Retreat Update

I'd like to introduce you to...Big Bertha and Minnie. Big Bertha recently joined my quilt tools to add support to Minnie, who has been with me since I got my first sewing machine in 1989. Minnie still does a great job, but Big Bertha has been brought in for really big jobs. Her egonomically correct body design helps my hand to relax and 'enjoy' the task at hand.
I used Big Bertha to remove the four corners from this block. The off-white flowered fabric was bothering me, so tomorrow I will try to replace it.

This next block has seen a lot of Big Bertha as well. Now, even though I am a recovering perfectionist, I still am serious about accurate cutting and piecing. But that middle pinwheel square was NOT square, and when I tried to attach the green strips, they did not fit according to the measurements. Oh, how I sewed and ripped, sewed and ripped. Next I worked on the flying geese. I must be really rusty, for I started out sewing right side to wrong side, and yes, more ripping.

I finally laid it all out to take a look before attaching the geese; once again, the off-white flowered fabric bothered me. The color in the photos really is not accurate...it does look awful with the white surrounding the geese. So.....tomorrow I will (once again) do some ripping; I think I will use this scrolly fabric instead.

Alas! I did finish the paper pieced block! It turned out just fine. (Bertha was used extensively on this square too.)

So I am calling it quits for tonite. I had frustrating moments today, but at least Big Bertha and I know each other v-e-e-e-r-y well now.

Quilt Retreat, Day 2

I'm off to a slow start today. I made another one-fourth of the paper-pieced block. Yesterday Susan commented that when she does paper-piecing, the fabric pieces seem to end up in the wrong place, which leads to seam ripping. Yep, that is my problem exactly! Well, I have a few more paper pieced blocks chosen and cut, so perhaps with practice I will do better and enjoy this technique more than I do right now.
I decided to alternate paper piecing with regular piecing, and here is another block!

Oops, I guess I am not much better with placement of blocks, am I! Get out the seam ripper and fix that lower block.

Back to work!

Retreat Update

Every good retreat has bowls of chocolate on each table! Here's mine.
So I am working on the Christmas Sampler. I won a copy of this magazine, and I had a set of 20 fat quarters that I bought for $10 clearance at JoAnns. I decided that I would put "won" and "20" together to make a sampler quilt. The set of fabrics are not Christmas fabrics, but the colors are Christmasy, and that is why I am calling it my Christmas Sampler.

At some point (I can't remember when) I chose the blocks I wanted to make, then cut out all the pieces and put each block into an envelope. The fun part is opening the envelope to see all the fabrics again!

Here is the next one I am making...called Wishing Star. (Grrr....blogger turned my photo again.)

Here is the block, roughly laid out... Yep, all the pieces are there. Whew!

And the finished block. It is not perfect, but in the grand scheme of the quilt, I don't think anyone will really notice!

Hey look! I'm paper piecing now! One of the challenges for me in this project is to try new techniques. I have not paper pieced before, so I am following the instructions in the front of the magazine.

Hey look! I'm ripping out the paper piecing! I'm not so sure I really enjoy this technique, as I am unsure exactly where to put the pieces of fabric.

Ta-Dah! Here is my first attempt, hot off the machine. I need to peel the paper off yet--not so easy to do. Then I must make three more as this is only one fourth of the complete block.

I'm going to go grab some supper, then head to church for worship practice. I hope to finish this block when I come home.