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First Complete Quilt Design


Guest Happy Heart

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Guest Happy Heart

I sat down to design a baby quilt and when I was finished, I had a Christmas tree skirt, lol

(Design happens that way sometimes.)

It is paper pieced. I'd be happy to help anyone who'd like to learn the method, tho I wouldn't recomment starting with this project. I designed it myself and I'm finding the prospect of piecing the 10,506 pieces it would take to make a full-sized double quilt from this design daunting, lol

Anyway, here is the tree skirt.

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Guest Happy Heart

Oh, but it's so very delicate and gorgeous colors! What weight paper do you use for piecing?

Thank you Holly.

I find I get a nice crisp and very accurate finish to the blocks with ordinary multipurpose paper. If it's too thin, it doesn't stand up to repeated steam presses and if it's too thick, it's to difficult to fold on the lines and thus throws the accuracy off.

I tried the paperless method of paper piecing and I'd recommend it to anyone. Saves much needless tearing off of paper.

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I would think it might work to use something fairly stiff like lightweight card, and press seam allowances around, then remove the card and stitch. More years ago than I like to think I pieced quilt tops for our sons when they were small.

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Guest Happy Heart

I would think it might work to use something fairly stiff like lightweight card, and press seam allowances around, then remove the card and stitch. More years ago than I like to think I pieced quilt tops for our sons when they were small.

Paper piecing is a different method than using a form as a pattern. Each quilt block is printed on the paper and each section you add onto it HAS to start with a straight line. There's a definitely starting point and each section HAS to be done in the correct order.

It isn't like that with traditional quilting.

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Guest Happy Heart

Thank you. I had read about the English method of paper piecing in an article, but your description is a LOT clearer.

The idea of paper piece quilting is that you (usually) begin from the center and work outward in rows, or rings. Each piece is sewn with the 1/4" seam allowances together at the outer perimeter of the previous round, pressed outward and trimmed.

I tried it for the first time a few years ago but didn't take to it like this year. What I like best about it is, the paper keeps the shape of the quilt block true even through repeated ironings.

I'm putting together a blog of the process, when I get it done, I'll post the link. This is the quilt I designed today. It's another Christmas quilt.

I call it "Glowing Laterns". Do you see why?

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Jean, Forgive the aside here,but your quilt work put me in mind of someone I loved very much: Up until she passed away a year ago,one of my clients was a 94 yr. old dementia patient (I'm a caretaker/companion when I'm working),who was an artist like you at quilting. She had tons of them on walls and beds and everywhere in the house,with tons more tucked away. One of our favorite things to do,before she got too ill,was to go over every quilt's details,even digging some out of their drawers to admire their beauty. This we did almost daily and it was so sweet to see her swell up with pride,still remembering making them. Such joy! There came a time in her last year when we had to remove most of them,as her mind failed,because she got so agitated by them-noticing every little 'flaw ' that 'somebody' made(There were none that I saw,they were perfect!). On her good days,she would have loved to see your work!:) I absolutely love The Glowing Lanterns pattern!

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Guest Happy Heart

Jean, Forgive the aside here,but your quilt work put me in mind of someone I loved very much: Up until she passed away a year ago,one of my clients was a 94 yr. old dementia patient (I'm a caretaker/companion when I'm working),who was an artist like you at quilting. She had tons of them on walls and beds and everywhere in the house,with tons more tucked away. One of our favorite things to do,before she got too ill,was to go over every quilt's details,even digging some out of their drawers to admire their beauty. This we did almost daily and it was so sweet to see her swell up with pride,still remembering making them. Such joy! There came a time in her last year when we had to remove most of them,as her mind failed,because she got so agitated by them-noticing every little 'flaw ' that 'somebody' made(There were none that I saw,they were perfect!). On her good days,she would have loved to see your work! :) I absolutely love The Glowing Lanterns pattern!

For a moment, I thought you were saying I'm demented, then you picked up momentum, lol

My mother Jéan (who I'm named after) had dementia (and cancer) at 79. She never sewed, but she was immensely proud of my sewing and yes it's sad when nitpicking causes great aggitation, so the quilts were better out-of-sight.

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Oh,Jean,I'm sorry you misconstrued my note at first! I'm sorta shy,but can be tend to be longwinded online and in real life,when the mood strikes! The anniversary of her death is coming up,so she's on my mind anyway and the wonderful quilting talent y'all had in common was what I meant to speak of! :) I lost my father just a little over a year ago. He suffered a stroke 7 years before his death that brought on a form of dementia. It was very heartbreaking to see him live on that way for so long,not being "Daddy". But,again,back to "The Glowing Lanterns": it does have a marvelous optical effect!(affect?) Have you started it yet?

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Guest Happy Heart

Oh,Jean,I'm sorry you misconstrued my note at first! I'm sorta shy,but can be tend to be longwinded online and in real life,when the mood strikes! The anniversary of her death is coming up,so she's on my mind anyway and the wonderful quilting talent y'all had in common was what I meant to speak of! :) I lost my father just a little over a year ago. He suffered a stroke 7 years before his death that brought on a form of dementia. It was very heartbreaking to see him live on that way for so long,not being "Daddy". But,again,back to "The Glowing Lanterns": it does have a marvelous optical effect!(affect?) Have you started it yet?

Having aging parents is no fun. I have decided to sew the previous design first.

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Oh,I forgot-the tree skirt? I have no desire to quilt,which is good because I did not inherit the talent (several family members were pretty good quilters),but it's such a gorgeous art form!Glad you're sharing with us.

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Guest Happy Heart

Oh,I forgot-the tree skirt? I have no desire to quilt,which is good because I did not inherit the talent (several family members were pretty good quilters),but it's such a gorgeous art form!Glad you're sharing with us.

Actually, it's a craft, not an art form. As for paper piecing (not to belittle my abillity) but if you can sew on a line, you can paper piece a quilt.

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Guest Happy Heart

Well,girl,I like thinking of it as art.It's beautiful,creative and makes people happy,art or not! :D

I sit corrected, lol

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Guest Happy Heart

Today the sewing of my new quilt design begins. Am not doing it from Christmas colour for this quilt, closer to Christmas I will sew another.

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