Saturday, January 11, 2014

Making Slow Progress

My Vintage Quilt Revival Block-Along Squares
As of this week I have completed three squares and am going to work on my fourth Sunday. I am definitely stitching SLOWLY...and ripping SLOWLY :-) I do a LOT of ripping.
This vintage quilt block-along is my first attempt at paper piecing. I was always afraid to even try it, but I’m beginning to understand it a wee bit at a time. It is such a learning process for me. I hope it will become easier with time.

 Square 2 ~ Riviera
Unfortunately, I’m going to have to take this apart.I was not pressing the pieces properly so this square ended up small. My guild friend, Sandy, at our local quilting shop told me to take the 4 sections apart, press the pieces correctly and fully open, sew it together again, and that should resolve the issue. UGH! I won’t make that mistake again. She also suggested that I leave the piecing paper on the blocks until I assemble them in the end so I can be sure of correctly matching up points. 

 Square 3 - Dakota Star
With this one the points were a little bit off at the center, but Sandy showed me how to clip the seam a wee bit freeing up the fabric. After I ironed it, the points matched up just fine.

Here are my three finished blocks.


I also pieced another square for my 100 Modern quilt Block project, but I photographed it upside down...oops. After thinking about it for a bit, I decided to not use the black but instead some of my red geometric and red polka dots. Thanks to seeing the way Jennifer from Knotted Thread was posting hers, I decided to follow suit and take pictures of the squares alongside the page in the book. I just need to remember to place them going in the correct direction.

This post is linked with:

Slow Sunday Stitching over at Kathy’s Quilts

Sew Darn Crafty over at Karen’s Sew Many Ways

Paper Piecing Party at Kristy’s Quiet Play.

10 comments:

  1. Good for you taking on this challenge. I could not do it. I feel a migraine coming on thinking about it. I am totally impressed. I like your choice of fabrics. The first one looks like an old quilt I had. Actually the one the kitty was wrapped in on her last trip to the vet. Hope all is well. xo

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  2. I love paper-piecing ... it's a terrific way to get everything looking the same! Your blocks look fabulous and I can see you've taken to the process quite well! Enjoy your slow-stitching (and maybe ripping?!) day!! :)

    ps -- I went to reply to your comment on my blog but realized you're a 'no-reply' blogger? The owl swap sounds like such fun!! I'll have to travel through your blog to see if I can find where/if you posted about it!! :)

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  3. You have some difficult stuff going on ! But very striking blocks! :)

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  4. Your paper piecing looks great. It does get so much easier with practice. It always seems upside down and backwards at first, but once you have gotten used to it, you will be amazed at how well it handles truly odd shapes and angles. Lovely blocks.

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  5. Your blocks look great! I can only manage simple paper piecing, I find folding the paper at the next seam line helps a lot and that add a quarter inch ruler is a must for me. It is great though for those hard to piece blocks.

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  6. You are doing a fantastic job. I find paper piecing a bit tricky. Well done

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  7. Followed your link at Sew Many Ways :) I just had to see that block! Paper piecing skeers mee!! Your blocks are beautiful and might tempt me enough to give it a try!!

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  8. It looks like you are off to a great start with your paper piecing!

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  9. Your blocks are beautiful! I am not proficient at paper piecing either. I have only tried it a few times even though it's a really precise way to make a block. Maybe I'll have to try it again.

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  10. Beautiful blocks! Great job!
    Thanks for linking up to Slow Sunday Stitching!

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