How do I correctly piece a NYB block?
 

I’m working on a quilt that I’m designing kind of “as I go”… I finished a square of about 43’’ but I want a bigger quilt. So I decided to use it diagonally, and now I have to fill the four resulting corner triangles. I’ve searched the web for ideas and found pictures of the block “New York Beauty” that I think would fit into the corners:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=492249&stc=1

Now my question/problem: All the explanations I found about how to do NYB are talking about PP, however, I’m hand piecing so that’s not really an option. I am thinking of doing it in the following order:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=492251&stc=1

• sew 1 & 2 together
• sew 3 & 4 together
• sew both pieces together
• add 5

Is this the right way to do it? Or is there a better way?

You can do they(paper piece) technique by hand, Ginny Beyer makes all of her quilts by hand. You can either USA a foundation (I use muslin generally) or you can use templates. Yes, the piecing order is correct in your diagram, you piece your spike section first, I would join sections 3 & 4 then add that section to the spike section, then add your corner piece. That is the order New York beauty blocks are constructed

I would probably try to do the pp'ing with these only because you have sooooo many bias edges going on. Certainly it can be done by hand, still. Maybe press to freezer paper before cutting??? Just to try to control some of those edges and the fiddly points. Looks like it will be a stunner. Good luck.

I am quite a newbie, but I did follow another thread a while ago that discussed PP and hand piecing and my conclusion reading it was that it would not work using paper foundations when hand piecing. But you're right, there are lots of bias edges that will be hard to keep straight...

So instead of sewing onto paper, you would sew it onto muslin? That sounds like a good idea! However, please excuse my ignorance, but what exactly do you mean by muslin? I know "muslin" is some kind of cotton fabric, but I'm not sure what it looks like... I assume it is pretty thin as if I would sew it onto "regular" fabric, it probably would get too bulky, right?

I agree with ckcowl and NJ QUilte , either foundation piece it (using muslin) or english paper piecing it (using freezer paper) would be my suggestions as well.

Using muslin would add bulk but it would add great stability for the delicate points in the fans. Muslin is generally lighter weight and sometimes a less dense weave than most quilting fabric. If I used it as foundation, I would probably prewash it and dry it before using it.

By the way - love the design - can not wait to see it finished!! Your block for the center is beautiful and will make a great center.

Is this the kind of fabric that would be called "muslin" or is it too thin?

http://www.quiltingboard.com/attachm...d=492258&stc=1

I hand-pieced some of Jinny Beyer's stars - if anything, maybe use starch or sizing on the fabrics before cutting them - and had absolutely no problem with bias edges.

I would call that "gauze" or "gauzy". If 100% cotton, that's what I would use for bandages or curtains!. I would not use that for foundation piecing.

"Muslin" - is sort of like quilting cotton - but usually it's a solid color - white, cream (natural), or light tan in color. In fact, a lot of people have used the white or cream as the alternate blocks when making a top or back of a quilt.

Monale, what you pictured is called Cheesecloth and I don't think it would be stable enough for a foundation.

Here is a link to muslin

http://hancockfabrics.com/muslin

find the lightest weight you can and make sure you prewash it in HOT water as it tends to shrink more than quilting cottons, especially the lighter weight less expensive ones.

That looks more like cheese cloth to me. Muslin is a little heavier and tighter. There are different variations of muslin.

Monale, a clerk at the fabric store can show you what muslin is. A very nice, cotton, either cream colored or white. What you are showing would not work. Your center block is really pretty, as will the whole block be, when you get it finished.

Unfortunately people don't speak English where I live and I have no idea what "muslin" is in Chinese ;). But I think I get the idea: it seems to be more like the cheaper bed sheet fabric. I will try to organise some for the future!

Anyway, I couldn't wait starting my block, so I had another idea: I've seen a youtube video where someone is using fusible interface as a foundation. She is doing machine piecing, but I figured it should work for hand piecing, too. So I decided to use it for the spikes part and I drew them on there with a fabric marker. It seems to work so far, I'm just putting in the quarter circle right now.

in some Countries muslin is said to be called callico and callico called muslin. I have no idea why.
anyway, here is a tutorial that may help.http://www.incolororder.com/2012/04/...g-block-7.html

I am going to start working on a Judy Niemeyer pattern called Island Sunrise that includes paper with the design already printed on the paper. The design is also a NTB. You might also want to check out Eleanor Burns Quilt in a Day. I think she sells the fusible already printed but it is a much simpler design than you have.

Here in England we call that Muslin and the heavier fabric is called calico. I did use muslin to pp Christmas stockings and it worked ok but think it would be too stretchy for those precision blocks.

But is Monale's order of piecing as it should be even given a foundation block/paper piecing? I have extremely limited piecing experience, but long time sewing experience for what that's worth (possibly nothing). It seems to me as if she should begin at the arc she has labeled 4, next adding 3 to it. Then the arc of triangles would be built and added; at the end she should attach the final piece 5. Correct me here; help me learn. What is the best order of construction and why? I am intrigued.

~ Carla ~

ETA I just looked at nativetexan's link. Thank you. That does help. Maybe you should ignore my post? LOL.

I'm on block number 2 by now, and so far I think my order works fine (guess it doesn't matter if you first piece 1 & 2 or 3 & 4 to then put the two resulting pieces together. I last added 5). I ended up using fusible interfacing as a foundation for 1 & 2 (mainly because I had that handy and didn't want to wait to organise something like muslin first...).
This is actually the first time I'm doing anything curved, and it turns out it's much easier than I thought! ;)

Thank you nativetexan for the link to the tutorials, I have never even looked at anything remotely PP, but after looking at the tutorials linked in the link (does that make sense?) I think I might be tempted sooner than I thought to give it a try, thanks again from another Texan (I wasn't born here but I got here as fast as I could :rolleyes:)
Jeri