Paper Piecing Miniatures

I like paper-piecing blocks, even though it's challenging. I do appreciate that it helps to make miniatures or small parts of blocks in particular more accurate. Take these that I've done, for example:

The blocks look a bit wonky, not because they're just a "wonky" pattern. It's because they're challenging! In spite of the imperfections, I love the little star points. Each individual block of the 4 patch measures about 4.5". Together the block measures 9.5". Paper-piecing allows one to use scraps of fabric for projects, or specific fabrics for a more carefully designed work. I wanted to make a panel for a handbag with this 4-patch, but it's too big for the pattern I planned to use. 

Instead, I chose this set:

I surrounded each 4.5" patch with my hand-dyed fabric, purple/orange/pink/blue.

I quilted the panel with a simple grid pattern in pink cotton thread. Now the panel will be cut into 4 individual blocks for the handbag pattern. Those open squares are tempting me to do something else in them...machine embroidery? appliques? Will those overtake the star blocks? Hmmm....

These paper-pieced patterns come from the book Down in the Valley by Derksen and Harder. The book includes other very cute & very detailed patterns for paper-piecing. Has anyone else tried this particular book and made anything?? I'd love to see!

Happy quilting! Joining creative friends at:

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and a new link site:

Hand Dyeing, New Tablerunner, & Quilt Show

Hand Dyeing

I've wanted to dabble in hand dyeing for a long time. It looked like fun! So I took a class with Lynn Koolish last Friday at the Sisters, Oregon Quilt Show. I brought 6 yards of prepared-for-dyeing (PFD, as opposed to pdf!), which I also prewashed and dried. I cut this yardage into 1 yard or smaller quantities so that I ended up with at least 8 separate pieces to "play" with. At least 13 women in the class participated, sharing materials and having a great time. We experimented and learned from one another. Here's a sampling of what I created:

Blue: folded and placed in 2 cup plastic container with dye. This is probably my favorite because of the patterning and variation of color.

Grapes: I painted the grape motif with a corks that another woman had glued together in the shape of a bunch of grapes. I used a sponge brush to paint the leaves, and sprayed the background lightly with yellow.

Chartreuse Lattice: I sprayed the background lightly with yellow, squirted lines of orange (which bled), dotted purple with a squirt bottle, and drew the lattice with a sponge brush. 

Spaceships??: I used a natural sponge to "blop" with purple. I took my bottle cap to stamp the pink circles with my gloved hands, which resulted in "bunny ears". I added some blue with the natural sponge, then drew squares with a sponge brush in green.

Aqua Spirals: Aqua paint on natural sponge, painted with purple spirals.

American Flag??: I didn't mean to imitate the flag, but there you go! If I had turned it upside down, it would look different, right? This was the best technique, I think, though I do like what happened with the folded fabric. Created with a fabric-wrapped PVC pipe ("rag-roller") for the green. Red squirt-lines of paint in left corner were scraped with a plastic thing-y used for texturing walls or cakes. Used natural sponge to make light blots of red on the green.

Wild: Green rag-roller, red scraped with plastic texture tool as well as rectangle sponge blops, squirt bottle blue spirals & stars. Surely there's a use for it...somewhere....

Mop-Up Rag: Suggested by the instructor. I used it to clean up spills, dye that bled through to the plastic tablecloth below my projects, and to blot up areas of too much dye on other projects (note the spirals & stars).

Aqua: fabric was scrunched tightly into another plastic container of dye. The color is lovely, reminding me of a blue sky with some clouds (look closely). The patterning isn't quite as dramatic as the folded piece above.

*Just for fun, vote on which one of the above you like/prefer, if you were shopping for a hand-dye. These are amateur attempts. Use the title under the one(s) you like.

Have you done any hand-dyeing? Have you enjoyed the process? Share some of your creations!

My Creation: New Tablerunner

It's been a busy summer, including some stitching. I started this tablerunner at least 6 months ago. I really like the "hot" colors:

Close up view

The total view

Now I need to find the backing and binding fabric.

Quilt Show: Sisters, Oregon

I apologize to all the artists whose names I regretfully didn't take time to write down (or photograph) to give them rightful credit in the photos. Over 1500 quilts, of all sizes and types, were displayed outdoors & indoors throughout this small Old West town. These are a sampling of some of the ones that took my fancy. Enjoy their talents and inspiration!

View of quilts hanging on the side of Stitchin' Post Fabric Store.



          

     


     

   

     




    

     

     


          

     

If you know the names of the patterns of any of these quilts, please share them with me. I'll post more details later!

Linking up with creative friends like you!

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