3-foot rule. Whatever is not noticeable from 3 feet away should not cause the maker angst. While this rule is not always as effective as one might hope, when it comes to quilting, there is an additional rule that usually covers all but the most egregious flaws. The comfort rule.

If the quilt provides comfort, then the quilt needs only be structurally sound to be perfect.

Sometimes in life, we lose perspective, focusing too much on imperfections rather than on purpose.

“What is the purpose of what we do?” “What is the goal we hope to achieve?”

There will always be situations where perfection must be the purpose, but those situations rarely extend beyond life-saving, safety-critical, or technology-focused tasks. In most cases, seeking perfection is a goal but not the purpose of the endeavor.

When we focus the purpose of our task, imperfections fade away to be replaced by the comfort a good perspective on life provides.