New York Beauty blocks for "Listen With Your Eyes" (a Jacqueline DeJong quilt), the next focus on my 17 in 2016 list.
~*~*~Paper Piecing Tip~*~*~
I love the preciseness we get from engineered paper piecing, but it can be daunting to get the papers off when you have lots of tiny angles. In the past, I've used my Purple Thang and needles in my applique book to help.
When I was spring cleaning, though, I ran across this huge sailmaker's needle. (Why on earth did I even have this?)
It is my new best friend in my pool of quilter's tools.
A sailmaker's needle is the PERFECT tool for this job! It's long enough to hold comfortably (about 4-1/2 inches). It's fat enough to never bend (a little bigger around than the lead in a #2 pencil). Its sharp tip fits right into the ends of the acute angles (in 40 arcs with 15 pieces each, I never had a problem with it getting caught in the fabric).
Just slip it in, give it a swoosh, and all is happiness. You find the rhythm, and it makes much shorter work of a mundane TV task. :)
If you pick one up, you'll want the sharp tip, not the rounded one that's like an oversized cross stitch needle.
My real work this week is this Super Cutey! I am so excited to start on it. This is the "Lloyd & Lola" pattern from Elizabeth Hartman, and this is my first customer quilt.
I am so lucky for this to be my jumping off quilt. It's absolutely adorable to start with, and Heather's piecing is meticulous (no wavy ends, a perfectly squared-up backing with lots of margin all around). I even get to do fun custom work on it. We've already settled on the plan, so all I have to do is get the tension squared away and start playing. :)
~*~
Linking to
Brook's WIP Link-Up
"New to Me" at Celtic Thistle,
Lorna's Let's Bee Social,
and Julie's Sew, Stitch, Snap, SHARE
Those llamas are gorgeous, can't wait to see what you do with this. I have some old needles like that tucked away, must pull them out.
ReplyDeleteOh, my gosh I have some of those needles! I inherited them with my grandmother's sewing things, and I just had to keep them. Now I know what they're for. How fun that your first customer quilt is that cute. I hope all your future customers present you with such well constructed tops.
ReplyDeleteHi Lynette,
ReplyDeleteI DO wonder why you had a sailmaker's needle?! Were you think of starting a new hobby and want to make a splash, so to speak, with your own sails? HAHA Ooh, have fun with that Super Cutey quilt. I wonder what pattern you will use to make it just shine? I'll have to stay tuned. ~smile~ Roseanne
WOW!!
ReplyDeletewhat a great paper piecing tip!!
thanks so much for sharing and for linking up!
brooke@sillymamaquilts.com