THE FWS PONY CLUB Quilt-Along Wk 10 Country Lanes & Cowboy's Star Discussion Page
03-07-2012, 07:56 AM
#11
Power Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 17,709
I'm not going AWOL, buttttt ..... My computer is going to the "horse-pital" and so I'm going to be disappearing for a day or two from the Boards.It's been doing strange things, so I finally decided it's time to turn it over to my techie!At least I got to see the start of this week's blocks ... .and will catch up with y'all when I've got it back (or unless I sneak out to the library for a fix!!) 
Bye for now!!!!!!!!
Bye for now!!!!!!!!
03-07-2012, 08:16 AM
#13
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Central Jersey & Calabash,NC
Posts: 4,024
Yes, I am out of the woods--no more sniffles or eyes tearing...just a little junk in the a.m. upon waking..
I remove just the small amount of paper where the seam will be..the rest of the seam needs to be there to keep its section stable. I press my seams open where needed before trimming..the more fabric in the seam when pressing helps it to lay flat not bumpy..then I trim. I also starch the block for the final pressing before removing the paper.
Now to look for fabric choices for the cowboy star. Later, H
I remove just the small amount of paper where the seam will be..the rest of the seam needs to be there to keep its section stable. I press my seams open where needed before trimming..the more fabric in the seam when pressing helps it to lay flat not bumpy..then I trim. I also starch the block for the final pressing before removing the paper.
Now to look for fabric choices for the cowboy star. Later, H
03-07-2012, 08:21 AM
#14
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 412
QuiltE, thanks so much for your directions to putting together the cowboy star. Yes, I paper pieced it and I did it in the same order that you did except I can't figure out how to attach that 5 sided piece. What do you line it up with?
03-07-2012, 10:34 AM
#15
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Eastern Ohio
Posts: 106
Originally Posted by QuiltE
PPing the Cowboy's Star ... here's the description I left for Termi over on the photo page. Guess I should have left it here, but I went there first!
I made the star points first, joining the 4 pieces for each together. Then to each star point, added the outer most background piece to each side. That's where I joined the wrong side of one background piece to the star and oddly enough it did not fit! Soooooo rrrrrrippppp it!!!!!! These are the pieces that make the four corners of the square.
Then added one of the 5-sided pieces to each of the star points. So now you have 4 pieces. Then joined 2 of each together. Then joined those last 2 to make one. Clear as mud in the Country Lane??
As I worked, I kept all the pieces laid out in the right order, to make sure they were in the right places.
I'm really liking those mini-layout pictures to be sure I get the right pieces in the right place, particularly when you have a complicated block that it's not so obvious.
Taking off paper ... I leave the paper on thru to the end. Well, not quite! .... If I join two sections together, I remove the paper from the seam, and "just" the seam (the fold back part), as when you add another seam over that, it becomes almost impossible to get it out later. Then if I join another seam, take off the seam papers and so on. Otherwise, everything stays on until the block is totally finished.
I press after every piece is added, then trim the seamlines, then press back in place. So once done, there isn't a lot of hard pressing, but press again, I do. Remove the papers ...and yup you figured it out, press again! Add some starch or sizing and all is sitting nice and tight and flat!
The starch or sizing ... there's a nother plus to it ... you have very few threads that fray off afterwards. For my FWS, the sashing/cornerstones were not starched, and I'm noticing that they are now fraying and the blocks are not. And guess what? I hate having to go thru and pick off loose threads once I have a quilt top done.
JeanieG ... oh poor you! I finally feel like I'm coming out of the woods, but I still don't feel safely out. Let that California sunshine, shake it out for you!
To relieve congestion, here's what I do ... put a couple spoons of Vicks Vapo-Rub in a coffee mug. Add boiling water, and stir to dissolve. Then put your nose over it and breathe it in. Also, breathe it in thru your mouth, to help the throat. BTW I leave the spoon in, so I don't accidentally take a sip!! Once you're finished sniffing, put it into the frig with spoon in. Next time, bring it out of frig, lift out spoon with the hardened Vicks so you can pour out the water. Boil kettle again, and repeat!
QNSue ... Looks like a fun day is ahead for you! ENJOY!!!
JanRN ... Hope the above answers your questions. The paper staying on, really helps keep it all in place and not let the fabrics stretch.
More about paper ... as I typed to JanRN, I thought of something more. Some of you may remember, that I "sew" the papers to the fabric. This step is really helpful for the Cowboy's Star, as all your background pieces are single pieces per section. So I use a long machine stitch to hold the paper to the fabric, and leave it on just the same as if it was one section with several seams. It stabilizes it all, and avoids the piece stretching as you work with it. More Clear as Mud in the Country Lane?
I made the star points first, joining the 4 pieces for each together. Then to each star point, added the outer most background piece to each side. That's where I joined the wrong side of one background piece to the star and oddly enough it did not fit!
Soooooo rrrrrrippppp it!!!!!! These are the pieces that make the four corners of the square.Then added one of the 5-sided pieces to each of the star points. So now you have 4 pieces. Then joined 2 of each together. Then joined those last 2 to make one. Clear as mud in the Country Lane??
As I worked, I kept all the pieces laid out in the right order, to make sure they were in the right places.
I'm really liking those mini-layout pictures to be sure I get the right pieces in the right place, particularly when you have a complicated block that it's not so obvious.
Taking off paper ... I leave the paper on thru to the end. Well, not quite! .... If I join two sections together, I remove the paper from the seam, and "just" the seam (the fold back part), as when you add another seam over that, it becomes almost impossible to get it out later. Then if I join another seam, take off the seam papers and so on. Otherwise, everything stays on until the block is totally finished.
I press after every piece is added, then trim the seamlines, then press back in place. So once done, there isn't a lot of hard pressing, but press again, I do. Remove the papers ...and yup you figured it out, press again! Add some starch or sizing and all is sitting nice and tight and flat!
The starch or sizing ... there's a nother plus to it ... you have very few threads that fray off afterwards. For my FWS, the sashing/cornerstones were not starched, and I'm noticing that they are now fraying and the blocks are not. And guess what? I hate having to go thru and pick off loose threads once I have a quilt top done.
JeanieG ... oh poor you! I finally feel like I'm coming out of the woods, but I still don't feel safely out. Let that California sunshine, shake it out for you!
To relieve congestion, here's what I do ... put a couple spoons of Vicks Vapo-Rub in a coffee mug. Add boiling water, and stir to dissolve. Then put your nose over it and breathe it in. Also, breathe it in thru your mouth, to help the throat. BTW I leave the spoon in, so I don't accidentally take a sip!!
Once you're finished sniffing, put it into the frig with spoon in. Next time, bring it out of frig, lift out spoon with the hardened Vicks so you can pour out the water. Boil kettle again, and repeat!QNSue ... Looks like a fun day is ahead for you! ENJOY!!!
JanRN ... Hope the above answers your questions. The paper staying on, really helps keep it all in place and not let the fabrics stretch.
More about paper ... as I typed to JanRN, I thought of something more. Some of you may remember, that I "sew" the papers to the fabric. This step is really helpful for the Cowboy's Star, as all your background pieces are single pieces per section. So I use a long machine stitch to hold the paper to the fabric, and leave it on just the same as if it was one section with several seams. It stabilizes it all, and avoids the piece stretching as you work with it. More Clear as Mud in the Country Lane?
03-07-2012, 01:29 PM
#16
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Queensland Australia
Posts: 2,654
Originally Posted by Termi
QuiltE, thanks so much for your directions to putting together the cowboy star. Yes, I paper pieced it and I did it in the same order that you did except I can't figure out how to attach that 5 sided piece. What do you line it up with?
If you lay out your pieces you will see that the top edge of the five sided piece lines up with the side edge of the star unit. I also drew on my 1/4 inch seam allowance as I remove my paper before sewing the units together. It also gives you the dot point where to stop sewing and turn. Hope this makes sense to you
03-07-2012, 01:33 PM
#17
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Queensland Australia
Posts: 2,654
JeanieG and Honchey hope you are both feeling better, I have been trying to post replies but Windows keeps kicking me out. I am trying not to take it personal, so I am here reading all the chat but sometimes I just can't reply.
I have typed this twice so here's hoping that third time lucky
I have typed this twice so here's hoping that third time lucky
03-07-2012, 02:39 PM
#18
Power Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Between the dashes of a tombstone
Posts: 12,716
From all the discussion on the Cowboy Star sounds like it will not be the "Star" of anyone's day! Thanks for all the info QuiltE. I'm in the midst of it--haven't sewn today had 2 little ones most of the afternoon and Ellie and I started seeds. Now to see pics.
03-08-2012, 07:50 AM
#20
Super Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: No. California
Posts: 2,131
Guess I'm weird, but I honestly did not have a problem with the PPing of the Cowboy Star. It seemed to go together just fine. I leave the paper on till I am ready to piece it all together (I know that's not what you are supposed to do). I find I can match the seams better this way. And, I too, use the starch to stabilize each section....really helps. I've made several of these blocks ahead, so can't address a particular problem, but I have found that some of the PPing patterns need a bit of "tweaking" for me to do them. That's just me......some I have problems with, other's I just breeze through. This board is wonderful for helping...... A lot of talented people here.....And I never have a problem with asking for help.......
A lot of talented people here.....And I never have a problem with asking for help.......
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Honchey
Blocks of the Month and Week
30
07-20-2012 09:37 AM
Honchey
Blocks of the Month and Week
129
06-16-2012 03:16 PM
Honchey
Blocks of the Month and Week
125
05-14-2012 10:11 AM
Honchey
Blocks of the Month and Week
30
04-21-2012 04:41 AM
Honchey
Blocks of the Month and Week
29
04-15-2012 06:31 AM
