Well, it hasn't quite worked out the way I wanted.
Kingwell's Pick a petal, a quilt project offered to star members of The Quilt Show, appealed to me because it was hand-pieced. There is nothing I love more than a quilt challenge. When there is a new lesson to be learned, as usual, I was all in!
Since I really love handwork, I hand pieced the center block and the two alternating blocks that surround it. I made 20 of the first block. That is the number of blocks in the quilt. I made one of the other blocks, which also requires 20 in all.
However, when I measured the blocks I made, they fell short of their required 8 1/2-inch size. This did not make me happy. I surmised that the problem was in printing out the templates I used since I had been having problems with my printer. I believe the templates I made were ever so slightly off -- too small.
I figured I could scrap the whole project and turn it into a table runner, or I could redo the blocks I had already done, or I could start from scratch. I dismissed that last idea rather quickly because of all the work and fabric involved. So, rather than let frustration get the best of me, I settled on a compromise. I took apart all of those outer curved seams and re-sewed them on the machine with a 1/8-inch seam. DON'T TELL THE QUILT POLICE!
It was lots of work, but I managed to make the blocks the proper size.
I decided that it was far simpler to sew these pieces on the machine. It is also easier on my hands, which I can now save for hand-quilting and applique, both of which I love.
I am happy again.
Far be it from me to not want to finish a quilt.
This is the extent of my progress. There is lots of work left to do. But, it is now time to enjoy the process, which is why I make quilts.
The lesson I learned was that perhaps hand-piecing isn't for me, at least not now. That could change in the future, but for now, I plan to machine piece the remaining blocks.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Since this is actually a year-long project, I have lots of time to work things out. Next step is to applique flowers onto the outermost border, consisting of neutral log-cabin blocks, as shown above.
