Monday, August 2, 2010

Design Wall Monday

For the last month I've been working on an English Paper Piecing project off and on. At the end of June, I received a package from a swap of mini nine patches in which I participated. Along with my 200 blocks, I received a sample English Paper Piecing kit. The kit (put together by a company called Paper Pieces) included 7 paper hexagons (3/4"), 7 small squares of fabric (2") and a set of instructions. I figured, "what the heck" and gave it a try. The picture below has the original kit and two other blocks that I made reusing the paper pieces.


I really enjoyed doing this and decided that since I have a fair amount of reproduction scraps that I would make a bed size quilt using this technique. Of course that means the entire project will be hand pieced and quilted, and since I'm only working on it while I'm watching TV, waiting at the doctor's office, etc. it probably won't get done until I'm 120 years old. Anyway, below are the nine blocks that I have done so far and the pieces ready to make the next block. (Perhaps I'll work on that when Nikki calls and says that she's gone to the hospital to have the baby! Of course the way things are going, that may take a while! Not really, she goes back to the doctor tomorrow and they will decide their "plan of action.")


I'm really liking these blocks and my husband Jack has enjoyed them as well. Actually, Jack recently reminded my that when we had taken a hand quilting class together at a local quilt shop (about ten years ago) we met a woman who made a Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt entirely by hand. She was a flight attendant and had pieced the blocks while she was on layovers, waiting for flights, etc. Of course Jack remembers that I said that even though I thought it was beautiful, I would NEVER make one. The moral of the story is to never say never!

As I said before, I'm not working on this exclusively, but I since I don't have anything else to show for Design Wall Monday, I decided to post this. I'll probably show progress on this off and on, especially if I don't have anything else to show.

As you can tell from the pictures, I've decided to make this quilt pretty scrappy. I'm not really trying to match fabrics (other than the center hexagons and the connecting or path pieces). It should be interesting to see how this turns out.

Oh, by the way. I'm using 1" hexagons for my blocks. I seriously considered using 3/4" or even 1/2" hexagons, but decided that was just CRAZY!!

How many of you have made one of these quilts? Perhaps a better question would be "How many of you have STARTED one of these quilts?"

Check out what other quilters have on their design walls by going to Judy L.'s Patchwork Times blog.

12 comments:

Nina Marie said...

I LOVE to English Paper Piece - right now I have an on again off again pinwheels project going and in the past I used it for a massive 4200 piece tumbling blocks (both on my blog). I love that you can take it with you where ever you go and work on it as much or as little as you want!

Diane said...

I've not made one altho I have a few of those little kits you posted a picture of. I won't say "never" as I know what that will mean.

knittingbrow said...

never say never. You should know that by now. :)
These look great.

Teaquilts said...

I haven't started a grandmother's flower garden yet; plan to. I do have a few of the kits you showed at the top given to me at quilt shows. I have started cutting some hexagons using my GO! cutter but not enough to talk about yet. You got quite a bit done in a short period of time. That's very motivating to me for when I do start.

Beth said...

I have not started one..but I HAVE been eyeing them! Don't worry about how long it takes to make! Its NOT a race! I have a LARGE cross stitch in my living room it took me 12 YEARS to finish. Thats because it only 'went' places with me! (and NO I won't be making another!..want the pattern??? lolol)

patmmm said...

I have a friend who is finishing her eighth queensize Grandmother's Flower Garden. She has a new one ready every year for our quilt show. I have finished 27 blocks and am now preparing them for hook up. Maybe in 4 yrs. or so it will be finished.

AnnieO said...

I have not caught hexagon fever but it has been difficul to avoid it! I have a vintage hexagon top but it needs work before it can actually be considered ready to turn into a quilt, a bit wonky and missing some hexies.

fancystitching said...

Yep, Started one, not finished, using 3/4" hexagons. I realized fairly soon it would never be a large quilt; Plan B - small quilt; Plan C - BORDERS on a small quilt. Now I can't find it after moving. Flowers are all done, just adding green around them and sewing them together. I'm ALMOST to the point of figuring out what I would do for the center of the quilt. I guess I need to have a search for that project... it IS here SOMEWHERE! Yours are lovely!!

Kat

Glen QuiltSwissy said...

Your pieces are beautiful. And I like the look of the totally not worried scrappy thing. Makes it more real.

very nice.
glen in louisiana

Melinda said...

I made a hexagon quilt for my Y2K quilt. It has 2000 one inch hexagons. I pieced it during 1999 and 2000 and finished in in 2001. I wanted it for my bed and since the 2000 hexagons weren't big enough, I appliqued the entire quilt top on to borders. By the way, it is all Christmas fabrics and goes on my bed the day after Thanksgiving each year. It is machine quilted but hand pieced.

Chris said...

I cannot imagine even considering the smaller hexagons!

Susan said...

Your English Paper Piecing looks great!