Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 3 - Cross Stitch Octagon - Block 6 May 15 2019

Hi everyone! Are you keeping up with our Decadence SAL? For many of you, it is time to go outside and plant flowers. I always say that my flowers are on fabric; they won't wilt away, you don't have to water them or weed them, and what a gorgeous array of floral fabrics available to us. Beautiful fabric is certainly my obsession. A little birdie told me that Art Gallery Fabrics has generously donated fabric bundles for some monthly prizes. Our quilt is put together entirely of Art Gallery Fabrics. So keep posting your progress on Facebook and/or Instagram using #DecadenceSAL. 

And for those of you who haven't yet seen, here is the quilted version of the Decadence quilt.  Isn't she gorgeous?

The iron on interface is a new and unique way to English Paper Piece. However, due to my method of designing blocks, I make so many changes along the way that I was not able to use the iron on method. I simply used the interface as I would use cardstock papers. Even though the interface is thinner than cardstock, it works perfectly well this way. We find thin papers in antique EPP quilts; they certainly didn't have cardstock. And they left the papers in, giving an extra layer of warmth to their quilts.

When basting, I DO NOT iron the interface to the fabric. I baste mine as though they are papers. You can peek under to double check your edge; you can check or change your fussy cut placement. I DO NOT iron them before I sew them together. I only iron them after the entire Round is completed. By ironing at the end, the slight bias stretch within the fabrics helps everything fit together smoothly. 

It took a while to get used to folding over the interface. If you hold the fold and interface between your thumb and first finger and kind of gently rub it back and forth, you can tell when it stops at the edge. However, when there are additional fabrics at corners, you can't feel anything. So, you simply keep your edge line going in the exact same direction.

I am also not a glue girl but as time was running out to sew the sample, I did use glue on the column of irregular/elongated hexagons. I like the Bohin glue best. We will go over the method I used for the column in March 2020.

All directions that follow will refer to Helen Stubbings' iron on method (See my March blog post if you need to review Helen's video.)

So, let's get started!

FABRICS USED IS THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:

• AGF Floral Fusion
• Teal Damask
• Cross Stitch
• Black and White Stripe
• Cream with Black Dots
• Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers
• Black with Large Floral
• Background Fabric

FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:

Below is a picture of the illustration from page two of your pattern. I have outlined certain areas to be joined together before attaching them to the whole. This picture will be referred to as "the illustration above" within the following directions. (By sewing some pieces together in sections, you are handling less bulk, making it easier to line up.) 

1) The center is a 1" Square cut from the Black with Large Floral fabric. 

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Fussy cut ONE 1" Square tiny flower from the Black with Large Floral fabric as shown below.

2) The four 1" Octagons surrounding the center square are cut from the Floral Fusion fabric.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Fussy cut FOUR Octagons from the Floral Fusion fabric as shown below. Sew them around the center square, carefully matching the fabric design. 

3) The eight 1" Squished Pentagon Joiners are cut from the Teal Damask fabric. 

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Fussy cut EIGHT Squished Pentagon Joiners from the Teal Damask fabric as shown below. Also shown below is a picture of the area of the Teal Damask where this fussy cut can be found. Sew sets of two together along the short bottom. Do not join them to the center yet.

4) The eight 1" Hexagons are cut from the Cream with Black Dots fabric. 

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Cut EIGHT HEXAGONS from the Cream with Black Dots fabric as shown below. No need to fussy cut here. Sew one HEXAGON to EACH SIDE of the Squished Pentagon Joiners, creating four separate sets, as shown in red in the illustration above.You may now sew these four sets to the Round.

5) The sixteen 1" Stretched Pentagon Joiners are cut from the Black and White Striped fabric.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Fussy cut SIXTEEN STRETCHED PENTAGON JOINERS from the Black and White Striped fabric. A black stripe should be placed from the center top point to the center of the bottom as shown in the picture below. Join these in sets of four with the top points to the center as shown in blue in the illustration above.. Your center black stripes should match perfectly. Sew these sets to the Round.

6) The eight 1" Octagons are fussy cut from the Cross Stitch fabric.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Fussy cut EIGHT OCTAGONS from the Cross Stitch fabric as shown below. Join these in sets of two, carefully matching the fussy cuts. Do not sew these sets to the Round yet.

7) The four 1" squares are cut from the Teal Damask fabric.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Fussy cut FOUR SQUARES from the Teal Damask fabric as shown below. Also shown below is a picture of the area of the Teal Damask where the fussy cut can be found. Sew these to the sets of cross stitch octagons as shown in green in the illustration above. You may now sew these sets to the Round.

8) The eight 1" hexagons are cut from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Cut EIGHT HEXAGONS from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric. I cut from the areas of the fabric that have only the white flowers. Sew these to the Round as shown in the illustration above.

Lastly appliqué your completed Round to the center of an 18 inch square of your background fabric. The square will later be trimmed to 17-1/2 inches. 

NOW, OUR MAY BLOCK #6 IS FINISHED. 

Remember to post your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook with #DecadenceSAL. You could be the winner of a wonderful prize. Next month we will be doing one of my favorite Rounds based on the Lucy Boston pattern..... Please feel free to ask any questions here, by email (info@RedThreadStudio.com) or in our Facebook group - Decadence Stitch-Along.

Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 2 - Red Star With Striped Borders - Block 11 April 15 2019

Welcome to the second month of our new and exciting adventure in the Decadence SAL presented by Red Thread Studio. Here it is, the 15th of April, and I hope you are ready to start your second Round. Remember to share your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook using #DecadenceSAL. If you are using our Decadence fabrics OR your own fabrics OR whichever Round you are currently working on, we would love to see it. You can post your progress and/or finished Round.

The placement of fabrics in this block is very obvious, so many of you who received your fabric the first of the month may already be sewing it together. Nonetheless, I will be reviewing each fabric cut below. Remember my directions will be referring to Helen Stubbings’ iron on method (See my March blog post if you need to review Helen's video). 

TIPS FOR TODAY:

1. When you are stitching together your pieces, be sure to pick up only a couple threads from each piece. When you use traditional EPP papers, you can easily feel when your needle hits the paper. With the iron-on interface, it is easy to stitch into it, which you do not want to do. When you flatten out the pieces you stitched together, you do not want to feel a lump where you stitched. Both pieces should lie perfectly flat at the seam. 

2. Avoid using too much steam from your iron. Turn off your steam or use a very minimal amount of it when working with this interface.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Some of you may have a pattern where the templates shown on page 3 are labeled incorrectly. They should ALL be 1-1/2" templates (not 1"), as follows: 

• The one-third Hexagon is measured on the long 1-1/2" edge, indicating that when three of them are put together, they form a 1-1/2" Hexagon.
• The Hexagon Kite is 1/6 of a hexagon. The 3/4" outside edge of the Kite when placed with another identical Kite creates one side of a 1-1/2" Hexagon. Therefore, it is considered a 1-1/2" Hexagon Kite.
• The sides of your Diamond and Triangle all measure 1-1/2 inches. 

So, let's get started!

FABRICS USED IN THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:

• Black with Large Floral
• Black and White Stripe
• Peacock Feathers
• Twin Peacocks on Black
• Cream with Drawn Flowers
• Background Fabric

FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:

1) The center is a 1-1/2" Hexagon compiled of six 1-1/2" Hexagon Kites. Three of these 1/6 Hexie Kites are cut from the Twin Peacocks on Black Fabric and three of these 1/6 Hexie Kites are cut from the Peacock Feathers fabric.

For each of the two fabrics, the first picture below shows a piece of the fabric where the cut comes from. The second picture below shows the finished size of the fussy cut Hexie Kite without seam allowance. 

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Twin Peacocks fabric (CUT THREE for a Hexagon): 

Peacock Feathers fabric (CUT THREE for a Hexagon):

 Now, sew together THREE pieces to create a Half Hexagon (two of one fabric alternating with one of the other fabric). Repeat with the three remaining pieces. It will be easier to get a matching center this way. I like to start sewing the two halves at the center out to the edge to ensure my centers will come together at a perfect point.

NOTE: AFTER THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS #2 AND #3, SECTION #4 WILL REQUIRE THAT YOU MAKE SIX MORE HEXAGONS EXACTLY THE SAME AS ABOVE. 

2) Surrounding the center are six 1-1/2" Hexagon thirds cut from the Cream with Drawn Flowers fabric. You may cut these from your fabric wherever you chose. Although each cut is not identical, I tried to cut mine with lines going outward so that they appear uniform. 

The first picture below shows a piece of the fabric where the cut comes from. The second picture below shows the finished size of the one-third Hexie cut without seam allowance. CUT SIX. 

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Sew them together along the short sides with the point going outward, leaving one seam open. Then sew this around the center Hexagon. Finally sew the final open side seam together. This is my preferred way, finding it easier to sew completely around a center section.

3) The next section, shaded grey in the page 2 illustration of the pattern, is comprised of 1-1/2" one-third Hexagons and 1-1/2" Triangles, all cut from the red flowers in the Black with Large Floral fabric. As you can see in the finished Round, the only fussy cutting is that you cut from any area of dark red flowers. Try to squeeze as many cuts as possible from a dark red flower section, so that your two yards will have enough areas to cut from for the rest of the quilt.

The first picture below shows only one area of the fabric where the cut comes from. 

The second picture below shows the finished size of the one-third Hexie cut without seam allowance. CUT TWELVE. 

The third picture below shows the finished size of the Triangle cut without seam allowance. CUT SIX.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Refer to the illustration on page 2 of the pattern and sew two one-third Hexagons together along one side of the point, then sew the Triangle to the flat edge of the joined pieces. Make six of these sets and sew them together with the Triangles pointing outward. Then sew them around part 2 above.  Once again, I prefer to sew all six sections together leaving one seam open before attaching them to the center piece.

4) Make SIX sections exactly like the center Hexagon in Section #1 above. DO NOT yet sew them to Sections #1 through #3 above. They will be joined to Sections #5 and #6 before you sew them around your red star.

5) Next, you will be making 1-1/2" Diamonds from the Cream with Drawn Flowers fabric. I cut these randomly from the fabric. CUT TWELVE. Below is a picture of the finished size of the diamond without seam allowance.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

DO NOT sew these to any other Section yet.

6) Now, you will be making the Triangle piece in red which sets between the two white Diamonds. This Triangle is identical to the red Triangle in Section #3 above. You need to CUT SIX 1-1/2" Triangles from the dark red section of the Black with Large Floral fabric, using the directions in Section #3 above. Below is a picture of the finished size of the triangle without seam allowance.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

DO NOT sew these to any other Section yet.

7) Finally, you will CUT TWELVE 1-1/2" Diamonds from the Black and White Stripe fabric. Center a black line down the length of the Diamond. Below is a picture of the finished size of the diamond without seam allowance.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

In the following section we will be joining Sections #4, #5, #6, and #7 together.

8) The following illustration shows how I broke down the pattern to make it easier to sew together. Notice the dark lines separating the sections. Three sections include Sections #4, #5, #6, and #7 sewn together. The other three sections include Section #4, #5, and #7 sewn together. Once I finished these, I first connected the smaller sections (which include Sections #4, #5, and #7) to the center red star. This smaller section does not include the red triangles.

Finally I connected the larger sections (which includes Sections #4, #5, #6, and #7). 

By sewing it together in sections this way, you are handling less bulk, and it is easier to line the pieces up.

Lastly, appliqué your completed Round to the center of an18 inch square of background fabric. The square will later be trimmed to 17-1/2 inches. 

NOW, OUR APRIL, BLOCK #11 ROUND IS FINISHED. I particularly like this Round with the bold red star around the center and a bold red triangle exploding from each tip of the star. You will find that each of our twelve Rounds are completely different from each other, making this an intriguing quilt to work on. Particularly if you are a beginner, you will learn different piecing structures as we complete these Rounds. So, keep your needles busy and finish each Round every month. Don't forget to post your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook with #DecadenceSAL. You could be the winner of a monthly prize! Jen shares some really neat prizes…And, feel free to ask any questions. 

Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 1 - Rose Bouquet with Teal Borders - Block 7 March 15 2019 2 Comments

Welcome to a new exciting adventure in the Decadence Stitch-Along (SAL) presented by Red Thread Studio.  My name is Carolyn Pytlik, and I will be leading the stitch-along every month detailing how I approached each block with tips and tricks along the way.  For a preview of my fussy cutting method, you can check out my tutorial HERE.  Hopefully it will be helpful to you in creating this quilt. 

Our Decadence quilt is named after the beautiful fabric collection we will be using designed by Katarina Roccella for Art Gallery Fabrics. There are also a few other Art Gallery fabrics mixed in and a Lecien fabric for the binding.  Feel free to join our SAL if you are using your own fabric.  The patterns we will be using are 'In The Rounds' by Helen Stubbings of Hugs N' Kisses, except that one of the twelve used in this quilt is one I enjoyed designing myself. 

Helen has created a new way to do EPP with iron-on "papers," made with a fusible interfacing.  Her process saves you the time consuming step of removing the papers. The fusible interface makes the pieces soft and pliable while working with them. And you will be gluing your folded seam allowance with a Glue Pen rather than basting.  

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU WATCH HELEN'S VIDEO.  THIS VIDEO SHOWS YOU HOW TO USE HER EPP INTERFACING.

Although, if you prefer, you can use the interface pieces the same way that you use regular papers, as I did.  When designing a Round (block), I am always changing my fabric choices and fussy cutting to get to a finish with which I am pleased. Therefore, I basted the interface and didn't iron anything until the entire Round was complete. 

My directions below will relate to using Helen's iron-on method. I have indicated that you are to cut a 1/4" seam allowance; however, you may cut a 3/8" seam if you prefer.

On the bottom of the second page of your pattern is an illustration of the construction of Round #7.  This illustration was incorrect on my pattern and may be incorrect on yours as well. Here is the correct illustration for this Round.

FABRICS USED IN THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:

I will be using these name descriptions when referring to the fabric.  

• Black with Large Floral
• Twin Peacocks on Black
• White with Black Dots
• Turquoise with Birds
• Black and White Stripe
• Teal Damask
• Black and Green Border Print
• Background Fabric (metallic pink)

FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:

1) The center 1-1//2" Diamonds are cut from the Black with Large Floral fabric. You will be fussy cutting each Diamond as shown below. You will need to CUT SIX DIAMONDS.

The first picture shows the area of the fabric where this cut comes from. The second picture shows the finished size of the fussy cut Diamond without seam allowance. Sew the Diamonds together as a Six Pointed Star.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC. 

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

2) Next the six Hexie Kites are cut from the Twin Peacocks on Black fabric. You will be fussy cutting each Kite from the position shown. You will need to CUT SIX KITES.

The first picture shows the area of the fabric where this cut comes from. The second picture shows the finished size of the fussy cut Kite without seam allowance. I found it easier to sew a section which includes this Kite with the two Kites (#3 below) and the Half Hexagon (#4 below) before attaching them to the center star.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE. 

3) Next, the twelve Hexie Kites are cut from the White with Black Dots fabric. There is no need to fussy cut these pieces except that you will be cutting from the portion of this fabric shown below, where the dots are medium to heavily spaced apart. When cutting from the White with Black Dots, keep every cut butt up against the last cut because we will be using every bit of this fabric. You will need to CUT TWELVE KITES.

Now sew these on both sides of the Kites (#2) above.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

4) Next, the six 1-1/2" Half Hexagons are cut from the Black and White Stripe fabric. This fabric is printed with stripes on the diagonal. You will be positioning your piece with vertical stripes. I always cut this fabric with a black stripe in the center of my piece.

You will need to CUT SIX HALF HEXAGONS as shown below. Now you will sew together this Half Hexagon with the three kites (#3 & #4) forming a full Hexagon. Then attach this Hexagon to the Center Star.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

5) Next the first set of six 1-1/2" Diamonds is cut from the Turquoise with Birds fabric. You will cut in the areas of pink flowers as shown below. When cutting these, do NOT simply center your piece in the flower area; most flower areas will accommodate two cuts and you need to be careful not to run out of this portion of the fabric.

You will need to CUT SIX 1-1/2" DIAMONDS. You may attach this diamond now or wait until you have attached the upcoming Hexagon/Kite section.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

 6) Next the 1-1/2" Hexagons are cut from the Teal Damask fabric. You will be fussy cutting each hexagon from the position shown. You will need to CUT TWELVE HEXAGONS as shown below.

I found it easier to sew together each section of two hexagons with the upcoming center Kite (#7) and upcoming Half Kites (#8) before attaching them to the remainder of the Round.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

7) Next the six Kites are cut from the Black with Large Floral fabric. You will be fussy cutting each kite from the position shown below. You will need to CUT SIX KITES.

The first picture below shows the area of the fabric where this cut comes from. The second picture below shows the finished size of the fussy cut Kite without seam allowance. You will be attaching this to the upcoming Half Kites (#8) and the previous teal Hexagons (#6).

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE. 

8) Next the twelve Half Kites are cut from the White with Black Dots. You will need to CUT TWELVE HALF KITES, SIX WITH THE CENTER TO THE RIGHT AND SIX WITH THE CENTER TO THE LEFT AS SHOWN BELOW.

Now you can sew the two opposite Half Kites to the six Kites (#7) above; then sew them to two teal Hexagons (#6) above. Sew this section to the Round.

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE A BIT LESS THAN 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

9) Last, the six 1-1/2" Diamonds are cut from the black and grey stripe area of the Black and Green Border Print. The Diamonds will have the stripe running lengthwise with the darker black stripe in the center as shown below.

You will need to CUT SIX DIAMONDS.  Sew this to the Round and you are finished!

YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.

YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.

Finally, appliqué the Round to the center of an 18" square of the background fabric. Trim to 17-1/2".

I hope you enjoyed making this first Round of our quilt. Please post a picture of your finished piece on Instagram and/or Facebook using #DecadenceSAL...even if you are using your own fabric! Jen will randomly pull names from those who post each month for special prizes.

About Carolyn Pytlik

(Pictured above blocks made by Carolyn from Visible Light by Melissa Peda)

Carolyn Pytlik has been sewing since she was a child.  In addition to English Paper Piecing, she likes needle turn appliqué, embroidery, counted cross stitch, fabric and cats.  You can see some of her projects in progress on Instagram @cheshire_cat_quilts. 

Celestial Star Stitch-Along Recap February 14 2019

**EDITED MARCH 26, 2019**

The winner of our #CelestialStarSAL $100 Red Thread Studio e-Gift card is Marj T.  Marj used her own fabrics to create this gorgeous version of Celestial Star.

Congratulations Marj!

I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank Carolyn Pytlik for her leadership on this SAL and Sharon Burgess for allowing us to feature her beautiful pattern.

For those of you still working on your Celestial Star, please continue to share photos of your progress on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #CelestialStarSAL.

If you are just getting started.  You can purchase the book HERE or the paper pieces and acrylic templates HERE.

Also, here is a summary of the blogposts and links for the Celestial Star Stitch-Along for easy reference:

• Introduction
• Getting Ready
• Month 1 - Twin Peacocks
• Month 2 - Peacock Circle Red
• Month 3 - Twin Seahorses
• Month 4 - Seashells
• Month 5 - Mermaid Tails
• Month 6 - Peacock Circle Flower
• Month 7 - Seahorse Circle
• Month 8 - Mermaid Circle
• Month 9 - Center Pieced
• Month 10 - Corners
• Month 11 - Starbursts 1-12
• Month 12 - Starbursts 13-24
• Month 13 - Putting It Together

Celestial Star SAL - Month 13 - Putting It Together February 01 2019

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Due to technical difficulties on my end, Carolyn's Celestial Star Finale post did not make it up on the blog on January 1st.  I then made the decision to hold the post until February 1st to give you more time to work on your Color Bursts and Starbursts.

In the meantime, post a photo of your finished quilt top between 12:01am 1 February 2019 – 11:59pm 28 February 2019 in your time zone on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #CelestialStarSAL for a chance to win a $100 Red Thread Studio gift certificate. (Your quilt top can be quilted, but it’s not a requirement for prize eligibility.)

Now back to your regular programming :)

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Happy New Year to each of you and your loved ones. May this year bring you much happiness, good health and many blessings. I hope you find time to stitch every day. Stitching is about more than the project. It is an enjoyable, fulfilling and calming task. I recently had to go a number of days without stitching, and I found myself feeling a bit melancholy; so, I picked up my needle and thread for just a short time and my heart felt free again. So stitch away gals and make your world a happier place.

This is it, our final month for the Celestial Star SAL. How many of you have kept up each month with stitching your Color Bursts and Starbursts? It was definitely time-consuming. When Jen first showed me this pattern, my first thought was that it was a daunting task. But, focusing on one piece of this puzzle each month made it easier to follow. I hope you are pleased with your quilt in its completion.

We have a few more directions to follow in piecing together the entire quilt. You may want to follow my layout of the Color Bursts or change it up to your own liking. When I laid mine out, I had a friend help by moving the pieces around as I looked at it from a short distance to get a feel for the entire finish. When I was pleased with the layout, I took a picture to look at it from a different view point. Then I numbered the Color Bursts by writing on the back of the papers. Using compass directions, I labeled them North, Northeast, East, Southeast, South, Southwest, West and Northwest. I also numbered the Starbursts clockwise 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. 

It helps to remove papers from the inside of each Color Burst to avoid bulk. But be sure to leave the papers in all the edges.

The illustration in your book will show where each Color Burst, Starburst and filler pieces will go together. You will find that there are a few tricky intersections where three unequal sections meet. Your seams should all fall in the same direction to reduce bulk. You want to make sure that each individual piece of this puzzle comes to a sharp point; without sharp points, your intersections will be a bit wonky. I had to rip, adjust, and stitch again until I got the hang of it.

First is the intersection where two Starbursts and one Color Burst meet.

Next is the intersection where two Color Bursts and one Starburst meet.

Next is the fill-in piece between two Starbursts with the border attached.

 Finally a corner unit and two Starbursts with the border attached.

Now, take out the remaining papers, give it a good pressing and off to the quilter. Jen's long arm quilter chose to keep the quilting simple within each Color Burst and each Starburst. And the borders were quilted with straight lines perpendicular to the edges. I then chose the black and white stripe used in the wings for the binding. Because the stripe was printed on the diagonal, your binding strips are cut straight across the width of the fabric. Now, after a year, you have the plans for an awesome quilt.  

What made this quilt so beautiful and intriguing was the choice of fabric. Jason Yenter's (In The Beginning) Treasures of Nature fabric line had so many wonderful fussy cutting options. I am sure there are many, many more different fussy cutting combinations to explore in these fabrics. Always remember that the choice of fabric is the key to success when fussy cutting.

I want to thank you for joining me in this year long journey. I will continue to watch for posts of your finished quilts (use #CelestialStarSAL on Facebook or Instagram). And I hope you will follow my quilting adventure in 2019 with the Decadence SAL.  For more information, click HERE. Look for my completed Decadence quilt within the next two months. Happy Stitching! 

Celestial Star SAL - Month 12 - Starbursts 12-24 December 01 2018

It's December, the month when we celebrate Christmas in style. I know many of you are busy decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, cooking, partying, traveling and visiting with loved ones. I hope you are able to save some quiet time for yourself to relax and do some hand stitching. Below is a cross stitched picture I made which reminds me of my sentiment for you and for the world.

"May your holidays be a time of peace and love for all creatures, great and small."

I also wanted to give you a sneak peak of my next SAL with Red Thread Studio....Decadence Block of the Month. Details HERE. I hope you will join us again with these "In the Round" blocks, pattern by Helen Stubbings of Hugs 'n' Kisses.

TIPS:

• If you find that your stitches show on the right side, you can avoid that. Make sure your stitch through both EPP pieces is perpendicular to the edge. Then your traveling stitch behind is at an angle. 
• This is a "cheater" tip I don't use too often. The fabric motif you want to cut often doesn't fit perfectly into the template area and the edge of another motif or background might have to be included in your cut. If the colors are right, you might be able to adjust the design by filling in an area with a permanent Micron fine point pen in a matching color. For example, my cut is of a peacock tail and I don't want the tiny edge of the white background showing; a blue or green Micron pen might just be able to fill in the white background. No one will ever know.
• IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FINISH YOUR COLOR BURSTS BEFORE YOU START YOUR STARBURSTS. OTHERWISE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE FABRIC CUTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR COLOR BURSTS.

You need twelve more Starbursts this month. Listed below are the fabrics I used in each of my Starbursts from the center out.  These are examples. Be creative, design your own. Setting your Magic Mirror on your fabric will show you what a center might look like. Using a template viewer will help you find another fabric cut. 

Starburst #13: Peacock Circle, Red on Red, Twin Peacocks

Starburst #14: Peacock Circle, Blue on Blue, Red on Red

Starburst #15: Peacock Circle, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks

Starburst #16: Blue Medallion, Blue Medallion, Blue on Blue

Starburst #17: Twin Peacocks, Peacock Circle, Green on Green

Starburst #18: Twin Seahorses, Green on Green, Blue on Blue

Starburst #19: Twin Peacocks, Peacock Circle, Blue on Blue

Starburst #20: Twin Seahorses, Twin Seahorses, Blue on Blue

Starburst #21: Twin Peacocks, Blue on Blue, Green on Green

Starburst #22: Twin Seahorses, Blue on Blue, Blue Medallion

Starburst #23: Twin Peacocks, Peacock Circle, Blue on Blue

* Starburst #24: Twin Peacocks, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks  *notice that this is a replica of one we did last month

Be sure to add the background fabric around the Starbursts. Remember that these are my examples. Be creative and design some of your own.

Keep posting your progress (#CelestialStarSAL). Jen has some awesome prizes lined up and the odds are in your favor. Next month, I will discuss connecting and finishing directions. That's when all your hard work will shine like a Star!!

Celestial Star SAL - Month 11 - Starbursts 1-12 November 01 2018

November, the month we give thanks for our many blessings. In spite of hardships, we are still blessed to be alive, have family, be home, have a turkey on the table, be able to sew and enjoy our sewing, and many other things. The photo below shows a crazy quilt block I made celebrating November.

Congratulations to those of you who are keeping up with our monthly SAL. As well as those of you who are simply enjoying sewing your Color Bursts at your leisure. In the past, I hurried to finish and display a piece. Today, I simply enjoy the sewing regardless of when I finish. 

TIP for today:

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU FINISH YOUR COLOR BURSTS BEFORE YOU START YOUR STARBURSTS. OTHERWISE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE FABRIC CUTS YOU NEED FOR YOUR COLOR BURSTS. 

We are now ready to start our Starbursts. I hope you are ready to design your own Starbursts. If you are copying the pictures, you may find that you do not have the same fabric cuts that match mine. What matters is that you look for eight identical cuts in the fabrics you have left. Be original! Using your Magic Mirror will show you what your center will look like. Using a template viewer will help you find another cut.  

You will need to make twelve (12) Starbursts for this month, and another twelve (12) next month. They are small and much quicker and easier than the Color Bursts, so have fun with it.

Below are pictures of the first twelve Starbursts and comments on which fabrics I used (fabrics will be listed from the center out). Forgive me if I am incorrect in listing a fabric or two; it has been a long time since I worked with these fabrics and since then I have played with dozens and dozens and dozens of different fabrics. 

DON'T FORGET TO ADD THE WHITE OUTSIDE FILLERS IN ORDER TO TURN THE STAR INTO AN OCTAGON. 

Starburst #1: Twin Seahorse, Blue on Blue, Red on Red

Starburst #2: Twin Seahorse, Green on Green, Twin Seahorse

Starburst #3: Peacock Circle, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks

Starburst #4: Peacock Circle, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks

Starburst #5: Peacock Circle, Red on Red, Twin Peacocks 

Starburst #6: Blue Medallion, Blue Medallion, Blue on Blue

Starburst #7: Twin Peacocks, Blue Medallion, Blue on Blue

Starburst #8: Twin Peacocks, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks

Starburst #9: Twin Seahorse, Blue on Blue, Twin Seahorse 

Starburst #10: Twin Peacocks, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks 

Starburst #11: Twin Peacocks, Blue on Blue, Twin Peacocks

Starburst #12: Blue Medallion, Blue on Blue, Blue Medallion 

So, that's it for November. Remember to post your progress on Instagram or Facebook using #CelestialStarSAL. Jen always has some great prizes each month. And if you are keeping up or close to, there will be a big prize for one finished quilt top later.

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Decadence Stitch-Along Introduction October 29 2018 4 Comments

DECADENCE STITCH-ALONG INTRODUCTION

We are excited to offer another EPP virtual Stitch-Along in 2019!  

With a modern setting, Decadence features the same named fabric line by Katarina Roccella for Art Gallery Fabrics and is based on the English paper pieced projects - In The Rounds by Helen Stubbings of Hugs 'n Kisses.  Like last years SAL, Decadence will offer lots of opportunities to play with your fussy cutting and to also approach it with an artistic eye.

Please welcome Carolyn Pytlik - fussy cutter extraordinaire - who will lead the 13 month Stitch-Along for Decadence!  She successfully lead our 2018 Celestial Star SAL wowing us along the way.  Carolyn has been sewing since she was a child. In addition to English Paper Piecing, she likes needle turn appliqué, embroidery, counted cross stitch, fabric and cats.  You can see some of her other projects in progress on Instagram @cheshire_cat_quilts. 

Here is an overview of the Stitch-Along.  We hope you join us on this new fussy cutting adventure!

In this SAL, there will be lots of tips and tricks.  In addition to completing a beautiful quilt, you will learn how to select fabric for fussy cutting and adapt it to your pattern, to apply cutting diagrams on your fabric, and to work with iron-on papers.

DATES: The SAL starts March 1, 2019 and will finish March 31, 2020.

QUILT SIZE:  The quilt top will finish approximately 68 inches by 64 inches.

MONTHLY PLANNER:  Decadence is made from twelve blocks set around a modern English paper pieced panel.  Block order is subject to change.

• March 2019 - Block 1
• April 2019 - Block 2
• May 2019 - Block 3
• June 2019 - Block 4
• July 2019 - Block 5
• August 2019 - Block 6
• September 2019 - Block 7
• October 2019 - Block 8
• November 2019 - Block 9
• December 2019 - Block 10
• January 2020 - Block 11
• February 2020 - Block 12
• March 2020 - EPP Panel and Putting It All Together

FABRIC:  Explore the fussy cutting potential of your own stash or use Carolyn's handpicked beauties.  This quilt requires 11-15 yards of fabric depending on your fussy cutting objectives.  Decadence monthly fabric, iron-on papers/paper pieces are available HERE.

IRON-ON PAPERS AND PAPER PIECES: Planning to use your own fabric stash?  You can join still the monthly BOM, just select the iron-on papers/paper pieces only option during registration.

CONNECT:  The majority of the Decadence SAL will be run on the Red Thread Studio Stitch-Along Blog and on Instagram.  Follow both @RedThreadStudioOnline and @Cheshire_Cat_Quilts to stay up-to-date and to tag us on your Decadence posts so we can share your work.  To connect with others who are also participating, use the following hashtag: #DecadenceSAL 

If you’d like to connect with people on Facebook you can join Decadence Stitch-Along Facebook Group where we’ll be posting regularly and encouraging people to share.

PRIZES:  There will be monthly prizes for those who post their progress on Instagram or Facebook using #DecadenceSAL as well as a grand prize for one winner!  Anyone who completes their quilt top and posts a photo between March 1st 2020 (12:01 AM) and March 31st 2020 (11:59 PM) in their time zone also using the hashtag #DecadenceSAL will have a chance to win a $100 Red Thread Studio gift card. (Your quilt top can be quilted, but it’s not a requirement for prize eligibility.)

Celestial Star SAL - Month 10 - Corners October 01 2018

October......Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird, I would fly about the earth seeking successive Autumns. I guess I'm a Winter girl. My stitching and creativity even improve when the weather is in my favor, go figure.

I've completed another In The Rounds, a pattern by Helen Stubbings of Hugs N Kisses. The Art Gallery Decadence fabric by Katerina Roccella is so beautiful to work with. Some of the prints are very exact fussy cuts. But the large floral and the off white, although fussy cut, were not exact cuts. Those types of prints are approached with a more artistic eye. 

THIS MONTH'S TIPS

• Be sure to leave in any papers touching the outside edges of each constructed Color Burst. The papers in the center of each piece, if removed now, will make it easier for you to sew everything together, as we are fast approaching that moment in time. Because I hand baste, I was able to save nearly all of my papers, with the exception of the wings. I just press them out, sort them by shape, and they are ready to be used again. 
• If you are not keeping up with the monthly sew along, you might want to print each month's directions. This will be especially helpful if you don't have the opportunity to finish in the near future. 

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 10 - Corners 

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below. Be careful when cutting. CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When cutting and basting fabrics to papers, PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING: 

(1) The Center is one-fourth of an Octagon and is cut from the Red Medallion fabric. Notice how the four tiny petals of the blue flowers are the center point of the cut. And that the brown plume is slightly cut off. Cut four identical pieces, one for each corner.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(2) The first set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Red on Red fabric. Be sure to cut at the large red flower, cutting off four of its petals, in order to have a dark point to the adjacent paper piece. Cut a total of sixteen identical pieces, four for each corner. Sew only two together into a pair, leaving two separate for each corner.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(3) The Custom Jewel is cut from the Circle Peacock fabric. Notice the two points around the circle, one facing the point of the paper piece. Cut a total of eight, two for each corner.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) The second set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Twin Peacock fabric. Notice how I have placed a green "eye" at one side of the piece, half being cut with the "eye" facing one direction, and the other half a mirror image. Cut a total of sixteen, eight mirror image of the other eight. Four are used for each corner. Sew only two together into a pair for each corner, "eyes" facing together. This leaves two separate for each corner, "eye" facing out. If you look closely, one of my outside"eyes" are facing the incorrect direction. How did I manage that? Duh! 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) The Kite is cut from the Red Medallion fabric. Notice the open red space above the brown plume. Cut twelve, three for each corner. Half of each of the two outside kites will hang over the edge. This half will disappear into the seamline when stitched to the border. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(6) Don't forget those striped wings. Two sets for each corner.

Remember to post your progress on Instagram and Facebook using #CelestialStarSAL. Please post!  We love to see your progress and you can even win some prizes!

Next month, November, we start the Starbursts. These are fun and each one goes together quickly. You will have the opportunity to select fussy cuts on your own with these, but we will show you pictures of each of mine. 

Celestial Star SAL - Month 9 - Center Pieced September 01 2018 1 Comment

It's September! And, it's our very last Color Burst. But fear not, there will be lots more fussy cutting for the Starbursts to come in November and December.  If you are enjoying my fussy cutting and if you are wondering, I've already started on another fussy cutting project for 2019.  Here is the first completed round (Details coming soon!)

THIS MONTH'S TIP:

What do you use to rip out stitches if you have made a mistake piecing?  I do this quite often because, when designing an EPP piece, I often change my mind after sewing pieces together.  I rip out with a pair of German made Gingher embroidery scissors which desperately need to be sharpened after years of cross stitch and embroidery (scissors pictured below). They are not too sharp so as to not cut a hole in the fabric.  But, the very fine tip will grab a stitch and snip that stitch and then gradually pull out successive stitches.  Since many of you do not have a pair of well-used embroidery scissors, there are many seam rippers available.

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 9 - Center Pieced

This month's Color Burst is named for both the Octagon center which is pieced, and the fact that I intended it to be the centerpiece of the quilt because it is my very favorite.

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below.  Be careful when cutting. CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece.  When cutting and basting fabrics to papers, PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING: 

(1) The Center Octagon is divided into eight identical Kites and is cut from the Twin Peacock fabric. Notice how the gold centers of red flowers form a small wreath around the center of the Octagon. Be sure the gold flower center is about a quarter inch from the center point of your individual Kites. The blue arch creates a circle for the center Octagon. Cut eight identical pieces.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

Here you will see that I have pieced the two halves of the Octagon separately, with all four points matching in the center of each half. 

Now, piece the two halves together. I start sewing at the center of one side, sewing toward the outside edge. Repeat with other side.

(2) The first set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Red Medallion fabric. Be sure to cut the design shape in the area which has a red open space above it. Cut sixteen and sew them together in pairs.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

Attach your sets into an open ring and sew the open ring to the center Octagon. Then close the ring and complete your center.

(3) The Custom Jewel is cut from the Twin Peacock fabric. Notice that it is cut from the identical area that your center Kites were cut, only the Jewel is a larger cut. Leave about 3/8" of the yellow "rays" at the unpointed end of the Jewel. Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) The second set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Twin Peacock fabric. Notice how their necks match and form a point when sewn in pairs. Cut eight facing one direction and eight facing the opposite direction. Sew them together in pairs. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) The Kite is cut from the Red on Red fabric, centering the large "flower" shape. Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(6) Now, put it all together.

(7) Don't forget those striped wings.

Remember to post your progress on Instagram or Facebook using #CelestialStarSAL.  Please post. Wouldn't you love to win one of Jen's terrific prizes?

Next month, October, we will be making the four corners to the quilt.  And in November, we will start the Starbursts which are great fun and will bring out your creative talents.

Celestial Star SAL - Month 8 - Mermaid Circle August 01 2018 1 Comment

I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!

For a very important date.

No time to say hello, good-bye.

I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!

Sorry to be late, but I unexpectedly spent a whole week in the hospital.  My issue is all fixed up for now.  And as usual, the food was terrible, and the people were wonderful.

So, here we are, Month 8 - MERMAID CIRCLE.  I really enjoyed playing with the mermaid shape in different ways.  This time, I split the center octagon into eight kites to get spinning mermaids.  FOR THOSE OF YOU RECEIVING THE MONTHLY FABRIC AND PAPER PIECE PACKS, WE SENT EXTRA KITES ALONG WITH THE OCTAGON PAPER PIECE IN THE EVENT YOU WOULD RATHER NOT PIECE YOUR CENTER.

TIPS: 

• You might have noticed when ironing your basted pieces that they curl. I have been just holding them flat for a moment. But if you turn off your steam, you may not have any curling at all.
• We will be attempting something new today with the center octagon being split into eight kites (I will show pictures later).  Any time you are sewing numerous points together, when you have even numbers of identical sizes, sew each half together separately, keeping the points tightly together at the center.  When sewing the two halves together, they will meet at a center point much more easily.  When you have an uneven number of pieces or if the sizes of the pieces vary, try to divide them into the closest to halves as you can and this will still help to create the perfect center. 

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 8 - MERMAID CIRCLE, PIECED

This month's Color Burst is named after the center Octagon which is pieced from eight mermaid motifs from the Seahorse Twins fabric.

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below.  Be careful when cutting.  CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When cutting and basting fabrics to papers, PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING:

(1) The Center Octagon is divided into eight identical Kites and is cut from the mermaids in the Seahorse Twins fabric.  Notice how her fingers point towards a corner.  And notice the portion of her hair encompassed within the Kite shape. It's important to see her face and partial body creating synchronized swimmers. Cut eight identical pieces.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

Here you will see that I have pieced the two halves of the Octagon separately, with all four points matching in the center of each half.  This picture shows the same concept with different fabrics than we are using this month.

Now, piece the two halves together.  I start sewing at the center of one side, sewing toward the outside edge.  Repeat with other side.

(2) The first set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Blue on Blue fabric.  The wide end is centered around an on-point square.  The FOLD LINE on the thin end stops at the point of an elongated diamond shape.  Cut sixteen and sew them together in pairs.  See how each piece matches up with its neighbor.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(3) The Custom Jewel is cut from the Blue Medallion fabric.  The Jewel encompasses the entire orange burst, with the bottom tip touching the FOLD LINE. Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) The second set of Four-Pointed Stars are also cut from the Blue Medallion fabric.  The small point centers a column of dots.  The FOLD LINE of the wide end cuts through a portion of two orange flowers centered.  Cut sixteen and sew them together in pairs.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) The Kite is cut from the Twin Peacock fabric.  Each piece is exactly the same on both sides.  Notice how the FOLD LINE at the wide end cuts through the bluebird.  Notice where the orange circle hits the FOLD LINE at the narrow point.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(6) Don't forget those wings. Don't you sometimes wish you had wings to fly?

Remember to post your progress on Instagram or Facebook using #CelestialStarSAL.  Even if you are working on earlier Color Bursts or are just getting started, please post. You may even win a prize.

Celestial Star SAL - Month 7 - Seahorse Circle July 01 2018

It is now officially Summer for most of us.  Longer daylight hours, vacations, Summer activities, and just a reason to relax can seriously bite into your sewing time.  In my younger days, that was true for me.  But these days, the only thing that stops me from sewing is.......well, nothing if I can help it.  I've been playing with the latest Tilda fabric, Sunkiss, checking out the fussy cutting possibilities.  There are an abundance of cuts for these half-inch hexagon flowers.  A bouquet of these can certainly make someone's day; and, they won't wilt.  

TIPS:

• When I'm English paper piecing, I always knot the end of the thread in my needle before setting it down to prepare the next piece(s).  Whether I'm basting or attaching shapes, it is handy to have that needle and thread ready before I position my fabric.  Most of you probably do this without consciously thinking about it; bravo to you!  When ripping out, as we often do, I like to have that visible knot on top of my seam showing where I started my thread; carefully snipping that knot starts me on my way to removing the unwanted piece.
• I've been using Superior Thread Bottom Line 60 weight polyester thread on bobbins for attaching EPP shapes.  This 60 weight thread is by far the best I have found for EPP.  It is strong and nearly invisible.  My tip for "parking" this thread bobbin is to attach the color(s) I am currently using to my pin cushion.  I use a long pin with a large head, larger than the bobbin hole; I put the pin through the hole and stab it loosely into the pin cushion, using one long pin for each bobbin. This way, I can get a spin on the bobbin, making the thread pull out quickly and easily.  Pictured below is how I have mine set up for easy access.  EDITOR'S NOTE:  THIS IS AN AWESOME IDEA!  I NEED TO START DOING THIS!!! - JEN

• I store my various EPP projects in hat boxes, six quart or fourteen quart clear plastic storage boxes, large cosmetic bags, floss boxes, baskets, tupperware, etc.  Because I switch from one project to another so often, my basic sewing notions are in a cosmetic case. These notions include thread cutting scissors, fabric cutting scissors, pin cushion, needles, basting thread, sewing thread, white tracing pencil, black tracing pencil, pencil refills, seam ripper, and clover clips.  I also keep a small sand board and my Magic Mirror nearby.  Unless an acrylic template is specific to only one project, I keep all my templates together, grouped in various similar shapes in zip bags (ie, hexagons, half hexagons, elongated hexagons would be stored together in one bag).  If I don't keep organized, I often lose things.  Although I don't glue baste, I have a glue pen for the occasional use. I was planning on trying it on my half-inch hexagons. I have NO idea where it is. Ugh!

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 7 - SEAHORSE CIRCLE

The name for this month's Colorburst is from the Seahorse Round fabric.  Once again, Jason Yenter's Treasures of Nature fabric has offered us many opportunities for fussy cutting. 

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below. Be careful when cutting. CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When cutting and basting fabrics to papers, PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING:

(1) The Center Octagon is cut from the Seahorses Round fabric.  Cut one, centering the circle.  The tails and the turtles will be pictured around the edges of this Octagon when finished.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(2) The first set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Blue Medallion fabric.  The CUTTING LINE is at the upper most tip of the daisy.  The FOLD LINE encompasses the orange center of the daisy at the tip.  Each piece is exactly the same on both sides.  Cut sixteen and sew them together in pairs.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(3) The Custom Jewel is cut from the Pink Medallion fabric.  Place the jewel template with the top pointing in the direction of the small circle.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) The second set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Twin Seahorse fabric.  One set of two are identical cuts; however, they are facing opposite directions. Notice how the nose snuggles into the side point of the FOLD LINE when basted.  CUTTING a total of sixteen pieces, eight are facing left and eight are facing right.  Sew each set of two together with their backs to each other. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) The Kite is cut from the conch shells on the Twin Seahorse fabric.  Each piece is exactly the same on both sides.  Notice how the FOLD LINE at the wide point of each piece cuts off the bottom green edge of the conch shell.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

Remember to post your progress on Instagram at #CelestialStarSAL and on Facebook at Celestial Star Stitch-along.  Even if you are working on earlier stars or are just getting started, please post.  You may even win a prize!

In the meantime, for those of you in the USA, Have a Happy Fourth of July!  For everyone, we are having a 3 day sale - 20% off of your order July 4-6th....just use code REDWHITE&BLUE at checkout.

Celestial Star SAL - Month 6 - Peacock Circle Flower June 01 2018

I hope all is well with each of you and that your Celestial Star Quilt is coming together nicely.  Time passes so quickly and here we are with our sixth of nine Color Bursts.

Giulia Severn, our friend from Munich, Germany, has completed her quilt top and posted it on Red Thread Studio's Celestial Star SAL Facebook page.  Giulia has made this quilt her own by making numerous creative changes to my original quilt.  She received her supplies all at one time in order to save on oversea postage. Check it out, it's beautiful! 

With the sewing of this project behind me, I have started to play with different EPP projects, some new, some UFO's.  I'm currently half done with some creepy Halloween EPP Circles for a small quilt.  These are made from Sue Daley's "Round We Go" block of the month, which I purchased from Red Thread Studio.  It seems like it's too hot out (80+ F here) to think about Halloween, but maybe I'll finish it if I don't get distracted by something new, which is usually the case.  At the moment I'm hooked on EPP, but in the past I would switch between appliqué, piecing or embroidery projects on a regular basis. 

I often wonder how disciplined some sewers must be to start and finish one project before starting another.  What is their secret?  However, I really enjoy having numerous EPP projects in progress because I love to play with both new and old fabrics, and I love to watch a new idea come to life.  This process creates many UFOs, but I gain a lot of experience.  The older I get (I'm retired now), the more I find that it's in the "doing" more than in the "having".  But there is nothing like the feeling of accomplishing a finish and the giving or the hanging of a new quilt. 

TIPS: 

• When centering the cut fabric onto the paper piece, I have found it helpful to hold both pieces up to a close light source.  I can see through the paper and fabric to locate my exact fabric placement while I hold it tightly in place; then clover clip a couple of sides.
• Try to keep a perfect point where your two wings meet together with a kite point.  I prefer to work toward the point but sometimes, the bulk of the previously pieced area can get in the way.  So when I start from the point, I am peeking under after every stitch until it has been secured in place. With the first few stitches, I can still move the pieces slightly if necessary to achieve my goal.  Remember, there will be places where you will be joining either six or seven more tight points to these when finishing this quilt. 
• As most of you are already aware Summer, which is approaching soon in the US, is the perfect time to pack up a small bag with your scissors, needle, thread, clover clips, paper pieces and preferably cut fabric.  It's relaxing at the beach, pool or sports games.  If interrupted, it's easy to find where you left off.  I like to always be doing something with my hands, so it is a perfect carry-along.  If traveling by air, be sure to check, in advance, what type of scissors or needles, if any, are allowed on the airplane.  I hate to think of the collection of fine sewing scissors that the airline has "inherited" this way. And not to forget our friends in Australia, sitting by the fire or nice and warm next to a window with beautiful snow scenery doing EPP; this is my preferred place to be. 

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 6 - PEACOCK CIRCLE FLOWER

I've named this month's Color Burst Peacock Circle Flower because this is the second time I have used this particular center medallion, and also, the whole of this Color Burst looks so much like a flower to me with sixteen green "leaves" surrounding what appears to be petals of a flower in each of the eight Custom Jewel shapes.

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below. Be careful when cutting; CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.  

Placements have often been selected specifically for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When cutting and basting fabrics to the papers, PAY attention to the following:

(1) Center Octagon is cut from the red Peacock Circle fabric. This motif is not a directional print.  Notice that it is centered in a swirl of peacock tails in the fabric.  Cut one. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(2) The first set of Four Pointed Stars are cut from the Pink Medallion fabric.  Cut sixteen identical pieces as shown in the picture below, being careful to keep both long sides of one 4-pointed star identical.  You will be joining eight sets of two matching the long sides.  And, you will be joining the sets into a circle matching the short sides, leaving one side open. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(3) The Custom Jewel is cut from the center of a swirl of peacock tails from the red Peacock Circle fabric.  This red center cut, which resembles a flower, has two sets of points. The pairs of points are situated top and bottom, barely fitting the red flower within the fold lines.  Cut eight. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

(4) The second set of Four Pointed Stars are cut from the Green On Green fabric.  Cut sixteen identical pieces as shown in the picture below being careful to keep both long sides of one 4-pointed star identical.  You will be joining eight sets of two, matching the long side.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) Kite is cut from the Peacock Twins fabric. Center the birds' heads at the bottom line of the Kite.  Both sides of the Kite are identical.  Notice how the birds' heads are at the FOLD line.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

Remember to keep posting your progress on Instagram and Facebook #CelestialStarSAL.  There are GREAT prizes to win and seeing others' progress can be inspiring. Have a happy sewing-filled month.

Celestial Star SAL - Month 5 - Mermaid Tails May 01 2018 1 Comment

I hope some of you had the opportunity to see this quilt in person in the Red Thread Studio booth at Paducah in April.  Jen had it quilted and added the binding during the week before the show. Her entire booth looked amazing.

May is time for MERMAID TAILS or maybe we should call it Mermaid Tales.  There are so many tales about mermaids these days.  The children are fascinated with this beautiful dreamy creature.  I designed a mermaid for the Row by Row experience a few years ago when the theme was water.  This past week I had a surprise visit from my brother along with nine members of his family including five grandchildren.  The children loved the mermaid quilt, even the boys.  If there were time, I'm sure they each could have invented a story, a tale, to go along with this dreamy lady. 

Our Color Burst this month has mirrored mermaid tails in the final set of Four-Pointed Stars.  The mermaid cut of fabric is from the Twin Seahorses print.  The mermaid makes a few great cuts for this project, but the tail cut we are using today is my favorite. 

You will be receiving a quarter yard of the Pink on Pink fabric for this Color Burst, the only place in the quilt where this pink fabric is utilized, unless you choose to use it in your Starbursts. I think this fabric would make a fantastic background for appliqué.

TIPS FOR TODAY:

• It is important to press, not iron, your work as you complete each task.  After basting your fabric to the paper pieces, be sure to press each piece.  This will sharpen the fold line, making it easier to take a smaller "bite" of fabric when sewing them together.  If the pieces tend to curl immediately after you press them, quickly hold the piece down with your hand for just a moment or two.  When cool, they will be flat. 
• Wings. I hope they are going well for you after last month's introduction.  Don't hesitate to ask any questions if you are having difficulty. At first, they are quite daunting.  But once you get a few done, they will go smoothly. 
• Although this tip is unrelated to our project, it can be most helpful when cutting hexies that are not fussy cut.  The photograph shows how I lined them up right next to each other so that I can get the most out of my fat quarter.  They will have to be traced and cut individually, but there is very little waste. These are 3/4 inch hexies for another new project.

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 5 - MERMAID TAILS

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below. Be careful when cutting; CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected specifically for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When basting fabric to the papers, pay attention to the following: 

(1) Center Octagon is cut from the Peacock Circle fabric.  You will notice that when I cut this piece, I had the grey extended plumes/points directed toward the center of one side.  I later thought it may have been better to have those plumes/points directed toward a pointed corner of the octagon; this way, the plume would point toward the center of the quilt, as the other octagon motifs do.  However, I chose not to rip it out; I do a lot of changing by ripping out pieces and will only do so when I'm emphatic about making the change.  Take a look at your fabric through the viewer and decide for yourself. Cut one.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(2) The first set of Four-Pointed Stars is cut from the Pink on Pink fabric.  Notice there is a dark filled in circle near the center of the piece and notice how the bottom point of the piece (thin end) almost touches a slightly larger darker filled in circle.  The top of the piece fold line sits just above a tiny diamond.

Cut sixteen.  Sew them together in pairs.  Sew the pairs together leaving one opening in your circle. Then sew your circle around the center octagon as shown in Month #1.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(3) The Custom Jewel is cut from the center of a swirl of peacock tails from the Peacock Circle fabric.  This is my very favorite cut of all our fabrics.  The colors in the swirl are majestic.  Notice how well the pink in this piece goes so well with the cuts in (2) above.  This circular center has four points of which there are two sets of matching opposing points.  The points which are more like a large flower plume are situated top to bottom, barely fitting within the fold lines.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) The final set of Four-Pointed Stars are cut from the Twin Seahorse fabric.  The motif to cut is the Mermaid Tail, hence the name of this Color Burst. You will be cutting mirror images of her tail.  Notice how the entire tail is within the fold line, the tips of her finger are right along the fold line and you will see a portion of her arm within the cut.  When the opposing pieces are put together, her upper thighs from each piece will meet together perfectly. Cut eight of a left facing tail and eight of a right facing tail.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) The Kite Point is cut from the Pink Medallion fabric.  Notice how the bottom (wide) point sets on the edge of a white symmetrical "leaf" and the corners to either side of this set to the top of a thin gold "leaf."  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(6) And, remember to add your striped wing points at this time so that your COLOR BURST can fly!

I hope you are all keeping up with our monthly series.  I am currently receiving a BOM and have received three monthly packages without my having started any of it.  I look at these projects, patterns and fabric as "purchasing the dream of what it can be." Those dreams really do come true.

Keep posting or start posting your pictures on our Celestial Star SAL Facebook page and Instagram page with #CelestialStarSAL. You may be next month's lucky prize winner!

Celestial Star SAL - Month 4 - Seashells April 01 2018 2 Comments

Happy Spring!

My big news is that I finished my Celestial Star quilt top and sent it to Jen at Red Thread Studio in Florida.  She will have it quilted, and for those of you going to Paducah this month, it will be hanging in her booth (4114/4215 in the Pavilion).  Seeing a quilt in person is so much more exciting than in a picture.

This quilt was six months in the making.  I never get tired of creating new fussy cuts, so this was a fun project for me.  I will continue to guide you through my techniques; but remember, this is the way I made it, and you may have other techniques that you prefer.

This month we are making the Seashell Color Burst. First, some notes about the wings.

WINGS (I like the suicide hot wings the best.)

It is time to start adding wings.  You will need to go back and add them to your January, February and March Color Bursts.  Beginning with April and through September, you will be adding the wings as you complete each Color Burst. There are also wings in the four corners. 

The left and right wing are reverse images.  Therefore, I drew one window template with two sides,  indicating the seam, the bottom, the left or right.  These are on opposite sides of the same piece of cardstock; this helped me keep from mixing up two templates.

Be sure you sew your wings together correctly, otherwise they will not fit.

Be sure your center seam lines on each, right and left, are in the middle of a white stripe.  If a white stripe is slightly wider or thinner than the others, it is less likely to be noticed.

Cut your seam allowance at 1/4" WITH THE FOLLOWING EXCEPTION.  I added a little more length to the point so I would have a bit more fabric at the crucial seam joining other points.  Be conservative with your fabric keeping all the left wings lined up on one side of the fabric and all the right wings lined up in another area.  I kept my window template handy until I could look at a wing and immediately recognize it as left or right.

It is important to have VERY TIGHT points to complete the intersections.  When I basted my pieces, I started making very small basting stitches about 1-1/2" from the thin point.  Although I have not tried it, glue basting might be a good way to go with these points because, even with very small basting stitches, the fabric would pull when sewing together multiple points.  Although we will not be sewing together multiple points this month, I wanted you to see why it is important to keep your point very tight. These pictures show some of my good intersections. Some of mine were not so perfect.  In fact, on one I had to rip each seam back two inches. In the following pictures you will see samples of either 5, 9, or 10 points coming together. 

You will first sew a pair of wings together at the short seam.

Then attach them to the Color Burst ONLY at the base.  This will keep them in place as you sew the wing tips to the points of the Color Burst. 

When sewing the points, line them up at the tip.  You want the very top tip of the wing to match the very top tip of the Color Burst. Because the are different sizes and approach each other differently, you will want to peek underneath the tip where you are starting to sew to make sure they are tip to tip.

Once you have secured your tip, put a Clover Clip at the base of the wing to make sue it stays in line.  Then you will sew back to the base.

The most important part is to have your tips matching. 

I started sewing my wings to the Color Burst at the base of the wing only.  I would stitch all eight wing sets to the Color Burst across the base before I pursued the wing tips.  This made the process easier and lined up the bottom of each wing evenly.  I like to start sewing the remaining section of the piece at the point with the wing on top. This way I was able to slightly lift and see that the points were coming together exactly where I wanted.  After you have made about eight VERY SMALL STITCHES, unfold the points to check that they didn't shift out of place.  Put a Clover Clip at the opposite end.  If it appears that one piece slightly buckles and you have properly matched up your points, this small bump will work itself away as you sew when you bend your pieces gently away from the buckle. 

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 4 - SEASHELLS: 

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED, is outlined below. Be careful when cutting: CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected specifically for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When cutting and then basting fabrics to the papers, pay attention to the following:

(1) The Octagon Centerpiece is cut from the Seahorse Circle fabric. Notice that the outside points of the seashells touch the octagon at four outside points. Cut one.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(2) The Four-Pointed Star round are cut from the Blue on Blue fabric.  The flower-like motif is centered at the widest point.  Cut 16.  Join them in sets of two matching the long sides.  Then join each set matching the short side.  Leave one side open until after you have joined the ring of blue to the center. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(3) The Modified Jewels are cut from the Twin Seahorse fabric.  The two seashells fit perfectly into this piece.  The small motif above the pair of seashells is cut nearly in half.  Cut 8.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) The Four-Pointed Star sets are cut from the Green on Green fabric.  Notice that the square-like motif is at the wide point.  Cut 16.  Join in sets of two on the long side.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) The kite is cut from the Twin Seahorse fabric, I love using the mermaids.  A mermaid is a Sirene, whose myth is generally associated with causing shipwrecks.  Quite different from the little mermaid stories of our generation.  Notice how the hand on her left arm points into the corner.  Be sure not to get any orange fish over the fold line; however, there is some cut within the seam.  Some of her hair is cut off, and her chest leans onto a fold.  For the remaining pieces, I usually lay my first cut piece onto the fabric and mark points before I draw the entire piece.  Cut 8. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

Well, that's it for today. Remember to KEEP POSTING or START POSTING your progress and use #CelestialStarSAL.  Did you see the thread package that Janet won in the last drawing?  A very generous prize.  This Superior thread is the best thread I have ever found for EPP, and I used approximately four bobbins for this entire quilt.

Smiles......Carolyn

Celestial Star SAL - Month 3 - Twin Seahorses March 01 2018 1 Comment

It's March already; Spring is trying to come alive here. I hope your Color Bursts are coming alive as well. Our third Color Burst is "Twin Seahorses."  Jason Yenter has once again captivated me with his Treasures of Nature fabric print artistically depicting seahorses, seashells and mermaids.  Hmmm, a mermaid is a Treasure of Nature?  And as so many of his fabrics do, this piece lends itself beautifully to fussy cutting.

The English paper piecing method of creating quilts has been around for a long time.  Antique quilts are found where they actually did cut shapes out of paper, often leaving the paper inside since paper is a great insulator.  We are fortunate to have precut shapes of card stock.  There are so many talented designers creating different patterns with different shapes and enough ideas to keep one very busy.  I consider Katja Marek and her book, the New Hexagon along with her Rosette pattern, the catalyst of today's EPP revolution.  I recently read an article about Katja, which brings me to our first tip for this month.

TIPS:

• "My only real rule is don't cut the tails off." (Quote by Katja Marek, AQS magazine.)  The tails are the seam allowance, adding stability to the quilt.  A shortened tail can fray and pull apart with a good tug.
• Last month, I explained my method of basting the fabric to the papers with needle and thread.  Sharon Burgess, the designer of our Celestial Star quilt, shared this information about gluing the fabric to the papers. "Your papers can be reused many times, especially the ones cut by my wholesaler Creative Abundance (these are the ones provided in the Red Thread Studio Fabric/EPP packs).  I only throw mine out if I accidentally tear them when removing the papers. I highly recommend the Sewline Glue pen and refills. These pens are nice and thin and when used correctly you do not put too much glue on.  Always glue the paper, not the fabric (gluing the fabric will use more glue). Hold your glue pen like a pen, on an angle so you are only applying glue from the edge of the glue stick. Also, remember less is more with your glue, and this will come with time. If you have trouble removing your papers you are using too much glue. Never use regular/kids glue sticks. They are too thick and you will get too much glue on your papers." (Used with permission. Thank you Sharon.)
• Use Clover Wonder Clips to hold your basted pieces together. I like to clip the pieces at the end.  Sometimes it happens that the two pieces are different lengths. Using the clip at the end will help to ease the two pieces together. Have you noticed how many ways Clover Clips can be used?  After basting a matching group of eight papers, I clip them together. I organize my Star Bursts in baggies, clipping the top so the pieces don't fall out. I have clipped sticky notes to my shirt so that I remember something.  I keep a clip on page 56 of our book "Quilting on the Go, English Paper Piecing" by Sharon Burgess, where her instructions begin.  I am sure there are many imaginative household uses for these clips.
• When basting fabrics to the papers, always fold the fabric toward you. I am guilty of not adhering to this rule at all times.  I do, however, remember to properly fold the fabric when covering pointed pieces which will be sewn together at the point.  Later in this quilt, you will be sewing eight and sewing nine points together and with all uniform folds, your points will sew together easily and lay flat.
• When tracing your shapes onto the fabric, try to utilize your fabric in the most efficient way.  Most of these prints have approximately a nine-inch repeat and there are usually six repeats across the width.  In many large motifs, we have the opportunity to cut numerous pieces.  Whenever possible, cut different pieces from a large motif area already used, rather than cutting in new areas of the fabric.  In the tone on tone fabric such as the Blue in the photo below, squeeze your cuts together, cutting one upside down and the next right side up, etc.

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 3 - TWIN SEAHORSES: 

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED, is outlined below. Be careful when cutting: CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected specifically for you to match motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When cutting and then basting fabrics to the papers, pay attention to the following:

(1) Center Octagon is cut from the Twin Seahorses fabric. The octagon is placed tip to tip vertically.  Although centered horizontally, the seahorses are not centered vertically.  Take a look at where the cutting line hits the fabric at the bottom. Allow me an OOPS moment as I notice my picture below is not quite lined up on both sides at the bottom. However, the picture of the finished Color Burst is correct.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(2) Four-pointed Stars cut from the Blue on Blue fabric.  Cut sixteen identical pieces as shown in the picture below being careful to keep both sides of one four-pointed star identical. Notice how the top cutting line is just above the dark square motif. You will be joining sets of two matching the long side. And, you will be joining the sets matching the short side.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(3) Celestial Star Jewel cut from the Blue Medallion fabric.  The picture shows your Celestial Star Jewel cutting diagram, not quite centered on motif.  Take note of where the bottom fold line point hits on the fabric.  Cut eight. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(4) Four-pointed Stars cut from Pink Medallion fabric.  The circle in the fabric is not symmetrical; be sure to utilize the correct direction.  Notice how the fold line points hit the white motif top and bottom.  Cut sixteen identical pieces as shown in the picture below being careful to keep both sides of one four-pointed star identical.  You will be joining sets of two matching the long side. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(5) Kites cut from Twin Seahorse fabric.  Notice how the seahorse's crown is touching the fold; also notice where the bottom point hits on his vertebrae.  The reason for this placement is to utilize, as much as possible, the dark color of the body in the outside point of the Color Burst.  Star points will not be effective if they fade into the background; you want a star point to be bold and to stand out. This will also be important when making Star Bursts.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE. 

FINALLY, I hope that you enjoy making your Celestial Star Color Bursts.  Next month we will be covering the addition of wings.  They are tricky little buggers, and they will later be part of a nine piece intersection; therefore, perfection is important.  You will then be able to go back and add the wings to Color Bursts #1-3, and add them to all future Color Bursts as we proceed.

Please post your progress weekly on Facebook at Celestial Star Stitch Along and on Instagram at #CelestialStarSAL. We would love to see your progress and you could win some really nice prizes from Red Thread Studio.

Celestial Star SAL - Month 2 - Peacock Circle Red February 01 2018

It's time for our February Celestial Star Color Burst.  I hope you all have made some progress on January's Twin Peacocks.  I'd love to see what you have accomplished.  You can post on Facebook (Celestial Star Stitch-Along) or Instagram hashtag #CelestialStarSAL.  And please, ask any questions, no matter how small, either on the Facebook page or you can DM me at my Instagram account at cheshire_cat_quilts.

I remember my first complex EPP project a few years ago.  It was Katja Marek's Rosette/Milliefiore Quilt.  I had done simple hexagon quilts and Lucy Boston blocks prior to discovering her New Hexagon book and her Rosette pattern.  Her Rosettes were so exciting, different from any other English Paper Piecing project.

The first Rosette was the largest and selecting fabrics was my biggest challenge...although, I did tend to reverse or sew these unfamiliar shapes in backwards.  The ripping out....ugh!  In the end, not only was I thrilled with the piece, but I also had a better understanding of the process.  At that time my stash did not include a great deal of fabrics for fussy cutting so I joined a BOM as many of you have here.  I was guaranteed beautiful results because the design with fabrics had been worked out for me.  By the third block, I was adding my own touch to the Rosettes with my own fabrics.  As I constantly tend to gravitate toward new EPP designs and new fabrics to play with, I find I have numerous UFO's.  But the experience I've gained from each and the growth in my fussy cutting skills makes every one of these projects worthwhile.  And I believe I will finish most, if not all, of these UFO's someday.  But today, I hope to help you along with your Color Bursts.

BACK TO BASICS:

Basting Papers

I baste with the long threads on the back for two reasons.  First, the photographs I post are more attractive.  Second, the long stitches on the back tend to hold the seam allowance in place.  You want to keep your fabric taught but not pulling.  You want your corners crisp and neat.  ALWAYS IRON YOUR PIECE AFTER BASTING.  If you are basting a long, very thin paper, such as the wings that we will begin in April, you need numerous stitches near the point.  The picture below shows you the front and back of my standard basted piece. (Note that the fabric placement/cut shown here is not from this month's Color Burst.)

There are those who like to baste by taking stitches at each corner but not going through the paper. I've done all hexagon quilts this method with plastic pieces rather than papers, and they worked very well.  The plastic held the fabric without bending out of shape.  I would not recommend this method for fussy cutting as the fabric can shift a minute amount, enough to throw off your design.

Probably the most popular method is glue basting.  You need to use a very small amount of glue on the edge of the fabric.  If you punch a hole in the middle of your paper with a standard office hole punch, it will make popping out the paper easier. Insert a "purple thang" or similar stick with a dull point into the hole to remove the papers.  This is definitely the fastest way to baste. 

Joining Pieces

It is my opinion that the best way to keep your stitches from showing is to make the smallest stitches possible through a very small amount of fabric and to keep your stitches snug.

The picture shows stitches on a 1-1/2" seam.  There are approximately 38 stitches on this seam.  So many fabrics have color changes from very light to very dark.  Your thread might match one of the colors or you may use a neutral thread.  The smaller the stitch, the less apt the thread will not show from the front.

Below is a picture of a center block with the first ring attached.  Notice how an opening has been left between two sets of four pointed stars.  This opening extends back to a corner of the center octagon.  I find it much easier to attach this circle with it open; when the circle is closed it is more difficult to maneuver around the octagon.  After you have sewn the circle as shown in the picture, close the circle by sewing the short edges together BEFORE you join it to the octagon. This will ensure a straight connection line. (Note that the fabrics used in the illustration are not the fabrics used in this Color Burst, nor is the octagon pieced in this Color Burst.)

And, below is a picture of a deconstructed Color Burst.  This picture shows the first sections to be pieced; the pairs of four pointed stars in the first round and the outside pairs of four pointed stars before the Color Burst points.  NOTE that after you have basted your fabrics to your papers and pressed them, you may find slight variances in the fabric placements (hopefully no more than about 1/16th of an inch).  Lay all sixteen pieces out and determine which pieces match perfectly into pairs. Remember that some pairs are mirror imaged. (Note that the fabrics used in illustration are not the fabrics used in this Color Burst.)

DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MONTH 2 - PEACOCK CIRCLE, RED.

The picture shows you Color Burst #2, which we are referring to as Peacock Circle Red. There will be another Peacock Circle Color Burst; therefore, "Red" is in the title referring to the first color round. The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined below. Be careful when cutting: CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

Placements have often been selected specifically for you to match design motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When basting the fabrics to the papers, pay attention to the following:

(1) Center Octogon is cut from the red Peacock Circle fabric. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT.  DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLD LINE.

(2) Four-pointed Stars cut from the Red on Red fabric.  Cut sixteen identical pieces as shown in the picture below being careful to keep both sides of one 4-pointed star identical. You will be joining sets of two matching the long side. And, you will be joining the sets matching the short side.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK FOLD LINE.

(3) Celestial Star Jewel cut from red Peacock Circle fabric.  The picture below shows your Celestial Star Jewel cutting diagram, centered on motif.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK FOLD LINE. 

(4) Four-pointed Stars cut from the Twin Peacock fabric.  There are a total of 16 pieces cut, 8 from the left facing peacock and 8 from the right facing peacock.  These pieces are mirror imaged.  Your cutting illustration is shown below, as well as a pieced pair showing how the mirror-imaging gives a secondary design within itself.  Notice the face of maybe a tiger or a scary movie villain.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK FOLD LINE.

(5) Kite cut from Twin Peacock fabric.  Notice how the birds head is cut off at the FOLD LINE.  This will cause the blue curves of the birds body to flow into the top edge of the blue four-pointed star set.  It is one way fussing cutting can create unexpected results, causing the blue pieces to look as though they have a curved edge. I always enjoy finding such surprises within a piece of fabric.  Using your fussy cutting viewers you can find all kinds of ideas in a piece of fabric suited for fussy cutting.  Cut eight.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN IN PENCIL, TO ILLUSTRATE THE POINT. DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK FOLD LINE.

FINALLY, I hope you enjoy making Celestial Star Color Burst #2.  This was the first Color Burst I made when I started this quilt, and I was thrilled with the collection of fabrics, Jason Yenter's Treasures of Nature, chosen for the project.  I love every one of my Color Bursts. I hope you do, as well.

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY💝 

Celestial Star SAL - Month 1 - Twin Peacocks January 01 2018 3 Comments

Hello and welcome to our Celestial Star Quilt Stitch-Along, an Adventure in Fussy Cutting, presented by Red Thread Studio and me, Carolyn Pytlik (@cheshire_cat_quilts on Instagram), where you can find many pictures of my work.  This wonderful pattern is designed by Sharon Burgess in her new book Quilting on the Go English Paper Piecing.  A special shout out to two of our overseas friends from Italy and Australia, both of whom loved the quilt enough to have their fabric packages shipped so far away.  Thanks to all of you for sewing along with me.

Feel free to comment here, on Instagram or in the Celestial Star Stitch-Along Facebook group  with any questions.  Don't forget to share your photos of your work in progress either on Instagram or Facebook each week for a chance a monthly prize!  Just use the hashtag #CelestialStarSAL.

A Little Bit About Me

I have been sewing since I was a child making clothes for my original Barbie Doll.  I have learned how to sew most anything one can do with a needle and thread; garment sewing (both women's and men's), quilting, needlepoint, cross-stitch, embroidery, smocking, and more.  I am retired, and although my career was not in sewing, I have, over the years, worked numerous part time jobs in the sewing field.  I worked in three different fabric stores.  I worked where we made custom curtains and drapes (that was an experience where I learned much valuable information).  I did alterations in two bridal stores and even a long full-time stint in a men's clothing store as one of Richman Brothers 700 fussy tailors (do any of you remember that brand?).  I LOVE TO SEW.  I had made numerous simple hexagon quilts many years ago.  I found my great love for EPP and fussy-cutting when I discovered Katja Marek's Rosette Quilt using her book The New Hexagon with 52 different hexagons.  So now I'm hooked on EPP, and it is a pleasure to share with you my methods, knowledge and experience.

Stitch-Along Overview

Monthly fabric packs from Red Thread Studio have the exact fabrics I am using, "Treasures of Nature" by Jason Yenter of In the Beginning Fabrics.  These fabrics lend themselves perfectly to fussy cutting, as do many of his collections.  Each month, I will be sharing with you specific cutting diagrams, tips and experiences I had while creating the quilt.  This picture shows you how much I have completed in four months.

There are those of you following who are using your own fabric; you will receive many tips for creating this quilt even though specific fabric directions may not be applicable to you.  We are happy to have you stitch along with us!  Many of you with a lot of EPP experience may apply different techniques to your EPP, which is fine. These are the methods with which I have had success.  This being our first color burst/month, there will be quite a few general informational tips and directions.

Please also read my guest blog on fussy cutting. This article details my exact procedures for fussy cutting and sewing fussy cuts with pictures.  It will be helpful for understanding some of the information detailed below.

Selecting Fabric For Fussy Cutting

When selecting fabric for fussy cutting, keep in mind the following:

1. If you have your pattern and templates, make a fussy cutting viewer by cutting a hole in white card stock the exact final shape(s) of your paper(s).  Take it with you to the store or to your stash.  This viewer will show you a variety of possibilities for any fabric.
2. Also take your folded mirror to see the fabric like a kaleidoscope.  Remember the mirror shows reverse images.
3. Look for motifs that do not have a lot of distracting "clutter" in the nearby background.
4. Small overall prints and flowing designs do not create interesting images.
5. Although solids give your eyes a resting place, I find them to be flat in the overall design.  Tone on Tone fabrics, especially those with motifs, make much more interesting places for your eyes to rest.
6. Symmetrical prints are excellent and easier to utilize.  But asymmetrical prints also have interesting possibilities.
7. Do not concern yourself with straight of grain, as most pieces will be cut with numerous sides on the bias.
8. Count the repeats in a design.  Some fabrics have as much as a 24 inch repeat on each side of the fold.  With these, you may need about 2 yards for one hexagon, but you may find numerous motifs to use within the repeat.  Many fabrics have multiple repeats across the width making these an economical choice.  Avoid simple motifs such as one star centered on a background; there is little creativity in such cuts.
9. Watch when the fabric is cut.  It is often rolled on the bolt at a slight angle and one side of the fold may be different from the other, cutting through precious motifs. These come from the factory that way, so it is up to you to accommodate this into your yardage.
10. Your choice of wing fabric for this pattern is crucial; it can make or break your design. Look for contrast in design and/or color to make them stand out.  I have used a small stripe which has added an interesting visual to the overall design. For me, this stripe was the most crucial design element selected.
11. ALWAYS buy more fabric than you think you need. Don't we all anyway?

General EPP Tips

1. If you are using the same thread that I prefer, Superior Threads 60 weight Bottom Line polyester, you will find that this thread is nearly invisible in your stitching.  I make very small and tight stitches (20+ per inch); you may find that less stitches per inch is comfortable for you.  I mostly use a light grey or beige but often change to match when stitching through bold colored fabrics or white fabrics.  You will find this thread to be "slippery".  For that reason, it is necessary to tie TWO knots at the hole of the needle after threading; this will keep your thread from slipping out of the needle which would drive me crazy.  It will not affect the stitch as it goes through the fabric.  It is also necessary that you knot AND secure your beginning and ending stitches very well. I begin with twisting a knot between my fingers, any quilting knot will work.  However after running the thread through the fabrics, take a few more stitches to secure it tightly at the beginning. The same applies to your ending knot; secure it tightly with a few extra stitches or loop knots.  A loop knot is created just before you complete the stitch while there is still a loop showing, you pull the needle through the loop to finish.  We will be bending and pulling on these seams a great deal when putting it together, and a simple knot may pull open.  Do not use this thread for basting your papers; it is too precious and expensive for that.  Instead, use old thread from your sewing box.
2. Press, press, press. Notice I didn't say "iron".  When pressing, you simply hold your iron to the piece and lift it away.  Ironing is a back and forth motion which can distort.  Press your pieces after basting and after sewing them together (always start with well ironed fabric).
3. When basting or gluing the fabric to the papers, keep your fabric firmly wrapped and your corners tight.
4. When adjoining pieces, especially long thin ones, make sure you have tight points joining at each tip of your shape.  If your points are not tight or not joined together at the very tip of the points, you will have difficulty when joining stars together.
5. When joining pieces, do not sew through seams you encounter; sew up to the seam and your next stitch will be on the other side of the seam. Your piece will lay flatter.
6. I like to start my sewing at crucial matching points, whether this is at a motif in the middle of your piece or if there is an end where thin points come together.
7. If your acrylic templates have a 1/4" seam, I suggest you increase that to 3/8" seam when cutting. Simply cut 1/8" beyond your tracing lines. When matching motifs, this is very important. You need that wiggle room.
8. I stitch approximately 20+ stitches per inch and I am a tight stitcher. You may not need 20 stitches, but please keep your stitches close and snug.
9. Keep your tools, etc., organized. I use small zipped sandwich bags to sort and hold nearly everything.  I have one bag for viewers, one for templates, one for cutting tools, etc. I keep these bags in a large cosmetic case.  I pay particular attention to my acrylic templates. I know that there are some small acrylic templates hiding inside my couch or in the bottom of a bag of sorted fabric; I've had to purchase these a second time.
10. If you make mistakes in cutting, save these pieces for your small star bursts in months 11 and 12.

That should be enough tips for today, right? It is our first color burst, so these are lots of pointers to get you started.

Detailed Instructions For Month 1 - Twin Peacocks

The picture shows you Color Burst #1 which we are referring to as Twin Peacocks (with birds).  Obvious, isn't it?

The exact placement for cutting each motif WITH SEAM ALLOWANCE INCLUDED is outlined in the remaining pictures.  Be careful when tracing and when cutting.  CUT ONLY AROUND THE DESIGNATED MOTIF.

This paragraph gives you pointers on what to look for when basting the fabric to the papers.  To those more experienced, these pointers may seem obvious, but to the beginner fussy cutter it may help you to know what to look for when basting.  Placements have often been selected specifically for you to match design motifs, often on both sides of the piece. When basting the fabric to the papers, pay attention to the following:

(1) The twin peacocks for the large octagon are centered East/West on the fabric. Notice the grey "plume" pointing to the top; and how the small amount of the peacock's tail hits the East/West points.  

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN WITH PENCIL TO ILLUSTRATE POINT.  DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLDING LINE.

(2) The orange four-pointed star has at its top point a white petal. Notice how the brown flower is centered just above the wide point. And see how both side stems with the white top are exactly the same distance from the East/West points. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN WITH PENCIL TO ILLUSTRATE POINT.  DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLDING LINE.

(3) On the next large jewel the symmetrical design is centered East/West but notice how the grey "plume" is cut off at the bottom to allow the top orange section enough space to cover the entire top of the piece. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN WITH PENCIL TO ILLUSTRATE POINT.  DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLDING LINE.

(4) The red tone on tone four pointed star piece, centered East/West as all the others, has that small "V" at the center point of the wide end and compare your piece to where the thin end point lands.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN WITH PENCIL TO ILLUSTRATE POINT.  DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLDING LINE.

(5) Finally, the thin point of the jewel ends at the third row of the design on the flower pot and the flowers have about an eighth of an inch space above them before the edge.

IMPORTANT NOTE: CUTTING LINE HAS BEEN MARKED WITH MARKER AND FOLD LINE HAS BEEN DRAWN WITH PENCIL TO ILLUSTRATE POINT.  DO NOT USE MARKER FOR CUTTING LINE AND DO NOT MARK YOUR FOLDING LINE.

I hope this gives you a sense of the type of things you will be looking for when attempting to create designs exactly like the original. I will not be repeating this type of instruction unless requested. I simply want to show you what to look for when basting your pieces.

There are two sections where you will need to match motifs at your seam.  The first section is the circle of four-pointed stars around the center octagon.  First sew them in pairs (matching motifs) along the long sides.  Then sew the pairs together (matching motifs) along the short side; EXCEPT LEAVE ONE SEAM OPEN rather than closing the circle.  This opening will make it easier to join this circle to the large center octagon.

When sewing the ring to the large center, start at the first seam closest to the separation and stop at the last seam closest to the separation. Then sew the opening in the ring closed before sewing it to the large center.

The second section where you must match motifs at the seam is the red pair of four-pointed stars just before the kite end points of the color burst. Matching motifs, sew the red four-pointed stars into pairs. If you have cut and basted all your sets of pieces identically, and have matched seams with your four-pointed stars, you will have completed a perfect color burst. 

We will not be adding the striped wings until our fourth month. These can be a little tricky and I'd like you to master your color bursts first.

This is slow-stitching. That which I accomplished in four months meant stitching nearly every day. Stitching is what I do for fun. I hope you have fun making this quilt.

Getting Ready - Celestial Star Stitch-Along November 30 2017

This is Carolyn Pytlik (chesire_cat_quilts) leading the Red Thread Studio Celestial Star SAL.  I've always enjoyed the intricacies of needle turn hand appliqué and of counted cross stitch on linen.  These hand works made adapting to EPP and fussy cutting natural, as they are "slow sewing" and they require attention to even the smallest of detail.  The wonders of creativity you can explore with fussy cutting can be very rewarding. I always make time to fulfill my creative hunger. 

Celestial Star was designed by Sharon Burgess of (LilabelleLane). This gorgeous English paper pieced quilt offers lots of opportunities to play with your fussy cutting. The finished quilt is 59-1/4inches square.

In the first ten months of the Stitch-Along, we will work on the larger color bursts.  For those working with the fabric kits from Red Thread Studio, I will show you specifically how I approached each component of the color burst and how to tap into the potential of the chosen fabric.  For a preview of my fussy cutting method, you can check out my tutorial HERE.   In April, I will also share strategies for working with awkward shapes and specifically the wings in these stars.

At the end of the year, I will share my thought process for working with the smaller star bursts.  You will have enough fabric leftover to either shadow my design choices for fussy cutting or to branch out on your own.  In the last month of the Stitch-Along,  I will share tips for putting it all together and suggestions for finishing.

In the meantime,  be sure to gather up any supplies you may need.  January is right around the corner!

• Pattern – The Celestial Star pattern can be found in the book Quilting on the Go: English Paper Piecing by Sharon Burgess.
• Papers and Cutting Templates -  You can cut your own papers and templates but to save time for stitching, you may want to purchase the complete EPP paper and acrylic template set.  This set is already included with the monthly fabric pack from Red Thread Studio.
• Fabric – If you will be using fabric from your stash, I  will discuss strategies for selecting fabrics in my January blog post including size and repeat of motifs, my process for auditioning fabric and fabrics to avoid. These tips also lend themselves to other EPP projects.   In any case, it's not too late to order a monthly fabric kit from Red Thread Studio.  The first month of fabric will ship in late December.  Whichever path you choose, do not prewash your fabric for fussy cutting.  You can, however, use cold water and a Color Catcher (found in the laundry section at the grocery store) when you wash the quilt later.
• Thread - I have never used anything as perfect for joining EPP shapes as the Superior Threads Holy Super Bobs Donut.   In all seriousness, it is the only thread I have used that doesn't constantly break, separate, or unravel from rubbing against the papers.  Any "old" thread for basting will do. 
• Glue Pen – Glue basting is an option, and it is quicker than thread basting.  To get the results I am seeking, I may reposition my fabric numerous times so thread basting makes this easier for me. And, I really enjoy the basting process.  For those of you who glue baste, you will need lots and lots of refills!
• Needles -  I personally use a 9 (sometimes a 10) straw/milliners needle.  I use the same needle for basting and sewing, so it's a happy medium. If you are new to EPP, I suggest you practice with various types and sizes of needles to determine the best fit for you.
• Fussy Cut Viewer - I cut mine from plain white cardstock by tracing the paper piece to be used onto the cardstock and carefully cutting it out.  
• A Marking Tool - My favorite is a Sewline fine mechanical pencil.   You will need a pencil with a very thin, soft lead that does not need to be sharpened. When sharpening a pencil, the lines vary enough in consistency to make a difference. For the large majority of this quilt, I used the black lead and for  the remaining portion, I used another sewline pencil with white lead.  I worked with 2 pencils so I wouldn't have to refill the pen every time I changed a lead color.
• A Sandpaper Board – I use the board behind the fabric to keep it from shifting.
• Small Wonder Clips – I use these for holding the fabric to the paper pieces when basting.
• Sharp Scissors -  I prefer Karen Kay Buckley light blue six inch scissors for the serrated edge which grabs the fabric and her small scissors for snipping threads.
• Magic Mirror – These a great help for viewing fabric.   It is important to remember that a mirror gives you a reverse image.

Let the fussy cutting adventure begin!

Celestial Star Stitch-Along Introduction October 31 2017 3 Comments

CELESTIAL STAR STITCH-ALONG INTRODUCTION

We are excited to offer two virtual Stitch-Alongs in 2018!  (CLICK HERE for Girl Next Door QAL).

Celestial Star is a gorgeous English paper pieced quilt designed by Sharon Burgess of Lilabelle Lane that offers lots of opportunities to play with your fussy cutting.

Please welcome Carolyn Pytlik - fussy cutter extraordinaire - who will lead the 13 month Stitch-Along for Celestial Star!  Carolyn has been sewing since she was a child. In addition to English Paper Piecing, she likes needle turn appliqué, embroidery, counted cross stitch, fabric and cats.  You can see some of her other projects in progress on Instagram @cheshire_cat_quilts. 

Here is an overview of the Stitch-Along.  We hope you join us on this fussy cutting adventure!

In this SAL, there will be lots of tips and tricks.  In addition to completing a beautiful quilt, you will learn how to select fabric for fussy cutting and adapt it to your pattern, to apply cutting diagrams on your fabric, and to deal with awkward shapes.

DATES: The SAL starts January 1, 2018 and will finish January 31, 2019.

MONTHLY PLANNER:  Celestial Star is made from two units:  Color Bursts (9 full plus 4 corner units) and Star Bursts (24)

• January 2018 - Color Burst (make 1) 
• February 2018 - Color Burst (make 1) 
• March 2018 - Color Burst (make 1) 
• April 2018 - Color Burst (make 1) and Introduction to Wings
• May 2018 - Color Burst (make 1)
• June 2018 - Color Burst (make 1) 
• July 2018 - Color Burst (make 1)
• August 2018 - Color Burst (make 1)
• September 2018 - Color Burst (make 1)
• October 2018 - Color Burst Corners (make 4)
• November 2018 - Star Bursts (make 12)
• December 2018 - Star Bursts (make 12)
• January 2019 - Putting It All Together and Finishing

FABRIC:  Explore the fussy cutting potential of your own stash or use Carolyn's handpicked beauties.  This quilt requires 14+ yards of fabric depending on your fussy cutting objectives.  Celestial Star monthly fabric, paper pieces and acrylic template kits available HERE.

PATTERN:  Celestial Star is one of sixteen EPP projects in Sharon Burgess's book Quilting on the Go: English Paper Piecing available for purchase separately.  See photo of original quilt below.  The finished quilt measures 59-1/4 inches square.

PAPER PIECES AND ACRYLIC TEMPLATES: There are over 1,700 pieces in this quilt!  You can purchase the Celestial Star Quilt EPP and Acrylic Template Pack separately or as part of the monthly kit.

CONNECT:  The majority of the Celestial Star SAL will be run on the Red Thread Studio Stitch-Along Blog and on Instagram.  Follow both @RedThreadStudioOnline and @Cheshire_Cat_Quilts to stay up-to-date and to tag us on your Celestial Star posts so we can share your work.  To connect with others who are also participating, use the following hashtag: #CelestialStarSAL 

If you’d like to connect with people on Facebook you can join Celestial Star Stitch-Along Group where we’ll be posting regularly and encouraging people to share.

PRIZES:  There will be monthly prizes as well as a grand prize for one winner who completes their quilt top.  DETAILS COMING SOON!