Oh, Carolynjo, I have friends who paper piece like fiends and who have spent time with me. They've helped a lot but everyone agrees that I need more help! I've watched videos and read threads and make various attempts. I scoffed at first but I rather like the little ruler with no markings but the lip for the seam allowance, the spinning cutting board, I've gotten all sorts of help and gadgets but my mind just has not had the Aha! moment and I just don't get it.
I did a whole star quilt with paper pieced points and I can get that, it's just a couple of seams. But these intricate pictures and things, the precision required for some of it is just mind blowing to me.
I'm actually really excited about this project and want to work on it but have been dreading the paper piecing. But there's no way to get better without doing I guess.
Since my last go-round, I'm also going to use a smaller needle than I usually use. If that doesn't work, I'll try larger! Most of my blocks are relatively large -- I think the pig face as I've drawn it is about a 6" square, the horse face maybe closer to 8". The mama chicken also maybe around 8, but there will be 3 chicks who will be more like 3" each, they aren't too intricate. And then finally the hummingbirds. 4" finished I think but for me a relative lot of pieces and angles. I've already done a large barn I'm pretty happy with. I might do a sheep block, not sure. Again it would be about 6" and relatively easy. I have a rooster drawn out but don't think he's going to make it into the top.
The rest of the quilt will be various sized pieces of farm related fabrics. Crops grown in Washington, pigs and sheep and chickens, horses and a lake with fish and ducks leading on up to some deep woods, farms glimpsed in the distance and mountains and sky.
It will be quilted in an all over edge to edge chicken wire design using a slightly metallic thread and then (for me anyway) heavily embellished, I have things like bunny buttons to hide in the cabbage patch, an owl for the open upper window of the barn, a tractor applique for one of the roads. The fence for the horse corral will be pieced in white/grass strips and then a ribbon sewn on for the cross beams.
When I'm playing with my fabrics the quilt just builds itself, but I need to get those paper pieced blocks done!