Layout and English Paper Piecing....

Hopefully, you have been pulling out some fabrics for the Flowering Snowball...I know there are a few folks who have not only picked their fabrics but are on to the quilting!  Ahhhhmazing!

Today I will quickly go over pattern layout for cutting the template pieces...and then Clare will share her EPP method for putting together a stunning Flowering Snowball!   

Whether you are using acrylic templates that you purchased or the downloaded template from here...

there are a couple of things to remember when cutting out your templates.

The most important thing to remember is that the straight edge of the template needs to be parallel to the straight of grain on the fabric.

and, again, on the straight of grain...

I know this is exciting stuff!  But it is important to have the outside edges of the block on the straight of grain.  That pesky bias on the outside edge makes for a wiggly block!

If you are cutting acrylic templates with a rotary...it may be easier to use a smaller rotary.  I used my 45mm rotary because I was too lazy to look for the smaller one, but I do think it would help.   If you prefer to trace around templates {and I often do}... you can simply use a sharp pencil.  And for dark fabric, if you can't see your pencil mark, you can use a silver gel pen or a chalk pencil.  The templates are cut on the drawn line, so no need to worry about the mark.  

   

 Before I turn this over to Clare....I wanted to share with you a couple of amazing Flowering Snowballs!

Have a peek here and here!

and you can follow the entire group here!

So now, please pop over to Clare's place! Clare is the go-to girl for EPP!  And you can't even imagine how beautiful her Flowering Snowball quilt is!  Well, maybe you can....because everything Clare does at Selfsewn is amazing!

You will find Clare here....   

happy monday!

keep posting those pictures...these quilts are fabulous!

mary 

SCHEDULE

Post schedule- June 11th.

Yardage - June 13th.

Templates and options for making Templates - June 15th.

Choosing Fabrics::with a special guest Susan@PatchworknPlay- June 20th.

Cutting Fabric using the templates or choosing to make an English Paper Piecing Version::with a special guest Clare@Selfsewn- June 23rd.

Sewing Curves and Piecing - June 30th.

Putting the Top Together - July 14th.

Quilting and Binding - July 18th.

Show Off your Finished or Almost Finished Flowering Snowball - Aug. 8th.

 

Stitches....

Embroidery stitches are lovely....tiny works of art....properly placed and perfectly executed....

Lovely Molly!

I visited my favorite little flea market yesterday....truly a diamond in the rough!  I found something so exciting....although like my little market, a bit rough around the edges...

It is a quilt top....just a top...not finished...it has some holes....but all hand pieced.

The fabrics appear to me to be 1940's....have a look....

When I spotted this - I immediately thought of Clare from Summerfete....and her English Paper Piecing....

I am so drawn to this quilt top....I want to know who made this?  Why did she stop working on it?

I think I can save enough of it to finish it.....

Have a wonderful weekend....

mary

Today's Inspiration....

Today I was completely inspired by Clare :)

If you haven't seen her beautiful quilt....you really need to have a peek....

all completely english paper pieced...

Truly - you are an inspiration, Clare :)

mary

Simply Satisfying....

I love quilting.  I love almost every style of quilting.  For me the joy is truly in the process.  I am eager to learn different techniques and more fully develop techniques I already have in my arsenal.  It really is the process...

 For me...hand work is so rewarding....I enjoy the quiet times to sit and let my hands go through the motions while my mind just thinks....about everything.  I clear up all the unanswered questions, make plans, dream of the next project...all in that little space of time while I lay my stitches down without a thought.  I really am not concerned when it will be finished....if it will be finished.  It is the process.

When my kids were little, I would take my sewing outside and sit in a lawn chair and watch them play.  This Carolina Lily quilt was made during one of those summers...it was one of my first quilts....

The mauve is a dead giveaway that this was made in the 80's!  I hand pieced this quilt and hand quilted it.  For the longest time it was on my Maggie's bed...

Then one night the corner slipped into the gerbil cage...and the gerbil had a good chew!

When I look at it now...I think how 'cutting edge' I must have been to have these simple solids on a white background! LOL!

It is very simple and yet as a whole probably took me a very long time to finish....

Today I tried a different design {same technique} using English Paper Piecing.  I followed a tutorial by Clare from My Selfsown Life    to create this lovely star flower block {don't know if that is the true name}

   

I used Denyse Schmidt voile for the star...if I continue, I am not sure I would use voile.  It is a bit flimsy in the center.  But I love the delicate design of this fabric.  And I actually like the black background....it is a lovely block.  Clare did an entire quilt with this block and I have enjoyed watching her progress.

Quilting is so simply satisfying....

Have a great Wednesday!

mary

PS.....I have had more than one issue with blogger lately...ugh....at the moment I cannot comment without my profile being anonymous....are any of you having similar issues?