English Paper Piecing Question

This picture was posted in The English paper piecing group on flickr. A discussion arose about how to baste large hex pieces. My tutorial explained it, but visuals are better. I do have permission to show this example of how not to do it by its maker, Anne Brumley. Pictured are her first blocks; I actually think they are well made. I do not see the stitching between the blocks, her fabric choices are vibrant and lively. I just want it clear that these are well-made blocks, and the only thing I wanted to clarify was all the basting threads. All the threads you see have to be removed; there are also lots of them, which makes that time consuming and your fingers will hurt from going through the papers so much with the needle.

In the way I do it, all you have to do is cut six small threads; just six small nips of the scissors, then pull the papers out (which saves time) and just leave in the basteing threads.

So, you do a back stitch in each corner where the fabric folds over on top of itself. Then, in the middle of each side of the hex you do an ever so tiny stitch that goes through the fabric and the paper. I have made a few things with this technique, so I promise it is simple and not hard.

Go all the way around in this manner; cut thread when you get back to the beginning. I hope this helps whomever does bigger pieces in English paper piecing. Below are other examples of Anne's work; she uses silk in some of her work, and it is lovely. She picks very nice fabrics and has good hand piecing skills; she is a very nice hand seamstress.

Part 1: How to Make a yoyo Advent Calender

This is the start of a continuing tutorial. This will show you how to make the wall hanging part of the calendar. Then, each day I will post how to make one or more ornaments to hang on the tree 'till I have 25. This way you can make it, too. (Above photo is after star, prior to buttons)

Supplies:

• Green fabrics (you can use 1 or lots of green fabrics, I choose solid for the tree and variety for the ground) 42 green yoyos tree, 25 green yoyos ground = total 67 green yoyos
  
• White fabrics (you can use 1 or lots of white fabrics) ( I used recycled 100% cotton, from my husband's outgrown Sunday shirts, 2 of them) 86 white yoyos
• Red fabrics (you can use 1 or lots of red fabrics, I used lots of varieties) 67 red yoyos
  
• Brown fabric enough for 1 yoyo
• Yellow fabric enough for 1 yoyo for star (I used the small clover flower maker to make my star)
• Standard cd to use as template
• Thread
• Needle
• Scissors
• Thimble (if you use one)
• Pencil, optional (for tracing around cd; I don't do this, but some might)
• Optional small clover flower maker to use in making the star. You can also just buy a star at a store and sew it on instead of making one.
  
• 2- 4 cabone rings ( or other type of ring to use as a hanger)
• Dowel or other straight item for strength when hanging
• Bias tape
  
• 67 buttons (I used mother-of-pearl, but you can use whatever you want)

Photo to upper right is what the back looks like.

Order of events:

• Make round yoyos and yoyo star
  
• Lay them out in the pattern (shown below in this post)
• Stitch together in six format, not the 4
• Add star at top of tree
• Stitch a button on every green yoyo
• Stitch on cabone rings (or other hanger item) on back of wall hanging on top row of yoyos; covered by bias tape
  
• Stitch dowel (or other straight item) to top back of quilt to help prevent sagging from weight; covered by bias tape
  

There are 21 rows in this wall hanging.

1. 11 red
2. 1 red 8 white 1 red
3. 1 red 4 white 1 green 4 white 1 red
4. 1 red 3 white 2 green 3 white 1 red
5. 1 red 3 white 3 green 3 white 1 red
6. 1 red 3 white 2 green 3 white 1 red
7. 1 red 3 white 3 green 3 white 1 red
8. 1 red 2 white 4 green 2 white 1 red
9. 1 red 3 white 3 green 3 white 1 red
10. 1 red 2 white 4 green 2 white 1 red
11. 1 red 2 white 5 green 2 white 1 red
12. 1 red 2 white 4 green 2 white 1 red
13. 1 red 2 white 5 green 2 white 1 red
14. 1 red 1 white 6 green 1 white 1 red
15. 1 red 4 white 1 brown 4 white 1 red
16. 1 red 2 white 4 red 2 white 1 red
17. 1 red 3 white 3 red 3 white 1 red
18. 1 red 8 green 1 red
19. 1 red 9 green 1 red
20. 1 red 8 green 1 red
21. 11 red

Stitch all yoyos together and hand stitch star at top of tree. You can do this same type of pattern with English paper pieced hexagons. If you want to use this other technique, go here; there is a tutorial.

Add front embellishments like the star and buttons now. The buttons are for holding the ornaments on the tree. They are also to hold the ornaments on the bottom ground area 'till they are moved up. There are more buttons on the tree than on the ground so you can have more of a choice where to place them.

Stitch two to four cabone rings (or other hanging devises -- I used metal belt loops because that is what I had on hand) on top row for hanging purposes. Use four if you don't use a dowel for strength and to keep quilt from sagging. Once stitched on, cover stitches with bias tape, too, just like the dowel.

explore photos

explore photos as of Aug 26 2007, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.

1. butterfly pillow, 2. suzyhomemakers mini quilt is done, 3. This block is made by clare, 4. 1st finished butterfly for curtain, 5. lt and dk pink tatting, 6. hex granny squares, 7. more antique tatting, 8. antique tatting,9. front, 10. redwork butterfly signature block, 11. style d, 12. layette set, 13. crazy daisies, 14. flower tutorial, 15. English Paper piecing tutorial, 16. bubble gum pink quilt #1,17. lazy daisy week 3, 18. back side dove, 19. felt snow man done, style:christmas colors

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

Explore Photos as of July 27, 2007

explore photos as of Jul27 2007, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.

1. This block is made by clare, 2. lt and dk pink tatting, 3. hex granny squares, 4. antique tatting, 5. more antique tatting, 6. front, 7. redwork butterfly signature block, 8. style d,

9. layette set, 10. crazy daisies, 11. flower tutorial, 12. English Paper piecing tutorial, 13. bubble gum pink quilt #1, 14. lazy daisy week 3, 15. back side dove, 16. felt snow man done, style:christmas colors

photos on explore

Some of these are on explore currently, and some are in the past and bounce in and out of explore. If you want to make one of these charts, go here then click on scout and log in and make a poster, as it is called.

photos on explore, originally uploaded by sunshine's creations.
1. redwork butterfly signature block, 2. style d, 3. crazy daisies, 4. flower tutorial, 5. bubble gum pink quilt #1, 6. back side dove, 7. felt snow man done, style:christmas colors

My Tutorial is in an E-zine

There is a E-zine (electronic magazine) that just came out called "Small Town Living". My English Paper piecing tutorial is a feature in this e-zine. You can find it on pages 25 -31. This is the second time I have been a feature in this magazine; the first was the Jan/Feb issue. I wish Tina and her husband lots of success with their baby mag; it is on its fourth edition. Please feel free to follow the links and read this magazine and their other three editions; they are at this link, too.

Tutorial on English Paper Piecing : Grandmother's Flower Garden

Prep work: cut paper templates and fabric

I actually like to buy my templates, mine are die cut, this gives more accuracy to my work and speeds up the process; you can do it either way, though, buy or make. Finished size paper templates are 1/4 inch shorter on each side than the unfinished size template for the piece of fabric.

My papers are 3/4 inch; this is my finished size for the hex block. My fabric pieces are 1 inch to a side. Just a side note, when I buy my pieces I buy two sizes; one for the finished size in a bulk big package and a small package to use as my templates for cutting my fabric.

Ways of cutting fabric

If I am using scraps, I use a pair of scissors to cut my fabric hexagons. If I am purposely using yardage, uncut fabric, I will use a rotary cutter. With this size hexagon I cut my strips to 1 1/2 inches wide. Then I place my template on the strips and cut the six sides. After you have cut one, each time you add the template you will only be cutting five sides because one is already cut.

To get the measurement for whatever size hexagon you are using, you will measure from point to point on the unfinished template piece of fabric. On mine that was 1 1/2 inches; yours will vary if you are using a different size hex than I am.

Basting

1. Pin paper to wrong side of fabric. I skip this step, but when you are starting out it is a good rule of thumb to do this 'till you get use to it.Next you fold over the right side of the fabric followed by the top side. If left handed, do the opposite (do the left followed by the top).
2. At this point you can have a knot on your thread, if you so desire. I placed one on mine for the picture, but usually I do not use one; I leave a little tail hanging out. This is a little harder technique when starting, so for beginners I recommend a small knot. Place needle in fabric going right to left and slightly up. Pull needle through and repeat this step by making another stitch in the same spot, aka a back stitch. This will hold the corners in place.
3. Rotate hex in left hand so the point that you just finished is pointing right. If left handed, rotate left and point last done will be pointing left. Fold down top like you did before. Insert needle from right to left, repeat. Repeat this last section of rotation and insert needle twice then repeat all the way around. If left handed, insert needle from left to right, of course. Finish off on sixth corner; you don't have to do the first one again. Cut thread; you don't need a knot if you leave a tail when you cut the thread. Exception to the rule: if your finished hex size is over 1 1/2 inches, it's good to do the first corner one more time. A lot of tutorials on this technique tell you to stitch through the paper; I don't like to do that as you have to cut all those threads when done. I only stitch through the paper if my finished hex size is bigger than 2 inches (I don't do that size often). If I am doing that size, then I do one stitch in the middle of each side. This is a really tiny stitch see example I posted at a later date than this post. This way when I want to remove the papers all I have to do is make a small snip with scissors (6 times per block) and pull the papers out. This leaves in the corner stitches and the other stitches are pulled to the back. These middle stitches are known as a stabilizing stitch, and I only do them one to a side. More than one stabilizing stitch to a side and you have to pull out threads. It also takes too much time, and I believe it to be a waste of time. Make sure if you are doing your hexagons like mine (you leave your basting stitches in), that you use a basting thread that will not show through your work when finished.
4. On the last hexagon for a flower or whatever shape you are doing, I finish my hex a little differently. At the end of basting I do the first corner again, but I bring my needle out in the point of the hex. This sets me up for the next step which is assembling the blocks. If you noticed, this block doesn't have a pin in it. Like I said, that is a step I don't do any more, but when I was learning how I did. That is a personal choice.

Assembly

1. Place two hexagons right sides together. If right handed your starting thread should be on the left; if left handed, on the right. Insert needle grabbing only two or three thread thicknesses on each fabric of each hex. DO NOT GO THROUGH THE PAPER. This is a common mistake beginners make. This makes it hard to remove the papers later. It also makes the papers not able to be used again, and wears out your fingers, too . If you do not stitch into the paper you will have an easy time pulling the papers out at the end, and you will be able to reuse the papers dozens of times, if not more. Make your stitches small and even.There should not be any gaps or openings when unfolded. Side Notes: I use Gutterman quilting thread 100% cotton and a #9 quilters betweens needle to sew mine together. Use what you like and are comfortable with. Also I like to take one extra stitch at the corners to make them a little stronger because this is where all the pressure is when used and might break easier without this extra stitch.
2. Your thread should be at a corner from the last side you stitched. Repeat the steps in step one of assembly.
3. Now a few things that come up while you are assembling your blocks together: First there is back tracking. This means your thread is in one spot but you really need it in another that isn't too far away. Instead of cutting your thread and tying a lot of knots, you can back track. It is faster and fewer knots on the back of your work. In this picture my thread is on the lower right of a seam and I need it in the upper left of the same seam. So to get there, I travel over the stitches I have already done. My stitches only go through the fabric on the back of the work, never through the paper and never all the way to the front of the work. They are never more than 1/4 of an inch from each other. They do go in the opposite direction of the other stitches (see the stitches' different slants). Now I am where I want to be at the start of the next spot to stitch, also known as a "Y" seam because it resembles the letter "Y".
4. Next you have what is known as a "Y" seam. You can see the spot I have yet to stitch in the photo. A "Y" seam is where 3 seams come together. When sewing with a machine this can be intimidating to some people. But when doing hand piecing it is easy to work with. The stitches are taken just as before, with little bits of fabric. The only difference is, this time the pieces just aren't laying face to face. You can make them lay face to face if it is easier for you. To do that you just crease the hex block at the end of the seam you are doing, where my needle started the seam. This is not my preference because it wears out my papers and makes them less usable, and sometimes the paper pops out, too. Continue in whichever technique you prefer until you have your flower made or what ever shape you are making, I am making diamond shapes. When finished stitching the block together, knot and cut thread.

When you have several blocks made, play with the layout, if you did not do that ahead of time. I always do it at the end. That is a personal preference thing. My papers are actually made out of card stock to make them last longer. Yes, you can use normal paper, but it has a lot of drawbacks, it is very flimsy and doesn't hold up well to wear and tear. When I remove the papers ,I just use a pair of tweezers on real small hexagons, 1/4 inch. If the hexagon is larger than 1 inch, then I just pull them out with my hands. Some people like to punch a hole in the middle of the paper, with a standard size hole punch, before basting it. Then to pull out the papers they put a crochet hook in the hole and pop them out that way. I do not do this because it weakens the papers. Once again, a personal preference; do what you like best, even try both.

The papers DO NOT get left in the quilt. Years ago they, pioneers, did leave the paper in when they used the old "Sears and Robuck "catalog pages as their paper templates, and they tied those quilts. They did not quilt that type, it was too hard going through the papers. Leaving the papers in added extra warmth; it also made the quilts rustle. So, if you have a real old quilt that rustles like paper a little when moved around, that is what is probably inside of it. I remove the papers as I go along, sewing the blocks together. If a single hex has all 6 hexagons bordering it sewn to it, I remove its papers, the center hex, that is.

This tutorial was featured in Small Town Living Magazine in Apr/May 2007 issue.

If you have any questions let me know in comments and I will also answer them in the comments area to help everyone else who reads this because they may have the same question. Also click on photos for a bigger image if you can't see what I am talking about. If you would like to see items I have made, or am currently making, with this technique click here.

If you do decide to try this technique, there is a group on flickr that you are welcome to join and post your results there. This is a group about people who like to do hand piece using English paper piecing method or any other type of foundation piecing. Yes machine foundation piecing is welcome in the group, too.

On the go with flowers

People always wonder how so many projects get done and posted. Well people on the Internet ask me; my family knows. I always carry some sort of project with me. I also have about 200 or 300 projects going at once in different stages of finished. So, it isn't hard to complete something that is already started.

If you have kids who love beads, or if you have a thrift store around, you probably can find one of these boxes. This one is from a thrift store; we actually have about three more of these in the house but they still have kids' beads in them so I wasn't allowed to have them. When the kids are done with the beads, like that will ever happen, then I can claim those boxes for more projects.

My family knows I love boxes to keep projects in. If a new type of cookie comes home in a metal tin, it is a sure bet the cookies are for the family but mom only wants the box. The kids always say, "Look, mom got a new box!" instead of "Look, cookies!" This is a sort of traveling sewing-project kit. At a moment's notice it is ready to go. It has a needle attached to a piece of paper so it doesn't get lost, a pair of scissors, thread and thirty flowers and papers, all set to go. It also has a section of green hexagons all ready to go to make into diamond shapes. There is also a big work area where the green is and a lid to keep it all safe while traveling and working on it in the car (while hubby is driving, of course). This is actually the start of two quilts. If you have read previous posts, you know I have made one a mini grandmother's flower garden with over 5,500 pieces. If you didn't know, I have three daughters; one is going to be made for each of them. That means I have two more to make; here is the start of both of them. One will be all flowers, and one will be diamond shapes. This way all three quilts are made in the same technique, but each has a look slightly different than the other two.

I have made large grandmother's flower gardens and doll-size ones as well. They also travel nicely like this. I have other quilts in the works as well.

English paper piecing:
This is a group about people who like to do hand piecing using the English paper piecing method or any other type of foundation piecing with a machine.

Circles of love

Recently, on one of the forums I belong to, a lovely lady lost her fiancé to a bad car accident a short time after her father had a heart attack. So the ladies on the forum are making circles of love. The above picture shows my two. They will be made into a round table cloth to show we care for her. She is training to be a chef and loves cooking and setting tables, so this will be a reminder that she is not alone. In case you are curious these are the size of a cd and will appliquéd down to a round (circle) tablecloth.

Bubble Pink Quilt #1

I call this the bubble gum pink quilt for the obvious reason; all the pink in the background. I made this top a few years ago. Heather showed a Grandmother's Flower Garden in progress. This one is my Grandmother's Flower Gardens in progress; I actually have a few in progress, using different size hexagons. This one uses 3/4 inch hexagons. The pink in the background actually comes from a feather down comforter my husband and I used when we taught nursery. It was the gathering place for all the kids to sit and sing while we waited for everyone to show up for class. We taught that class for a little over two years. When the comforter wore out it made sense to use it in something else, so now the 40-some kids we taught are remembered in this quilt. The quilt measures four and one half feet by nine feet. I know that is an odd measurement; I made it to fit on the back of a sofa and to get the most use out of the pink fabric. The scrapes from this quilt made a doll quilt that is currently being hand quilted. This quilt has yet to be set on a frame for quilting.

English paper piecing:
This is a group about people who like to hand piece using the English paper piecing method or any other type of foundation piecing.

Flickr Groups

Below are the three Flickr groups that I admin. Please feel free to join any of them, even if you just want to be a lurker.

English paper piecing:
This is a group about people who like to do hand pieceing using the English paper piecing method or any other type of foundation piecing.

Ga Ga for yo-yos:
A group about people who like to make yo-yos and and make things with yo-yos. The fabric type not the toy type.

Felt Ornaments:
This group is about the fun of making and sharing felt ornaments and other felt items.


Please join flickr group if you have made any of these types of flowers

WIP Friday sampler quilt

This is from a class I was teaching about 5 years ago.


There are a lot more pieces to this; I am in the process of cleaning out my sewing room, so I am finding them.

Maybe, in time, I will complete this and get it on my king-size bed. I taught a lot of different techniques; it went on for an entire year so there are lots of other blocks to this. Some of the techniques taught were embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, bullions, Hawaiian piecing, fabric origami, applique, English paper piecing, foundation piecing crazy quilts.....it was a long list. The big black space is where an applique is supposed to go; it just hasn't been put on the quilt yet. If it hasn't become obvious yet, I like colors in my quilts and rugs. If you click on the links on the side with those two labels you will see what I mean.


Join group on Flickr English Paper Piecing

Etsy/ Wip quilt/ Meeting

Here is my WIP for Friday, and probably a long-time-to-come type of project.

I am in the process of straightening all these scraps of fabric. Turning them into this, on left, to be stored in clear totes until they can be cut and sewn and converted into this, below, partially-done quilt or table topper; haven't decided which it is going to be, yet. This is being hand pieced with the English paper piecing method. There actually is a pattern here. Each flower has a solid center surrounded by fabric in the same color family. It just looks random.


Join group on Flickr


New items for Vintage Threads, Inc., on Etsy will be posted on Saturday because I am in meetings all day today.

Utah Valley Quilt Guild Show and Tell

This is only a few of them. It was so dark my camera was having issues with the flash.

Plus, the quilts and other things that were made were going by so fast.

This first one is actually taped to the wall, just for displaying for the day. It has a picture of Jesus in it. The quilter said a lot of people have a hard time finding him in it. I could see him right away, can you? It belongs to the president of the guild; she also made it as well as number 2 ( all wool and a past block-of-the-month for the guild). I think the third one is also hers, but I could be wrong on that one.

I can't tell you who the rest belong to, but I can give a little information on some of them.

Included in here is a grandmother's flower garden with a boarder. The woman who made it's mother wanted to entertain her for a while when she was 13 years old and thought this would work. The daughter wasn't too happy with it and thought it boring to work on, so in and out of the trunk it went over the years through marriage and children -- a little here and there being added. The garden was a completed top about 5 years ago. The problem was, the creator of the quilt didn't still like it. After her mother died, it sort of became a tribute to her and she made a border. Then she decided that she finally liked it. That was two years ago. About one year ago she decided to finish it. This is a quilt 72 years in the making; now that is a long-time project. Her mother kept her busy forever. The owner and maker just finished it and is 85 years old. That is tenacity, if I ever saw it.

Also included is a flag quilt which will be taught, if I remember correctly, at a local quilt store.

A light blue on white applique quilt about 12 years in the making is also in this set of quilts. It is all hand appliqued and hand quilted in turquoise thread.

This one belongs to a lady in my quilting bee 'till Christmas when she gives it to her daughter. I go to that bee sporadically on Thursdays; not the one I go to sporadically on Tuesdays. This group that all the bee's belong to meets on the third Wednesday, once a month. If I went to all of these things, life would never happen; just quilts.

The rest are just other quilts. I can't remember all of their stories, but here and there I will tell what I can.

There was a series of five quilts showing studies of water color quilts. I only got two photographed; they were all hearts.

The last one is an old block-of-the-month were you were to make two of each block. As you can tell, there are only 16 blocks, not 24 like there should be; the person gave up.


Join group on Flickr English Paper Piecing

How many pieces do you see?

How many pieces does it take to make a 26 inch by 38 inch quilt? The answer is, way too many.

5543, to be exact. This quilt has been shown in bits and pieces a few times, and I have received some questions as to what it really looks like and how big is it.

Well, here you go, and here are some pictures to show the 1/4 inch hexagons in relation to a quarter and a nickel so you can get a reference.

This is all hand cut and hand sewn. There are roughly 5 to 7 stitches to a side which works out to be 20 to 24 stitches to the inch. Over 11,990 hours counting ironing, cutting, layout, tear out, relaying out and piecing.

I hope to make at least two more as I have three daughters; I want each to have one when I die.


Join group on Flickr English Paper Piecing
This last photo is shown with a nickel not a quarter.

WIP Bubble Gum Pink Quilt 2

Friday WIP

I am into the final stages of finishing this quilt. It is for a doll bed that I have had since I was about 10 years old.

Lets just say I have had this quilt as a WIP for a while. This little quilt is made out of hexagons that are 3/4 inch on a side, roughly 12 - 14 hand sewing stitches to a side and about 5 - 6 hand quilting stitches to a side (which is about 10 - 12 per inch). The finished size of this quilt is 21 1/2 inches by 30 inches. There are 409 pieces that make up this doll quilt. Inside, it has a cotton batting.

This quilt is made from scrapes left over from another quilt I made. I haven't finished that quilt yet, either; it is still in top stage, but I figured that since I had enough extra pieces cut to make a little quilt, I might as well use them.

There is a quarter in two of the pictures for reference on size.

Join group on Flickr

Sunshine's Creations at MJF

In case you didn't come here from MJF. Here is a link to some other items I have made; lots of bonnets and dresses and other items.

Effie arrives with gifts

A little lady came to visit today, and she brought me some gifts. The little lady is the dolly in the middle, and she came in the mail so I could make her some new clothes then send her back to her mommy, who asked me to give her a kiss. So here is her kiss ; ().
She arrived safely, Nancy. Iit will take me a little to figure out what to make for her. Then I make it and send her home to you. Just wanted to post this so you would know she arrived, safe and sound. I love the thread -- such wonderful colors. I have not had a chance to look at the patterns yet (I wanted to let you know she was here), but they look neat. Thank you.

If you happened to notice the tiny hexagon quilt in this photo, it is one I am making that needs to be quilted still. The pattern is called grandmother's flower garden. The size of the hexagons is 1/4 inch per side; a true minutre.

A Child's Touch Poem

Into each life a little color must pass....
what to do with it is up to us.

A Child's Touch

A child's touch tender enough to stroke velvet wings;
Delightful enough to make birdies sing;
Willing enough to wish above;
Strong enough to hold lots of love.
-Author Unknown

1/4 inch mini hex quilt

This is the first of three Mini Quilts I plan to make. I want to make one for each of my kids.

This is a work of love, over eight years in the making. The hexagons are 1/4 of an inch on each side. I like the star or sunshine effect of the points.
A little something about me: my favorite colors are Red, Black, and White.

Join group on Flickr English Paper Piecing