Point Taken: Peppered Cottons and FMQ ruler work—Part Three

After quilting my Point Taken quilt, I knew this quilt would benefit from blocking. See Part One for the fabric selection and Part Two for the quilting and ruler work on this quilt.

Point Taken: back view.

After submerging the quilt into room temperature water, it sat for several minutes to let the water absorb into the fabric and batting. The quilt was then removed, squeezed and rolled in a terry towel. The damp piece was laid out on a cushioned board, measured and maneuvered, and pinned in place until dry.

Wet blocking.

You just have to wait for it...

Point Taken: blocked and bound.

The blocking evened out the surface of the quilt and made the trimming easy.

The backing fabric is a quilting cotton, Primitive Basics by Blank Quilting (color: forest). This tonal blender shows off the FMQ and ruler work and the olive green color complements the colors of the patchwork of the quilt top. The binding is also a Peppered Cotton (color: begonia leaf).

Point Taken: back view.

Below are detail views of the completed quilt.

Point Taken: detail. The dimension of the prairie points can be seen here.

Point Taken: detail.

Point Taken: detail.

The finished quilt is 26" x 25.5". I would have liked a better [evenly lit] full view photo, but I was finishing the binding in a hotel room and not in my studio. I had to drop the quilt off at Mountain Creek Quilt Shop and thought Terri would prefer a quilted and bound quilt sample—rather than just a quilted one. So it goes...

Point Taken
Finished size: 26" x 25.5"

So that is the story of my latest completion. As I am often asked, the Quilt Stats are listed below. They tell the "other" side of the story. I hope Point Taken gets you inspired to get out your pretty threads, drop the feed dogs, and let the colors dance upon your patchwork. Let the music begin...

Point Taken
Finished size: 26" x 25.5"

Quilt stats
Finished size: 26" x 25.5"

Threads:
WonderFil Spaghetti, 12 wt. cotton
WonderFil 50 wt. cotton Tutti variegated and Konfetti solids
Aurifil 50 wt. cotton (solid colors)

Bobbin thread: 60 wt. Bottom Line #613 sage

13.75 hours free-motion quilting
3 bobbins

57 Glorious Hexagons by Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! The latest count on my EPP [English Paper Piecing] Glorious Hexagons collection is now at 57. Here are the latest block additions using fabrics from Blank Quilting and StudioE.

From the Bugaboo collection, a Peter Max psychedelic style print.

Selective diamond cuts from Cheeky Pumpkins [TD-K Signature] and Essentials by StudioE
surrounded by a lime green Splash blender [Blank Quilting].

Hoot Loves You owls surround this black and white kitty from A Cat's Tale
by Sarah Frederking for StudioE Fabrics.
Black/white bicycles by Blank Quilting run the perimeter of this #13 Judy block.

A Sumatra batik and a Splash blender from Blank Quilting make up this #10 Kelley block.

A bumble bee print from Honey Berries by Jenelle Kent for Blank Quilting
and a coordinating Splash blender.

See what hexagons my friends are working on over at the Blank Quilting Q-bies and StudioE Fabrics Q-bies Facebook groups. I've seen some patriotic blocks to commemorate Memorial Day. I'll be digging through my stash to get out the stars and stripes so I can EPP a R-W-B hexie, too.

Glorious Hexagons Quilt Along—using a color board

We're having fun with EPP (English Paper Piecing) hexagon blocks in the Glorious Hexagons Quilt Along and posting and sharing pictures. Initially, I was piecing hexagons with random fabrics from various fabric companies just to get into the swing of the program and the technique. This "hexing with abandon" method can be crazy-fun, however, if you're looking for a more cohesive, unified look, you might consider creating and working with a color board.

Color board of cool colors; primarily blues and greens.

A tip that JoAnne at Paper Pieces suggested before I started the Glorious Hexagon Quilt Along, was to pull two or three "inspiration fabrics"—in essence, a color board—from which to base color and fabric choices. Most focal prints from a fabric collection are great choices for this. Above is a cool color board and below is a warm color board.

Color board of warm colors: yellows, oranges, reds.

From these main fabrics, you can add the supporting cast of coordinating prints and blenders. Here is how I flushed out these two color boards with other fabrics.

In the first, more blues and greens were added... light and dark... and a white to add a coolness and a sparkle... also a yellow-orange/cheddar-colored fabric to add a little zing (orange is the complement of blue).

Ensemble of fabrics for the blue/green color palette.

When choosing other ensemble members for your color board, remember the Elements of Design: value, texture and color; and the Principles of Design: scale, variety, contrast and repetition. This will make your color board interesting yet cohesive. Below is the warm color palette.

Ensemble of fabrics for the warm color palette.

Here is another color board that is grounded in grays (white, black and grays) with accents of rich, bright jewel tones.

Whites, grays and blacks highlighted with bright colors.

Blender fabrics do a great job giving breadth and depth to this grayscale color board.

Adding interest and extending the color range with tonal blenders.

Hexagon block #19 Nicole illustrates the use of the red, blue and green tonal blenders with black/white prints.

#19 Nicole block from "The New Hexagon" book and Glorious Hexagons.

For another take on the concept of color boards, here is a video of Nathan Turner for Pottery Barn, creating and working with a mood board. It's just a matter of starting with things you like and auditioning additions so everything goes together.

As a fabric collection is built around a main fabric or focus print, a color board provides a roadmap for choosing other fabrics and coordinates. So, you might try orchestrating your Glorious Hexagon symphony around a color board to help with the fabric decision-making process. If you like the "Hexie with Abandon" approach, then have fun with the process and see where your hexagons take you. Nothing wrong with either path!

8 essential tools for English paper piecing your Glorious Hexagons

Including my latest Yuki dog hexagon block, I've completed 30 blocks thus far in the Glorious Hexagons Quilt-along. These EPP [English paper pieced] polygons are very portable—whether you travel from city to city or from your quilting room to the living room. I carry my equipment, completed blocks and partial block bits in a small tote bag. So what's in the bag, you ask?

30 English paper pieced "Glorious Hexagons"

My 8 Gotta-Haves in the EPP Quilt-along Tool Bag:
1) THE Book. (Pronounced "thee," with a capital "B" in book). You need Katja Marek's The New Hexagon book because the numbered blocks in the book are referenced in the monthly paper piecing kits. The book also has instructions for English paper piecing along with a few more hexie projects (should you desire more).

"The New Hexagon" book by Katja Marek.

2) Hand sewing needles. The EPP experts at Paper Pieces recommend a #10 sharp or #10 straw needle for piecing the hexagons. These needles have small round eyes and nice sharp points. They easily pierce and glide through fabric (and the paper, if you use that method). The shaft is uniform in size with the straw needles being slightly longer by comparison. If you prefer a different size needle, remember the bigger the number, the finer and shorter the needle. A handy Guide to Hand Sewing Needles can be found on the John James web site here.

The Gotta-haves in my EPP Tool Bag: 1. The New Hexagon book, 2. needles,
3. thread and (optional) conditioner,  4. straight pins, 5. acrylic templates,
6. paper pieces, 7. scissors, 8. pencils.

3) Thread. I use a good quality 50 wt. cotton thread for basting the fabric around the paper templates. I use up the "just a little bit left" spools. However, my go-to thread for hand piecing the hexagon bits into finished blocks is Wonderfil's 80 wt. DecoBob. It is a strong, fine weight polyester thread with a matte finish. The best part is that your stitches are nearly invisible on the right side! I have a package of DecoBob pre-wound bobbins with lots of colors and change thread color depending on the color of the fabrics I'm piecing. Optional: Thread Magic is a thread condition that minimizes knots and tangles in your thread when hand sewing. I use this occasionally on the cotton basting thread, but haven't found I needed it with the DecoBob polyester. (Ask YLQS about Thread Magic.)

4) Straight pins. I prefer glass head silk dress-making straight pins for my quilting and sewing projects. The glass heads will not melt if the iron accidentally touches them. The "silk" identification equates to these pins being thin, smooth and sharp so they don't make big holes (in delicate fabrics like silk). They are strong and about 1-3/8" long. I have a lot of these so use them for EPP as well.

5) Paper templates. Get the monthly kits from Paper Pieces and all the work is done for you. Open the resealable plastic bag and start in on the fun part!

Selective cutting or "fussy cutting" multiple motifs from the fabric.

6) Acrylic templates. If you want to take your Glorious Hexagons to the apex of magnificence, you'll want to do some selective cutting (fussy cutting) of your fabrics. The New Hexagon 32-piece acrylic template set is a must-have to achieve excellence with this technique (and prevent bad words from coming out of your mouth). Each template has the 3/8" seam allowance built in, a white outline indicating the image area (the finished view of the piece), and a label indicating its shape, size and what it's used for (ie. 1-3/4" Equilateral Triangle, or 1-1/2" 6-point 60-degree Diamond).

Acrylic template for fussy cutting multiple shapes from fabric.

7) Scissors. For cutting fabric and thread. I use small embroidery scissors for cutting lengths of thread for piecing and larger fabric scissors for cutting the fabric pieces.

8) Pencil(s). For tracing around the acrylic templates to mark the cutting lines on your fabrics. If you have dark fabric, consider a white Prismacolor or a chalk marking pencil.

1 to 8. These are the essentials in my EPP Tool Bag. I'm ready to take my Glorious Hexagons on the road. What's in your bag?

Doggie hexagon block

This one's for you, Yuki dog!

Glorious Hexagon Quilt Along: block #36
"Dog Park" fabric collection by Sarah Frederking.

My hexagons are glorious and scrappy

I've been EPP-ing (English Paper Piecing) my Glorious Hexagons, and it's becoming quite addictive. Because of the possibilities this technique has to offer, I find myself looking at fabrics in a totally different way.

Progress with the "Glorious Hexagon Quilt Along"

I quilt by the philosophy, "Why use 5 when you can use 50?" and I also adore scrappy quilts. So for right now, I'm just enjoying the EPP process while using random fabrics from Blank Quilting and StudioE Fabrics. Here are a few of them.

From "By the Sea" by StudioE Fabrics.

"A Stitch in Time" and a Splash blender by Blank Quilting.

"Natural Wonders" and "By the Sea" by Elizabeth Isles from StudioE.

Shoes from "Lady Claire" and "Bonita" from Blank Quilting.

"Gentle Forest," Autumn Elegance" and "By the Sea" from StudioE.

Several friends and I are also posting photos of Glorious Hexies and other projects made with fabrics from Blank Quilting and StudioE on our Blank Quilting Q-bies and StudioE Fabrics Q-bies Facebook groups. Come over and join in the fun.

Glorious Hexagons: a Quilt-Along with Paper Pieces

I've joined the Glorious Hexagons Quilt-Along!

Each time I visit Paducah, KY, I try to stop in to see the gang at Paper Pieces—JoAnne, Cathy, Jess... and Lily [the dog], of course. Cathy always apprises me of the latest and greatest quilts, books, kits and projects that English Paper Piecing [EPP] aficionados are pumped up about. Needless to say, her excitement is contagious and you want to take home "one of each, please!"

With a renewed interest in the Slow Stitching Movement and giving a presentation on "Quilting with Hexies" at my quilt guild, I've noticed that hexagons have creeped into several of my quilting projects. Last November when I was visiting Paper Pieces, I was blown away by the quilt sample showcasing the newest hexie craze—Glorious Hexagons—which is the basis for the 2016 Glorious Hexagons Quilt Along. Have you heard about it?

The program—and the quilt—was inspired by Katja Marek's book, "The New Hexagon," and subsequently escalated by Kim McLean and Liza Prior Lucy who took it to the next level by creating a "glorious" hexagon sampler.

OK... twist my arm a little harder... I'm in.

Oh, and I'm not alone in this fate. There was minimal arm twisting for several of my fabric rep friends to join in the fun as well. We started two Facebook groups to share Glorious Hexagon blocks, progress and other quilty endeavors. Feel free to join in!

Here are my first Glorious Hexagon blocks. The size of the finished hexagons are 6" regardless of how many pieces are used.

Judy Block #13 using "A Cat Tale" and tonal blenders
with the paw prints from a Kitty Kat fabric line.

Some hexagons have as few as three pieces. Several have more. You'll need Katja's "The New Hexagon" book to see the block layouts and participate in the Quilt-Along.

Carol Block #2: A Stitch in Time and a blender.
Joyce Block #51: Around Town and two blenders.

The pieced hexagons are interspersed with single-fabric hexagons. They all can be fussy-cut from your fabrics. Here are a few examples.

Prints from collections by Elizabeth Isles (Natural Wonders, By the Sea)
lend themselves beautifully to the 6" hexagon blocks.

Are you hexed yet? If you decide to give this program a go (and you absolutely should), you'll be looking at quilting fabrics in a whole new way. I'll post my discoveries and tips in future blog posts. In the meantime, check out the Q-bies groups on Facebook [Note: these groups are no longer supported] and help us build a repertoire of inspiration.

Novelty zippered pouches—a quick make

Got miscellaneous bits and baubles that need to stay together? Small tools, pencils, art supplies, that you need to carry around? Working on a small project that you take on-the-go? These cute little pouches do the trick to keep all your stuff together and safely stored. 

Small pouch: Natural Wonders fabric by Elizabeth Isles.
Large pouch: A Cat Tale by Sarah Frederking.

[Note: these fabrics are likely no longer available, but at the time of the post, they were purchased at Chattanooga Quilts and Sew 'n So Quilt Shop.]

I whipped up several of these pouches in December for holiday gifts. They are easy to make and fairly quick (depending on how much piecing and quilting you want to do), but best of all, you can customize them by using novelty fabrics that suit the likes or hobbies of the recipient.

Novelty zippered pouches make great gifts.
They can be personalized using novelty fabrics reflecting
 the likes or hobbies of the recipient.

This blue one was for my niece with the thought she can carry her pencils, paintbrushes and other art supplies in it. I thought she'd like the colorful improv piecing.

Novelty Zippered Pouch

The inside of it has bats. Don't they look like they're flying around inside the bag trying to escape? This purple bat fabric was from the Spooktacular collection by Western Denim and Dirt. [If you like this fabric, check with YLQS (your local quilt shop) as it might be on sale this time of year.]

Zippered Pouch with Spooktacular bats inside.

Recently, I was asked to do a class on how to put in a zipper. I think this project fits the bill. Stay tuned...

"A" is for Applique

Learn appliqué! It's not as scary as you might have heard.
My pattern for these sweet funky flowers is included in the class.
[Fabrics used in this piece are all by Blank Quilting Corp.]

Many quilters say they don't do "the A word."

"A" stands for "Appliqué" and it's really not the scarlet letter that some make it out to be.

Look at these cheery flowers. They don't look intimidating, do they? Applique is a wonderful complement to patchwork and quilters can achieve some amazing results in their compositions with this technique.

I'm teaching a Beginning Appliqué class this coming Tuesday, February 10 at Pins and Needles Quilt Shop.

Join me for this class and I'll tell you the reasons why I like this particular method of appliqué and I'll show you how you can do it by hand and by machine. 

Options are always a good thing!

Circle in a Square: Reverse appliqué with pre-cut strips

Sometimes things work better if you "do it in reverse." With appliqué, anyway.

Close-up of the quilting on the Reverse Appliqué class project.

This week I rolled out a new quilting class [you saw a sneak peek of the project here] on Reverse Appliqué. Have you tried this technique?

"Circle in a Square" table runner.
Reverse Appliqué class.

I taught "Circle in Square table runner" at Pins and Needles Quilt Shop to a crazy-fun group of quilters that call themselves "Squirrels." The Squirrels have lots of energy, are eager to learn, laugh easily and bring chocolate cookie bars to class. What more could one ask?

Talking about strips sets and the reverse appliqué block.

We used the "Circle in a Square" pattern by my friend, Janice Pope, of Anything But Boring as the jumping off point for the class project, a table runner. Incidentally, all of the Squirrels used strips or yardage from fabric collections by Blank Quilting Corporation. (Way to go, Squirrels!)

Here is Helen Marie's mix of metallic jewel tones from the Spring Bouquet strip set.

Reverse appliqué quilt blocks using Spring Bouquet strips by Blank Quilting Corp.

Linda's contrast fabric was the hunter green panel from the Radiant collection.

Reverse applique blocks using hunter green Radiant by RaNae Merrill
for Blank Quilting Corporation.

Susan embellished her block with decorative top stitching. Her strip set was the green Color Story (20 strip package) from Blank Quilting. The delicate picot edge stitching mimics the tiny twinkling stars in one of the fabrics.

Decorative stitching enhances this quilt block. 

 Cheryl used one of Blank Quilting's Sumatra batiks for the contrast fabric in her blocks.

Preparing the block for reverse appliqué.

After working though one block, the Squirrels agreed that reverse appliqué was "a cool technique!" 

In the class, we also discussed design possibilities for strip-piecing the blocks, block layouts, and applications for using the reverse appliqué technique. Each student completed two or three appliqué blocks for their "Circle in a Square" table runners in class, so the projects are well on their way to the finish line.

Finished quilt blocks.

At one of the Squirrel's request, I offered ideas for quilting the table runner and used my quilt (below), a variation of the Circle in a Square pattern, as inspiration. The "Pralines and Cream" Fabrications strip set [Blank Quilting Corp.] and Eclipse turkey red solid was used for this quilt.

"Circle in a Square"

One of Blank Quilting's flannel wide backings (color: putty) was used on the back of this quilt. The quilting stitches sink right into this backing—leaving a soft-sculpted surface texture. This quilt was also the impetus for a new, intermediate level, free-motion quilting class called "Fillers, Spillers and Thrillers." (Stay tuned for more about this class.)

Flannel 108" wide backing.

Thanks to all the Squirrels for coming out to Pins and Needles for my new Reverse Appliqué quilting class. I had a great time and hope you did, too!

Reverse Appliqué students (from left): Susan, Cheryl,
Helen Marie, Linda and me at Pins and Needles Quilt Shop.