Paper piecing
Paper piecing for most people is a love or a hate thing. I am in the middle about it. Although I don't love doing it, sometimes it is just the right thing for me. I don't always finish a project out of the blocks. Sometimes I just want to experience the process. I have owned many of Carol Doak's paper piecing books and have passed some on to friends. I still have this one and you can see I have a partially completed block laying there with the book.
Carol gave the blocks the names of the states; this is Idaho on the left and Illinois on the right. In the book she even encourages you to take all of the A parts of one state block and mix them with the B parts from another state. I'll probably go back to this some day when I am between projects and just want something to sew on.
Yesterday my sisters-in-law from the family I married into got together for one SIL's birthday. I decided not to go out and buy a card and to make one instead (we don't do gifts anymore). I know she likes hummingbirds so I embroidered this on my embroidery machine, layered it with fusible batting and one of the heavyweight products (lighter weight than Timtex) and a backing and quilted it and finished the edges with a satin stitch of 30 weight veriegated thread. On the back I hand wrote my greeting. The embroidery was a little too wide to make it in the 4" x 6" format so I just got a greeting card envelope and made it a little smaller than the envelope. This took 2 hours to make so I guess it might have been less expensive to buy a card.
The sun is shining and it is supposed to go above freezing today. Yea!!!!
Carol gave the blocks the names of the states; this is Idaho on the left and Illinois on the right. In the book she even encourages you to take all of the A parts of one state block and mix them with the B parts from another state. I'll probably go back to this some day when I am between projects and just want something to sew on.
Yesterday my sisters-in-law from the family I married into got together for one SIL's birthday. I decided not to go out and buy a card and to make one instead (we don't do gifts anymore). I know she likes hummingbirds so I embroidered this on my embroidery machine, layered it with fusible batting and one of the heavyweight products (lighter weight than Timtex) and a backing and quilted it and finished the edges with a satin stitch of 30 weight veriegated thread. On the back I hand wrote my greeting. The embroidery was a little too wide to make it in the 4" x 6" format so I just got a greeting card envelope and made it a little smaller than the envelope. This took 2 hours to make so I guess it might have been less expensive to buy a card.
The sun is shining and it is supposed to go above freezing today. Yea!!!!
12 comments:
I love doing paper piecing, but, of course, i like anythng that's "fiddly".
I agree that it's cheaper to buy cards but the hadn made ones are so much mroe special!
I love the card! Although it might have been less costly to buy a card, I bet this one is appreciated more!
This is sweet! And I love those stars too. I have the same book, plus others, and enjoy paper piecing because of the accuracy.
We have sunshine today too. It is -7C or 17F... I can hardly wait for tulips, but that will be a few weeks.
The hummingbird card was just beautiful.The veriegated thread just finished it perfectly.
Very touching , Wanda.
Ahhh, but a hand made card is ALWAYS more special! Love the thread you used for the edging.
As for me, I am in the "do not like" paper piecing... love the results when others accomplish beautiful work, but it is not for me.
Yeah, sunshine!! It's out here today, too!!
I hear you about paper piecing -- I neither love it or hate it, but there aren't many of us in that middle ground. You can make some stunning blocks with it!
Lovely birthday card. This one won't get tossed in the trash.
Since I am not able to cut or sew a straight line, I LOVE PP-ing. I even love to pick out the teeny tiny pieces of paper. Sick...I know.
I have that Carol Doak book too, really like that you can use a CD that comes with the book[?] to make the blocks any size.
I have never tried paper piecing...yet. Sometime. I just love the hummingbird card. Unlike a bought card, this is more likely to be kept, even displayed. It would be a small wall hanging. Beautiful.
The Humming Bird Card is just lovely! A treasure to keep.
I love those pretty blocks
I love paper piecing and it makes my work so much more precise. I have Carol's books also. I would never have attempted New York beauties without paper piecing.
Love your HUMMINGBIRD birthday card for your SIL. I hope she does display it as it is so special. And to have it shown on your blog gives it 'celebrity status'. She should be flattered.
As I said yesterday 'post cards' have really inspired me as they are something I think I can handle easily. And to use as gift cards makes it even more appealing.
Paper piecing~ I will try it on one of my post cards. (*._,*)
J~MT
I love paper piecing, as there is something theraputic about making a pile of crisply folded and tacked patches, then hand-stitching them together to create something wonderful.
Saying that, I'd love to be able to create something a bit more 'free-hand' and organic...I must learn to relax and be a bit bolder!!
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