Sometimes I forget that quilting isn't always easy

While it is great fun to write about my quilting progress, and to share the thing I love to do, I haven't been inspired lately, due to a little frustration with the quilt I am currently working on -- the 2024 Block of the Month (BOM), entitled Pick A Petal, designed by Jen Kingwell of Australia. I do love Aussie quilters. 

This project is being offered to Star Members of The Quilt Show, shown at left. This is a popular quilt that many, including me, have been excited to make. 

I began this project, with great intentions, like my plan to sew it completely by hand, as Jan Kingwell has done. Well, that didn't last long when I realized the templates I made for the first block were not sized correctly due to a printer error. I had to take apart and re-sew all 20 of the blocks I had completed. 

This quilt is made up of two alternating blocks that ring the center star in a medallion-style. The two blocks are repeated later in the quilt around a border of light-colored log cabin blocks. There are 20 each of the two styles of blocks. I had trouble with both of them. The first, I have detailed in a prior blog post.

Now for the second one. This block, shown at right, consists of several circular seams. I didn't have a problem with the seams, but the block itself gave me fits. I just couldn't get some of them to lay flat. I have pressed with both steam and with spray starch, but some of them are still problematic. 

This block is an example of one that just refuses to relax itself. I intend to keep working on it, but wow; I haven't used up the entire bottle of Best Press yet, so I still have hope.

The block pictured at left, is an example of the back side of what I had to do to some of these blocks to tame them into submission. I clipped the curved seams, just so they would give a little. This seemed to work on some blocks, but not on others. I imagine different fabric types might be a factor. This is a scrappy quilt

I did the best I could, and figure that it will all come out in the end once the finished quilt is put together, quilted, and washed. At least I hope so. 

I have completed all the blocks in the quilt except for the final border, which consists of all those half circle blocks. That should be easy enough to do and I could go back to hand piecing them if I so desire. Honestly though, I think I am going to save my aging fingers and hands for what I really love, applique and hand quilting. 

This is the part I am enjoying the most on this quilt. The light-colored log cabin blocks are enhanced with whimsical flowers and shapes that are appliqued and embroidered. A sample of that portion of the quilt can be seen at right.

Except for these little problems, which I believe are behind me now, I think I am really going to like this quilt. I should have the quilt top completed in December, if not before.

 

 

I have to admit; quilting sometimes confounds me

I have been working on the project (at left) with the intention of hand piecing the entire quilt. I was rather excited to hand piece a whole quilt, as designer Jen Kingwell has intended. I have never done that before. 

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.