Monday, March 19, 2012

Mary's Step I

Recently I decided to make a paper-pieced star but  it has been many years since I've used that technique, so I first made a "prototype." I just didn't want to risk my really good fabric from the US if I didn't like the design or couldn't manage the technique. For the prototype, I used material from my stash that I had purchased here in Panama and knew I could replace if necessary. (And for sure, the fabric selection in Panama is mighty slim!) I didn't put the final wide borders on the block the pattern called for since that posed no challenge. (But oh my goodness, paper-pieceing is so much more fiddledy than our wonderful, free-spirited Liberated Quilting!!) The good news is that this block made of totally uncoordinated fabrics might turn into Step I for our RR II.
Not such a pretty picture, right? 





So I chopped off the little navy flange then whacked a couple of times across the whole shebang and inserted curvy scraps. Next I diced the entire piece and flipped the parts left to right. Now what? 





Okay, add some sashing. But I'm still dreadfully unhappy -- how Fugly can it get?!! And I realize the turquoise is a very big problem: it's NOT 100% cotton since my hot iron has made it pucker! Furthermore, it has inadvertently ended up making a big X across the whole square - how did THAT happen? So I chop off as many big pieces of the turquoise as I can manage.

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Add a bit of green at a wonky angle and voila! I declare the block Step One -- hardly any resemblance to where it all began! Wheeee! Wonder what's next?




9 comments:

  1. So creative Mary! Great that you showed the steps to us and walked us thru your thinking process so we could all follow along. Only wish we could be having a cup of tea in the same room!

    : )
    June

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  2. But PS I really liked the initial paper pieced block - did you have the pattern on regular paper or special paper? There is a New York Beauty quilt along that I look at every once in a while - maybe someday I will do a few of those blocks to try it out!

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    1. June, I looked up a New York Beauty Block and got tired just imagining trying to make one! It is surely is gorgeous, though. This one is a Carol Doak pattern called Belize Quilt available free on her website. It was not difficult to make, if you've got the basics of paper piecing, but I'm glad I did the prototype first. The "real" one is ready for quilting and I'm thinking how to do that:) Will post on Lib Quilt album when completed.

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  3. Well done Mary. Exactly what I meant.

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  4. Love this block. Lots of movement and color, looking forward to seeing where this goes!!!

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  5. This turned out so well, Mary! Your tenacity paid off!

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  6. This turned out so well, Mary! Your tenacity paid off!

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