New York Beauty - coming along

These are not as difficult as I had imagined.  I had several good books with wonderful patterns and ideas, but it was after watching a YouTube video/tutorial on the channel called "On Point" that somehow got me inspired.   Apparently the planets were in alignment and I just jumped in and started.  The 3 YouTube tutorials suggest freezer paper but after working with it, I went to Mylar plastic pattern pieces, and then made photo copies of the pointy arc.  The pattern pieces came from a Karen Stone book. 

These blocks finish at 7 inches, I need 36.  The pieces in the photo are on a flannel board - no decision yet on a setting.

My goal is to make 2 blocks a day.  However, one day, after listening to latest horrible political news, I was so frazzled and upset, I made the block wrong 3 times, miscut, missewed, trimmed wrong, and finally had to throw it out.  That partial jaggey piece in upper right is another example of WRONG after listening to news - I cut wrong, tried to tape it back together, unsuccessfully. 

I was able to finish one block in about 20-25 minutes - see? not really hard.  Just go slow, a few stitches at a time, use something "pokey" to assist with the curves, concentrate with that paper piecing, use starch to stablize the bias.  The paper on the teeth part is regular copy paper - works fine. 

I followed Karen Stone's suggestion on fabrics, using just 5 in each block.  Black and white, white and black, turquoise, pinks, and purples, but used a variety of each color, and am not introducing other colors.   

New York Beauty, Block 1

I've had this book by Karen Stone a long time - I've always looked at it, enjoyed it, slobbered at her gorgeous projects, and I DID make one quilt years ago using her techniques and methods - she sure has an eye for beauty and color!  I really want to make a New York Beauty, but the design seems daunting!

Last night I was watching a series of lessons on New York Beauty on You Tube, the channel (is that what's it's called?) is "On Point TV " and the instructor (Nancy Roelfsema) was building her New York Beauty using EQ8, (Curve Piecing the New York Beauty) I don't have EQ8 but her instructions for the block/quilt were so excellent, I became all inspired and made this block.  I haven't paper pieced for years, but  after a few missteps, it did come back to me.  This block, using Karen Stone patterns, is 7 1/2 in. and nice and square, despite camera angle.



Surprisingly, it sewed quite well and quickly, the first time.  (Remember, years ago, we DID set in sleeves in blouses - yes they were curved seams.)  I made freezer paper templates, and each template will be reused many times.  I'm not sure if my enthusiasm will last for an entire quilt, but in reality, the actual sewing took less than an hour, most of that was the arc and spikes, and I'm practiced now - will probably be faster now.  I didn't have to take out any seams in the curves - just slow stitching and my trusty awl/poker.

Moving right along ...

I'm making progress. See the two fabrics on on the right? The lighter one is for the side triangles and corner squares, then there will be a 2 inch dog tooth row, then the darker eggplant color. All of the diamonds are done, and most of the 8 diamonds are together, with a few of the large segments also together. Some of the paper is even gone!

I like it!

(But I DON'T like that carpeting! It looks worse than it really is! LOL)

Our quilt guild challenge in July is "Diamonds" but unfortunately, this is too large for the category! That's OK, I'm having fun. So much fun that I've already picked out the next project from Karen Stone.

A little bite of CROW

Well, what can I say -- regarding my comments -- OK, they were whining and complaining, about two different visual descriptions of this star I just posted? When all else fails, Elaine Adair, "READ THE INSTRUCTIONS" DUFUS! Right there in the instructions, the designer, Karen Stone, says, "There are two different options to your design." And I also have her gorgeous book, and she says something similar "There are two different options to your design."

Chomp, chomp ... doesn't taste like chicken ...

Maintaining My Wits

I've been working on this project for several months - taking my time. It's a Karen Stone pattern - and I LOVE her designs. Her color sense is exquisite! This one is called An Unusual Lone Star.

I've seen this design made up in total scraps -- very effective -- each diamond being 3 strips of one color and 3 strips of another color. All the strips are pre-cut at 1 and 1/2 in.

It is paper pieced, and the sewing is not difficult. Actually I was getting a little bored with the piecing part, as there are only 2 blocks. The pattern itself is wildly chaotic, and for my fabrics, I chose purple-y browns and pinks and muted green, with some beiges, corals. If I did it again, I would rethink my choices of fabric location, and might make them radiate from from the center rather than what I did.

I made 4 of each color choice thinking that when I laid them out I would space one of the 4 in each quadrant. Looking at my nearly completion project, I believe that added to the chaos, but then I DO like the wildness of it. To me it looks like a Canadian Thistle that my Dad paid me one cent each, to chop down!

There are 128 diamonds, so I have a way yet to go, as far as laying it out. My diamonds are mostly made, just not arranged. The arranging part drove me up the wall, especially when I stepped on the arrangement, misplacing my methodically placed diamonds, and then panic almost took over!

The corner fabric (yet unchosen) should help 'hold' it together. Then there is another narrow border (dogtooths teeths?, using scraps from center diamonds) and a final border. I think the borders will calm it down a bit.

One problem to watch for, if you make this design. My DH and I had argued an hour over deciding how to lay it out per instructions, and we finally had to call it a draw. Funny, HE absolutely could NOT see any color order, and I absolutely could NOT see architectural format!!! (talk about Men from Mars, Women from Venus!) However, to our surprise, we noticed the two illustrations were NOT the same! The cover photo of the project is NOT laid out the same as the included instruction drawing, and we were each looking at our separate illustrations! And to tell you the truth, I'm not sure it mattered since the design is so over-the-top. And my careful balancing of colors? Again, I'm not sure it makes any difference, and several times I was lost in the layout, and was tempted to just plop anything anywhere, but after a glass of wine, I was able to calmly relocate the pieces to their 'proper' location.

Also, if you make this design, and if you want to maintain a particular order, you will definitely need a space to lay it out and leave it in place until you get each of the 8 diamonds assembled.