After I searched around the internet for pressing tips, I am definitely going to dive into my cupboards to find my "clapper" that I had used a lot during my garment and costume making days - I worked for many years as a costume designer in the costume/wardrobe department for a few semi-professional theatre companies and for two different university theatre departments. LOL Yes you are right that's how I got my log-in name! It was lots of fun and I loved it!

I know there is a thread here on QB discussing using a clapper and I found this video. I think I found a solution to those bulky seams and will pull out my clapper to flatten those seams!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vKVAoUeK6U

Please do share your Paper Piecing tips or Pressing tips to help the rest of us achieve better results!

Here is my Block #8 - Leopold

[ATTACH=CONFIG]609291[/ATTACH]

Overall this was an easy block but I had first used a different medium valued fabric for the centre pinwheel and didn't like it so ripped it out and tried this other fabric - I think it plays better with the other colours. I also had to join in a small sliver of fabric along the edge of the bottom right quadrant so that it will fit better when I join the blocks together - the sliver will be hidden in the seam when it is joined to an adjacent block.

How is your progress with your blocks? Anyone else working on these?
All comments or piecing tips most welcome :)

Do you have a link for block 8? I can't get the one on the blogspot to work. I can get to all the rest (including 9) but not that one.

Thanks

Macybaby - here is the link for Block #8 Leopold - for some reason the link in the margin on BB's blog is showing an "error" - here is the link I got after a search

http://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com/...d-duke-of.html

Here is BB,s link for Block#9 Beatrice

https://barbarabrackman.blogspot.com...-princess.html

This is the last block and on Saturday, March 9, BB will give the border.

**Note - when I printed out my template for Block 9 I noticed that the point for Piece B wasn't very sharp so I drew a line on both sides of Piece B to remind me to sew it as a point.

Here is my Block #9 Beatrice

[ATTACH=CONFIG]609737[/ATTACH]

When I did Block #9 I changed up the order for the pieces in the quarter sections because I was debating between two different fabrics for Pieces B and A.

I began by sewing together the quarter section for Pieces E, C and D and sewed them together in that order starting at the bottom of the quarter section template.
I finally settled on my fabric choice for the matching quarter section and I started at the top of the section sewing Pieces D, C, B, and then A in that order.

I am mentioning this because I found that when I sewed together these two quarter sections they matched up so easily with the seams of the pieces for the section nesting beside each other.

It was so much easier than when I had sewn each of the other quarter sections for the other blocks in the same order and had to fiddle with laying the seams on top of each other trying to make sure that everything was perfectly aligned and matched up.

I was surprised that by reversing the order it was easier to match up. Previously when paper piecing I have always done each section in the same order. It reminded me that when sewing regular blocks together we nest up the seams to make it easier. I don't know if this will always work in paper piecing because it depends on the design but I'm certainly going to keep this in mind when I do a second set of these blocks.

Costumegirl, you did a great job w/ your blocks. I haven't paper pieced in a while, been doing other stuff. I do want to try the freezer paper method though, folding the paper back instead of sewing through it, I need to watch a video or two to refresh my mind on how to do it. It is late now since you have finished all the blocks but wonder if that would help your bulky seam problem.

I am babysitting my Grandson this week at my daughter's - I've had soooooo much fun playing with my entertaining 3 year old!! He has so much energy and is always telling me about something he has seen or wants to do - I am loving every minute!! Tomorrow we are going to make puppets out of paper bags and decorate them with all kinds of scraps, yarn, buttons, trim, googley eyes, and pipe cleaners that I had in my sewing room - LOL should keep him busy for at least an hour or so (at least I hope it will!)

I will try to post a pic in the next few days of all of the 9 blocks that I made placed together. I want to make this a bigger quilt so I won't be sewing them together until I have made another set of blocks.

It has been fun trying these blocks and reading about the interesting lives of each of Queen Victoria's children.
I'm looking forward to BB's final instructions for the border next week.

If you are making these blocks or are planning to do so please share your thoughts and fabric choices. It would be great to see or hear about what others are creating.

Kassaudra - I agree - I had seen a few videos using that method and think that I might try it for some of the blocks when I do the next set. I like paper piecing but find that sometimes there is lots of waste when doing the traditional method. The freezer paper method is supposed to reduce that and possibly reduce the bulky seams.

I did find my clapper and used it on the last block and I think that it made a huge difference in making things flatter along with the nesting of the seams.

As I was looking at the blocks I wondered if making templates (freezer paper) wouldn't work even better, that way you could orient those seams to nest or open to reduce bulk. I do alot of freezer paper template work since I am addicted to fussy cutting.