Friday, July 13, 2018

TGIFF - Paper Piecing Might Not Be So Bad...

...but it's still not my go-to technique.  I will not be converted.  I will not be converted.  😊

I've had this pattern printed for many, many months, and I finally got around to making it.  It's Star Thistle created by Jayne @ Twiggy and Opal.  You can get the pattern here.

Out came the Aurifil thread -- #2021 Natural White.  I like Aurifil thread, but it's quite costly here in Canada.  I have a few spools but don't use it often.  I also decided to try Quilter's Newsprint by the Electric Quilt Company.


Sewing went well -- Jack the seam ripper didn't make a single appearance!!  I was so excited on how well it was going, I forgot to take progress photos.  The Quilter's Newsprint was very easy to remove.


I added some borders to increase the size and did some straight-line quilting.

I used Kona Black, White, Ash, and Chinese Red.


For the grey sections, I tried Glide thread.  I was very excited to try this thread, but in the end, I was sadly disappointed.  I couldn't get the tension right, and at the corners where I changed directions, I ended up with a loop (almost like a missed stitch).  In the end, I gave up.  Since this is a pillow, I'm hoping that it won't be washed often and that the quilting will hold up.


And when you think you know something for certain, double check.  I added borders based on the 14-inch pillow forms that I had in my stash.  Ummm...they were 16-inch pillow forms.  So off to my LQS to purchase the correct size.  Sigh.  While I was there, I took a photo in the Kona section.


A front yard photo shoot.


This pillow will be going to charity.  One of our guild members allows us to use her business space for our monthly guild meetings.  As a thank you, members donate items to their yearly charity auction in December.  All funds go to a local charity that provides safe, second-stage housing and supportive counselling for women and children in our province.  I'm happy to be ahead of the game this year.


If you have a finish this week, consider sharing it at:


Thank Goodness It's Finished Friday @ Celtic Thistle Stitches
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? @ Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday @ Busy Hands Quilts
Needle and Thread Thursday @ My Quilt Infatuation


13 comments:

  1. love your front yard shoot!! I do not do much in the line of paper piecing - I do EPP - but not sewing on the paper - tried it just don't care for it

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  2. The paper piecing precision looks awesome, Anja! And congratulations for not needing a seam ripper. I like paper piecing and tend to need my seam ripper more often when I paper piece. :)

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  3. It’s lovely, Anja! A real beauty. Made up into a gorgeous pillow. Aurifil Thread is just as expensive in the states.

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  4. Beautiful pillow! I’m not a huge fan of paper-piecing, but I do love how sharp the angles and the points are with that technique.

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  5. I like paper piecing especially using freezer paper. No seam ripper needed I'm impressed.

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  6. very pretty, I am a big fan of paper piecing.

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  7. Great finish Anja, I love the precision that you can achieve with paper piecing, the seam ripping not so much so I am really impressed that you didn't need any ripping action at all :)

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  8. It's beautiful. I think I have this pattern kicking around somewhere as well. But I haven't used it yet.

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  9. I'e loved that pattern of Jayne's since she put it out! It looks amazing in red, black and white! Oh darn on an unplanned trip to the LQS...

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  10. You did a wonderful job with this block Anja! I think choosing solids can help because you don't have to wrangle the 'right sides together' conundrum!

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  11. I love paper piecing! Surely, with a result as lovely as this, you must be drifting towards conversion. Maybe a little bit? :)
    Great work finishing a project with a December deadline in July!

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  12. I might be a little biased, but I love this pillow too! The color combination is one of my favorites! I've had the same corner issues with the little loop you had. It's so irritating and sometimes no matter how much you play with the tension it just cannot be avoided!

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  13. Your colour choices are really striking! And good for you trying out new to you techniques.

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