Week 26 EPP - Quilting

This project is now officially 6 months old.  I never thought it would take so long.  Things might speed up now that I have started machine quilting.  The plan is to quilt each block individually before joining them up.  Some of the pieced blocks are going to be a challenge, so I started with two patterns where I could see how to do it.

 Diamonds for this one...

...and a simple cross hatch for this one.  The quilting has pulled it a bit to one side but - I'm strong - I will pull it back.

I'm using cotton wadding (batting) so I can iron it to beggary when I join the blocks together.  The one I'm using promises 1% shrinkage which I think will be OK.  More worried about the colour running - reds and indigo?  Gulp.

Not a clue how I can quilt this one though - I can't see a straight line anywhere.  Ideas appreciated.

Linking up with Jessica for the Monday Morning Link Up.

Week 25 EPP - Piles of Paper

Having completed all the blocks, it's time to move on to the next stage.  I rewarded myself with my first ever hand quilting to emphasise the star in the centre of this block...

..before sitting in the sun to remove the remaining paper pieces.

Fortunately I removed most of the papers as I went along, just leaving the edges in place.  Most of the papers were re-used three of four times.

I think I will still end up with a small mountain of paper pieces to go in the recycling bin.

Linking up with Jessica at Life Under Quilts for her Monday Morning Count, and WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced .

Week 24 EPP - the last piece

Just one more piece to sew before I have to stop prevaricating and join everything together somehow.  I hope I can make it in to something useful.  The decent camera is awol at the moment so apologies for blurry i-pad shot.

Linking up with Jessica's Monday Count at Life Under Quilts.

Week 23 EPP - the last block

I am taking far too much time to finish this last block.  Perhaps I secretly don't want to finish it?

Once again I'm a bit late linking up with Life Under Quilt's Monday Count.  There are 122 pieces in this block and I have about 60 more to go.

Around the World Blog Hop

I was so pleased to be tagged by Fiona, who blogs at Celtic Thistle Stitches, in the Around the World Blog Hop.  Fiona is a very talented and creative stitcher who designs her own patterns and recently had a project featured in Fat Quarterly magazine.  Her blog is fun to read and she is always trying new skills and sharing her experiences.

This blog hop is a bit like a chain letter (but not the evil kind). The idea is for stitchers who blog to answer a few questions so that we can all get to know each other better.  I don't know who started the blog hop, but you can track back by visiting Fiona's blog, then back step by step as far as you want. I've certainly seen some blogs that I have not come across before.  It seems harmless and does not require the tipping of ice buckets over the head, just a few questions to answer, so here goes.

What am I working on?
For almost six months I've been working on a slow English Paper Piecing Project using red, white and blue fabrics.

When I started I didn't have a plan.  I just wanted to explore how various shapes fit together.  It's turning into an EPP sampler quilt.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?
I'm sure loads of people have done similar work.  Although I never use a pattern or buy templates, I do get ideas from blogs, pinterest and magazines.   In fact this block came from a floor design.

Why do I create what I do?
Who knows?  But it's a good question. One which does not have an answer.  I made this Liberty Lover's Bag because I could not find one I liked in the shops and because I had a strip of hexagons I did not know what to do with.  

How does my creative process work?
That sounds a bit grand.  There is usually some sort of idea right at the beginning.  But plans change as I go along - I just go where the idea goes, usually only working at one thing at a time. 

That's it, folks!  As part of this blog hop I'm supposed to "tag" three other bloggers - but I'm going to rebel.  If you're interested in what I'm interested in, have a look at the blogs in the list on the right, or at my Pinterest boards.

Week 22 EPP - Leaded Light or Kansas Dugout

Looking back at my first blog post on 14 April about this project, I see that even then I recognised that it might take a while.  I finally got the piece I started with to the right size. 

This pattern is seen quite often in old leaded light windows like this one.

It is better known in US quilting circles as Kansas Dugout.  You can do it on the machine, but it is fiddly and involves partial seams which I've never tried to master.

Here's the hot mess on the back, with pieces of the graph paper still visible.  Some of those indigo fabrics are quite thick - I did have some trouble getting the needle through, but no trouble getting it through my finger.

Only one more piece to upsize now, before I retreat from the garden and return to the sewing machine to sew the blocks together.    Not bad timing, as there is a chill in the air.  Summer's lease....

For Monday's Count at Life Under Quilts, this 12.5 inch block has 210 pieces.  With any luck I will have finished the last block next week:  if I get that far I will count up the grand total.