Wednesday, June 16, 2021

I May Have A Scrap Problem... But These Will Help!

 

Hi, all!

It's been a while since I've had the time (or the energy!) to post on a Wednesday, but don't think that means I have given up on my scraps!  Now that Hands2Help is in the books for this year, I should have more time to work on them.

And this week I'm very pleased to share something really special!  A while back I was contacted by the wonderful people at Felicia's World about their paper piecing templates. They asked if I would be willing to give them a try and post about it on my blog.  Now, if you've followed me for long you'll know that I have never really been able to wrap my head around the concept of paper piecing - but I decided that since I could make log cabin blocks by traditional piecing, I should be able to manage paper piecing.  So I said yes, and they sent me some samples to try!

After cutting out my vacation project, I took the leftover fabrics and cut them into 1.5" strips, then added some white strips and solid teal 2" squares.  


The instructions are clearly printed on the cover of the pad of templates, which was helpful!  I took my handy glue stick and put a dab on the center square, then placed a teal square right on top.  With that stuck on, it went pretty quickly!  For the first few blocks I made, I marked which ones were to have white strips (don't ask me how I know that might be a problem...) but after I had made three or four, they went together pretty easily!  


Stitching on the lines is easier than you might think!  But it's important to remember to use a shorter stitch - that makes it easier to take the papers off after the blocks are finished.


And as with all quilt blocks, squaring up is important!  It's easy to align your ruler with the dotted lines on the template that indicate the outer edges.


Et voila!  Look how pretty and perfect all those seams are!  I will say that paper piecing these blocks makes it easier to get a beautiful square block, even with narrow pieces.


And once the blocks are finished, it's time to play with how to lay them out!  This is just one of the designs I considered using for my blocks.


Once the design was decided on and the piecing done, it was time for quilting!  I decided to use a simple cross-hatch design that I marked on the piece with my hera marker.


And look! I may not have a summer quilt for my bed yet, but I've got a summer pillow!  (And hopefully after vacation I'll have a summer quilt top ready for quilting, too!)  I do love the colors in this piece - so light and cheerful.  The fabrics are a mix of Kate Spain fabrics from several different collections, and are the same that I will be using in my quilt top.

Be sure to pop over to Felicia's World and check out her line of paper piecing templates!  She's also got some great videos that will actually show you how to do it (if you're paper piecing challenged, like I was) and some really good tips, too.  And I can guarantee you that while the first few may be challenging, they DO get easier!  And they're a great way to use up some of those skinny scraps (and a little addictive, too).

Hugs!

Sarah

9 comments:

  1. This looks like a very fresh quilt--nice job on the paper piecing!

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  2. Thanks for sharing your latest pillow project and the paper piecing review, Sarah. Happy vacation!!

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  3. Your blocks are beautiful, love the colors. I enjoy paper piecing, the accuracy is wonderful! Have a great vacation!

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  4. oh that IS a lovely summer pillow...anxious to see what follows...

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  5. It looks great. I am not a fan of paper piecing, but I can do it...if I put my mind to it. LOL I do like the precise points you can achieve.

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  6. Looks terrific! I love paper piecing for some things, but it is not the first technique I reach for. But, I have given up trying to work out some angles, and that is when it is so handy!

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  7. I love paper piecing! Thanks for showing us. Love that pillow! I will check out their site.

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  8. I learned about these paper piecing blocks from another blogger and have already ordered and received one of each size. A project for the future. Since I have difficulty getting a straight cut for strips, these blocks solve that problem. I can just cut them a little wider and the end result will be perfect! Your pillow is beautiful!
    Kathleen -- kakingsbury at verizon dot net

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  9. Wow! You make paper piecing log cabins sound and look so easy! Your squares looks so pretty and fresh! Thank you so much for accepting the opportunity and sharing in such a great post!

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