I Have Decided on a New York Beauty!!!

I have been looking for the next project I want to work on...long term.  And I think I have decided to do a New York Beauty quilt.  Like the Pickle-dish, this is one I have always loved....so I found a few designs I like and did some paper piecing using freezer paper....

I also thought I would do a little mini-tutorial on the freezer paper technique....at least how I do it :)

Begin with your design and trace it onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper.

Each quadrant of my design is separated into 5 parts and 3 of those will be paper pieced....the center circle I have decided to applique so I don't have a pieced center.

slide your design under the freezer paper and trace

Score the lines of your design with the back of your seam ripper....don't cut all the way through the paper...just score it to make it easier to fold the paper back.

Next cut your fabric so it is at least 1/4 inch larger than your design lines....I am using two fabrics and I will work on the first segment of my design {first triangle working from left to right}  Place a piece of fabric under the freezer paper template...the shiny side will be placed next to the wrong side of your fabric.

my fabric is placed under and extending beyond the lines of the first segment of my design

Using a dry hot iron press the freezer paper so it adheres to the first piece of fabric....then carefully peel back the paper so it is folded on the line of the first triangle.... 

Take your acrylic ruler and place it so the fold of the paper is lined up with the quarter inch mark on the ruler.  Slice the excess fabric so that a quarter inch seam allowance is left extending beyond the paper fold....

Now take your second fabric and place it so the right sides are facing and the raw edges along this quarter inch seam are lined up....

Stitch just along the side of the folded paper....be careful not to sew on the paper....just use the fold as a guide and stitch right next to it {I shorten my stitch length to 1.8}

Then unfold the second fabric...finger press along the seam....and then press the freezer paper again over the second fabric.  Now you will be working on the second segment.  Once the freezer paper is pressed onto the second segment...gently peel back the paper and fold along the next line.....again slice off the excess to leave the quarter inch seam allowance.

second fabric is unfolded...press the freezer paper again to cover the second segment and the second fabric

slice off the excess fabric leaving the quarter inch seam allowance

Continue in the same manner until you have filled in every segment of your design...

then trim around the outside of your design.  My pattern has the quarter inch seam allowance all the way around the outside so I did not need to leave a quarter inch seam allowance.  I trimmed along the outside edge of the paper pattern.  Carefully peel the freezer paper off of your pieced arc.

trimmed pieced arc

I have not sewn my quadrants together or my center circle....I think I will use a dotted fabric for the background....so I will be looking for the right background fabric....

I am not sure I will use this background....I need to audition other dots....

I very much enjoy this type of piecing...even though it can be a bit tedious.

Hope you are having a great Friday!

mary