Thread: 2012-2013 Dear Jane Stickle 2d Cyber Party Pictures and Discussion

Originally Posted by jillaine

okay and here's week 4 - now I'm caught up.

I have GOT to learn paper piecing! While I can normally teach myself most things, learning paper piecing by book continues to escape me. I keep waiting for our LQS to offer a class in it.

Attachment 309190

I have been using the PP'ing shown at the "thatquilt" site. No paper to pick out, and I now really enjoy paper piecing.

Originally Posted by jillaine

ha hahahahhahhahhahha ha ha
Easy block? har har har
While you were writing this perfectly reasonable advice, I was facing A-9 - "Cabin Fever". This block is what got me to finally break down and learn PP because there was no way in H-E-double-L that I was going to do that by normal piecing.

So I went looking on YouTube and really liked this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uaW26igygE

I particularly like that she figured it out herself.

but did I start with an easy block? of course not!

While doing the middle section of A-9, I kept saying to myself (outloud, of course): WHY HAVEN'T I DONE THIS EARLIER??? OMGoodness!! So if anyone has been putting off learning how to do paper piecing, put it off no longer.
The only thing is that while the center section of A-9 was pretty easy, I followed "thatquilt.blogspot.com" on how to put the larger pieces together, and I had a heck of a time doing the "borders". I ended up NOT being able to paper piece them.

But I'm pretty pleased with the results. Look below.

Oh, and I did use freezer paper. But pulling the paper off was still a pain. I need to review "thatquilt's" paper piecing link (again), especially now that I know how to do general PP.

Thanks for your encouragement!

Jillaine, are you sewing freezer paper into the seam? I find that a pain to pull out, also. Have you tried Carol Doak's paper. It's nice to sew on and it pulls out very easily. I had to order it online, couldn't find it at Joanne's or the lqs.

Can't imagine using freezer paper to PP, but then I haven't read the tute. I use a kid's Doodle Pad, put out by Crayola Crayons, cut it from 9x12 down to 8-1/2 x 11. It is very thin, tears very easily(in fact, if your stitch length is too short it just falls off the block), and goes through your printer if you are printing the patterns off the DJ CD. Much cheaper and works just as well as Carol Doak paper. 60 sheets approximately $3.00 at Wally World.
Just want to compliment everyone on their beautiful block. I am having problems making time for even 3 blocks a week, but I am finished with my 4th block. And I'm retired!

Originally Posted by TymeToShine

Hexnut, Are you going to be able to use EPP for the blocks with the melons on them, or will you be using applique on those?

That is the plan .... I may have to tweak some

I've got a-3 done (not scanned yet) I did use a variation with diagonal side seams.

b-12 is basted - I'm just trying to decide the order of stitching. This one I also used
a variation in which will have seams between the melons, not the one where the
melons are "floating" on the background.

I did manage to float the circles in b-1 - so it may be possible to float melons as well.
I needed to use fray-check on the back of b-1, since I had to clip the background very close to the seam.

Today - I'm struggling with tr-1 - with all the vertical seams, it is turning out to be too wide,
especially at the bottom. I'll either have to narrow a few of the bars, or remove the 2 side triangles
near the bottom. I'll look at it again tomorrow.