English Paper Piecing Workshop

I'll be teaching a full-day English paper piecing (EPP) workshop in Pickering, Ontario on Sunday, September 17, 2017. The workshop is being hosted by the Twisted Stitchers Quilt Guild.

My workshop is called Easier Than Pie & Beyond because my methods and techniques make EPP easier than pie! I've been using EPP to make quilts for 35+ years and developed my "beyond" methods in the late 1990s. It is fun and exciting for me to see others get excited about the possibilities using my basic techniques combined with "made" fabric methods. It takes EPP beyond the basics and launches it to the next level. Although this workshop focuses on hexagons the knowledge you will acquire can be applied to any shape.   These are my class samples that demonstrate the techniques that I teach.

If you are interested in attending the workshop feel free to send me an email (my address is on the sidebar on the right) and I will forward your message to the organizer. She'll be able to provide you with all the details including location and cost.

Until I post again, happy sewing.
Karen

Antique Wedding Sampler - block 1 construction tips

Yesterday I wrote about blocks 1 and 2 that Paula and I made for our Antique Wedding Sampler quilts. There were a couple of questions/comments about block 1 that I thought I would address today.

Leslie (sorry but you are a no reply blogger so I couldn't send you a personal message) asked about the broderie perse (the floral applique in the corners). She wanted to know if there are tutorials or books available. I did publish a tutorial on broderie perse and you can find it here. There are several on YouTube however many seem to use fusible web and that is not something I wanted to do. I have searched for books specifically about broderie perse but there are very few available. One that I do have in my library is Broderie Perse by Barbara W. Barber. It is an older book and can be difficult to find. It is an interesting and informative book but honestly the information that you really need can be boiled down to a few points.

When I do broderie perse there are a few things that are important for me and I thought I would share them today.

1. When I cut my shapes I leave roughly a 1/4" seam allowance. I position the shape on my background fabric and then trim seam allowance down to a scant 1/8". I generally trim down my seam allowances as I sew. I might trim an 1" or 1 1/2" and stitch most of that down before I trim more excess seam allowance. I do this because I find that if there is a lot of handling of the applique it can fray and you may not have enough seam allowance to turn under.
2. I use a slim, sharp needle. My preferred needles are #10 milliners needles.
3. I use a fine thread that either matches my applique or the background. My preferred thread these days (introduced to me by Paula) is DMC machine embroidery thread. It is cotton and very lightweight. I find that a taupe colour works well for many of my appliques but I also have other colours in my thread box.
4. I used a tiny dab of inexpensive glue to temporarily tack my shapes in position. I look for a glue that is washable, fabric safe and acid free. For those who live in Canada you can buy Studio Glue from Dollarama. It costs $1.25 for four sticks. Bargain!

To stitch down the shapes there are a few stitches that can be used. A blind stitch (the traditional applique method where the seam allowance is turned under with the tip of the needle) is my preferred method however the applique can also be done with a buttonhole/blanket stitch in which case the raw edge of the applique is not turned under but is instead covered with the stitches.

The compass in block 1 is English paper pieced and I have a couple of tips for piecing the compass. You will notice that the large brown diamonds have tiny cream diamonds (with a red print) at the inner point. I appliqued the cream fabric to the brown fabric before I basted the paper to the brown fabric (inside the green circle).

I stitched a red triangle to either side of the diamond. When I got to the point inside the circle I made sure that the cream diamond was a couple of threads shy of the point of the red triangle. I added the red triangle at the left and took an extra stitch to keep the points of the red triangles together (inside the red circle). I then continued sewing the red triangle to the other side of the diamond.

I stitched the curved shapes to either side of four of the brown diamonds.  Those curved edges must line up or you won't have what appears to be a circle behind the compass points.

In order to make sure that the curved edges did match up I made a registration mark on my paper so that I knew where the curved edge should be positioned.

To sew the units together I made sure to line up the curve with the registration mark on the paper template and when I got to the inside edge I made sure that the cream diamond was a couple of threads shy of the point on the red triangle (at the red circle) so that when I added the next unit with the red triangle I could take an extra stitch to pull those points together. As you add pieces to make the compass be sure to open it up and ensure that the curved edge is even on either side of each large diamond.

I hope that these little tips will be helpful! Until the next time, happy sewing!

Karen H

Friendship and the Antique Wedding Sampler Quilt

It's been almost a year since Paula and I struck up an online friendship. We have very similar tastes when it comes to fabric, quilt styles/designs, cats and food! Paula found me via my blog and after corresponding about various projects we were working on Paula asked if I would be interested in working together on a project and I thought it was a fine idea. She had previously mentioned that she had made four blocks from the Antique Wedding Sampler quilt designed by Di Ford Hall, a quilt that I admired greatly. The pattern is in Di's first book, Primarily Quilts. Each of the quilts in the book is inspired by antique quilts.

I believe that the quilt that inspired Di Ford's Antique Wedding Sampler is a Quaker quilt made by Charlotte Gillingham c 1842-1843. It is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's collection. You can read more about the original at Quaker Quilt History.

I had seen the Antique Wedding Sampler quilts made by Carole of Wheels on the Warrandyte Bus and the G'nT Sisters. Their blocks and quilts are very inspirational and exciting. Carole had assured me that the blocks were very doable.

Paula wasn't happy with her first four blocks so I suggested that she address her concerns with those blocks and while she was doing that I would make the first four blocks. Thereafter we would work on two blocks a month. We figured two blocks a month was manageable and we would be able to support and encourage each other and more importantly there would somebody with whom we could problem solve. There are twenty five blocks in the quilt and as it turned out we decided that when we both completed our two blocks we would move on to the next two. While the blocks did present some challenges, they were not as difficult as I had originally thought.

Over the next little while I plan to share our 12" blocks with you. Without further ado here are the first two blocks. I'll discuss some of the methods we used and areas where you can get creative!

Block 1 - The compass looks difficult but we English paper pieced it and then appliqued it to the background. My points are a little bit wobbly (I can live with that) whereas Paula's are perfect! The motifs in the corners are done in the broderie perse method of applique. I chose to applique a butterfly in the middle of my block and Paula chose a lovely circle print.

UPDATE #1: I posted a couple tips on constructing the compass and sewing the broderie perse flowers in the corners. You can find them here.

UPDATE #2: I just discovered that I posted versions of Paula's first two blocks which she later changed. In block 1 she replace the broderie perse in the corners and block 2 was remade. Notice that she substituted a hexagon rosette for the tiny 8 point star that the pattern called for! I've updated the post with both revised blocks.

Karen's block 1

Paula's block 1 (first version)

Paula's block 1 (final version)

Block 2 - This was a simple pieced block with some traditional applique in the corners. The centre of the block called for a tiny star which I English paper pieced and then appliqued in position. I thought it needed a little pizzazz so I appliqued a little circle in the centre. Note that it is the same fabric I used for the circles in the north-south-east-west positions in block 1. Paula didn't relish the idea of making the tiny little star so instead she fussy cut a beautiful birds and flowers piece of fabric for the centre.

 Karen's block 2

Paula's block 2

Paula's block 2 (remade)

Next time I post I'll share blocks 3 and 4.  Until then, happy sewing!

Karen H

A present for you

I'm so sorry for the long silence but life is still busy. My Mom is recovering from her broken elbow but it will still be several weeks before she is out of the cast. Fortunately it is the time of year when people visit so there has been plenty of company (and baked goodies) to fill her days!

I've been working on my 2016 quilt along project and a number of other projects. One of them is an English paper pieced Ottoman pincushion pattern. As a thank you to all of you lovely readers I am making this pattern available to you free-of-charge until January.

I used a variety of fabrics to make these pincushions. The pink and gold one on the left is made with scraps of Dupioni silk! How luxurious is that?

I also used scraps of upholstery fabric to make a couple of the pincushions. I was given small squares from designer fabric sample books  and I used them to make these two.

Want a closer look? Is this cute or what?

I also love the warm colours of this one. The fabric I used for the to is a heavy upholstery fabric but it was perfect for the Ottoman and oh so pretty!

You can get your copy of the pattern in my Craftsy Store. To go directly to the pattern click here.

I hope to get back to posting on a regular basis in the very near future. Wishing you all a very happy, healthy holiday season. Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H

Once again I ask you "What was she thinking?"

So it appears that there was interest in my quilt making journey and how I got to where I am today.  I am not in the least embarrassed to show you my older quilts. I'm proud of the fact that I was fearless and solved problems on my own. I made quilts that had I know how difficult they were, I would not have even attempted to make them! But ignorance is bliss and when faced with a problem I just used the skills and knowledge I had to figure out a solution. Actually sometimes I forgot to use that knowledge as is the case with today's quilt!

For me English paper piecing (EPP) was (and still is) the go to technique for creating complex designs without the need for precision cutting of fabric or marking of sewing lines on the patches. It is how I made the Wagon Wheels quilt I showed you the other day, I'm working away on requilting it and am enjoying the hand work. Polyester batting needles so nicely!

I also use this technique to make my Pound of Stars quilt.

More recently I used it to make Gardens of a King quilt top which is a pattern I tested for Missie of Traditional Primitives. You see, English paper piecing is not just for hexagons!

Honestly, if you want to do precision piecing of virtually any block, English paper piecing is the way to go. The quilt I am going to show you today was made around the same time as Pound of Stars and Wagon Wheels. What makes this one different is that it involved much more complex curved piecing and what I learned in making it was "use what you know". In this case I didn't use what I knew. I was accustomed to sewing clothes and I new about clipping curves (like when you are setting in the sleeves on a shirt) but it never occurred to me to clip the curves when I made this quilt. What quilt pattern is it? Well it was the pickle dish pattern and here is my version of the pattern.

Cranberry Glass Pickle Dish by Karen H

It isn't a large quilt but it has been used extensively over the years and it shows absolutely no signs of wear. For the most part it was stitched with the cheapest polyester thread I could find and I think that the two beige fabrics used where the rings connect might be polycotton! Here you can see both the polyester stitching and the beige fabrics.

One of the things I ask myself is what was I thinking when I used black - it was a nightmare to hand quilt on black. Because I didn't clip ANY of the curves  there were areas that just would not lay flat. So what did I do? Quilt the heck out of them of course! I wasn't entirely successful (actually I wasn't successful at all) but nonetheless I forged ahead and in the end the quilt did what it was supposed to do and that was get used! The second red triangle in from the right on the top curve is a leftover from the red border sashing in my Wagon Wheels quilt. The second red triangle in from the left on the top curve is a piece of the fabric I used on the backing of this quilt. I remember where and when I bought it. It was an older cotton fabric and only 36" wide. It was 100% cotton and I bought it because it was inexpensive!

I still hadn't figured out how to bind a quilt so I just trimmed the backing and batting (polyester of course) down and then turned under the edge of the quilt top (1/4" please) and the quilt backing and I whip stitched the two together. 

If I were to remake this quilt today would I make it the same way? The answer is yes and no. I would probably use EPP to make parts of the top and I would probably still use polyester thread (the quality today is excellent and it is inexpensive) but I would clip curves and make better choices in fabric colours (no more black thank you very much). 

Still, I like this quilt, warts and all. I learned a lot making it and it is yet another quilt that has been loved and used. Really, isn't that why we make quilts?

I don't plan on entering any of my quilts in a juried show because it just isn't my thing. I critique my own work and give myself a pat on the back when it is deserved. For me the most important elements of quilt making are taking pleasure in the process of making the quilt and knowing that the finished quilt gave someone warmth and comfort. My Cranberry Glass Pickle Dish ticks both boxes! 

Thank you for all the lovely comments on the last post. There were a few from No-Reply Bloggers so while I was unable to send you a person note (there is no email attached to your profile) I did read every comment.

Until I post again, happy sewing!

Karen H

Tutorial: Another way to fussy cut

The weather is always so unpredictable in January so rather than bring in a speaker my Quilt Guild has a demonstration night. Three Guild members are asked to do a 15 minute demo. The Guild members are divided into three groups and then they rotate from one demo to the next. I've been asked to demonstrate English paper piecing/hexagons. I decided to make some samples with different sizes of hexagons for my demo.

I have two fabrics that I thought would work well together so I decided to play with them! The top fabric is an old fabric Malvern Hill by Judy Roche & Carienne Kramer for Henry Glass Fabrics. It is a leftover bit from a backing. The bottom fabric was purchased more recently and it is Return to Romance by WillowBerry Lane and Maywood Studios. I bought it because I love the colours and thought it would be well suited to fussy cut hexagons.

There are loads of ways to fussy cut fabrics and I'll use different methods based on the fabric I'm using and the number of patches I require. I will often fussy cut by placing a window template on the wrong side of the fabric and move it around until I find the image I want to use. I'll glue a hexagon paper in the opening and then cut out the hexagon leaving a generous seam allowance. For the remaining hexagons I line up my hexagon on the next motif being sure to line up the landmarks. In the following picture you can see that I lined up the upper left corner and the lower point of the paper template  at the yellow circles. This method works great if you can see the print on the back of the fabric.

My problem is that I couldn't really see the print on the back of the fabric. On the left you can see the print and on the ride is the back of the fabric. So how did I fussy cut six hexagons to make a rosette? I could have cut one out on the right side of the fabric but how would I line up the paper template on the back if I couldn't see the print? Let me share with you what I did!

The first step was to place a window template on the right side of my fabric.

Once I found the motif I wanted to use I tacked a hexagon in the window with a tiny dab of Elmer's Purple Glue.

I carefully removed the window template. Here you can see the paper template glued to my fabric.

I next position the remaining five hexagons on the right side of the fabric being sure to line up the landmarks as described above. I don't stress about getting things lined up perfectly - close is good enough for me! The red circles indicate the landmarks I used to line up my paper templates. At this point I could cut out the hexagons adding a generous seam allowance. I like to work with a 3/8" seam allowance if I can!

When I hold the fabric up to the light with the wrong side facing me I can see the hexagon that is on the right side.

I apply a dab of Elmer's Purple Glue to a hexagon template and while holding the fabric up to the light I positioned the hexagon on the wrong side of the fabric being sure to line up the hexagons. I remove the hexagon from the right side of the fabric and I am ready to start English paper piecing as usual!

So what did the hexagon rosettes look like after they were stitched together? This is the hexagon rosette made with 1 1/4" hexagons.

This is the hexagon rosette made with 1" hexagons.

And here they are together! I think the 1" hexagons work best with these fabrics although both are pretty! I love the stars that are created by fussy cutting the peaks in the Malvern Hill fabric.

So what will I do with these hexagons after the demo tonight? I'll put them in the box of hexagons to be used in a future project!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and much as I enjoy sharing with all you people! If you leave a comment I will be sure to send you an email. If you don't hear from me it means you are a no reply blogger and I have no way to contact you unless you include your email address in the comment.

Until I post again, I hope you have fun fussy cutting!
Karen H

Quilt Along by Katja Marek

I must be crazy but in my humble opinion it is a good kind of crazy! I've signed up for a free quilt along that starts in January 2015. The QAL is by Katja Marek!

This is a picture the beginning of Katja's quilt which is made using the English paper piecing (EPP) method. So many wonderful shapes to work with!

Photo courtesty of Katja Marek

The best part is that this is a free Quilt Along (QAL)! To sign up go here. The first set of instructions will be emailed to participants at the beginning of each month starting in January 2015. To participate in the QAL you will also need a copy of Katja's book The New Hexagon. I've just received my copy. I'm going to make myself a cuppa and settle down to peruse the pages!

The QAL looks like it will be fun and a great way to use bright prints and also to do some fussy cutting. I love to fussy cut! Just check out the little fussy cut details in this block. Lovely!

Photo courtesty of Katja Marek

The first month will be the most onerous in terms of workload but January is very cold and snowy so this will be a great project to work on! So the question is are you tempted to join in? Even if you don't I'll be sure to post pictures of my progress on this one! So, are you tempted to join in on the fun?

I'll leave you with a smile. This is a picture of Jinxy the great hunter. He is on my sewing table getting ready to pounce on something. He is losing the kitten look and is starting to look like a cat!

I have a solarium across the back of the house. During the summer months we put the plants in the ground in the garden and in the fall we dig them up and bring them into the solarium. Last night I came home and saw a "string" on the hall carpet. I assumed that Jinx had taken one of the laces from my moccasins but as I got closer I realized it was too big and fat to be a lace and upon closer inspection I realized that the string was moving. Jinx had been out in the solarium and found himself a great big  fat dew worm in one of the pots! I've said it before and I'll say it again - it is a good thing he is cute or he would be getting his tail feathers clipped!

This will be my last post of the year but I'll be back in January with more to share. I wish you all a very happy, healthy and creative New Year! Until I post again, happy sewing!
Karen H

Value Proposition Quilt Along - Side Setting Blocks 3 & 4

Welcome back to my Value Proposition Hexagon Quilt Along. Today I'll share the last two side setting blocks and next Friday I'll publish the instructions for the final block! I will repeat one more time what I've said many times before! This is your quilt and you should make it your way. If you don't like a block then design your own or repeat one of the blocks that you do like. The same holds true with the side setting blocks. Follow the patterns that you'll find below, design your own or use half of a block that I've already published! 

Value Proposition Map for Side Setting Block 3

Value Proposition Recipe for Side Setting Block 3

• Cut 6 Light identified as A on Map (for Round 3)
• Cut 8 Mediums identified as B on Map (1 for Centre, 2 for Round 2 and 4 for Round 3)
• 8 Dark identified as C on Map (4 for Round 1 and 4 for Round 2)

My Value Proposition Side Setting Block 3

Value Proposition Map for Side Setting Block 4

Value Proposition Recipe for Side Setting Block 4

• Cut 4 Light identified as A on Map ( for Round 3)
• Cut 7 Mediums identified as B on Map (1 for Centre and 6 for Round 3)
• Cut 7 Dark-medium identified as C on Map (2 for Round 1 and 5 for Round 2)
• 4 Dark identified as D on Map (2 for Round 1 and 2 for Round 2)

My Value Proposition Side Setting Block 4

I set up a Value Proposition QAL page on Flickr so that you can post pictures of your blocks and also see what others are doing! There are many very different and exciting blocks to see and there are also some pictures showing a bunch of blocks arranged together and that is very exciting to see! 

If you are looking for previous Block installments of my Value Proposition Hexagon QAL you will find all of the links under the tab Quilt Alongs by Karen H just under the banner. Have fun making with the final two Side Setting BlocksThe final block, Block 18, will be available on December 12, 2014. 

I hope you are enjoying my QAL that uses English paper piecing. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email. I send an email response to every comment so if you don't hear from me it means you are a no-reply blogger and I have no way of contacting you (unless you leave me your email address in the comment).

Until I post again, happy sewing!

Karen H