Paper Piecing and Guild Birthday Parties
It’s been another one of those Kansas weather weeks this week; we went from 60 degree weather one day to a winter storms this weekend. We’ve been bunkered down at the apartment and we aren’t venturing out until later tonight.
I’ve been working on the February goal post this weekend and what I plan to do. I think I got settled on my project. I’ll get that posted later next week. How are those January goals coming? I need to get to the store to get some batting so I can start practicing my domestic machine quilting and get these finished tops quilted and to homes.
This week kicked off my 2020 BOM project. This year I’m ONLY doing one (check-in with me in June to see if I’m keeping my promise to myself) and I selected the Paper Chain BOM. This BOM is a foundation paper piecing project. Last year, I really found myself enjoying paper piecing from the BOMs I was participating in. The method allows for beautiful blocks and make me look extremely accurate with my piecing.
The January pattern released on Monday and I made it that night. Now I’m impatiently waiting for February.
This month, Lee Heinrich shared a paper piecing tip that changed my life - folding BACK the paper first and aligning your next material cut - temporarily gluing - and trimming to a quarter inch first. I had zero redos when I sewed my foundation pieces together. I did have to redo my big center seam once. You can find Lee’s video tip here on YouTube. If nothing else, watch that video - I wish I would’ve had it earlier.
This week was also the KC Modern Quilt Guild’s monthly meeting and 10th year birthday party. It was a great time seeing quilts and challenges the guild has done over the past 10 years. We entered some raffles, but we weren’t big winners on those (Xander went with me). However, Xander had the winning ticket for our table and won us a little fat quarter pack.
We also got our first guild challenge for the year and it is the PB & J challenge. Members got a fat quarter pack and we must use the pack, can use one more solid from the Painter’s Palette line, and use the Drunkard’s Path block for inspiration.
This will be my first challenge I participate in. So, with the weather, I planned out my design first on graph paper and then on my new quilt software. I think I’m going to use grey for my background color. Xander lent his quilty eye and named the design “Masquerade.” The challenge is due in May, so I’ll be picking up that material soon and getting it put together.
Since this will be for a challenge, you’ll have to be patient for the reveal on this one. I’ll do the reveal in May after our guild meeting.
I highly recommend if there’s a quilt guild in your area, you join. The inspiration alone is worth the membership fees you’ll pay. If it is a Modern Quilt Guild group, you’ll also get membership into the national guild giving you even more challenges and patterns to you! KCMQG just opened up their 2020 membership - $60 for the year - it is well worth it.
I also did a bit of garment sewing and made Xander some Pokemon pajama pants. I’ll take another picture soon; the pants are too long and I need to redo the hem, but he isn’t take the pants off!
How is your January going with your goals? Anyone have a completed quilt project start to finish yet? Share with me some of what you’re working on in the comments below!
And Xander says “hi” and “GO CHIEFS!” We’ll leave you with a sneak of what’s coming next in February and if you can find it, a little sneak into “Masquerade.”
