Tied with a Ribbon: The Farmers Wife

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

The Farmers Wife 1930's Quilt-A-Long - #93 Starlight

Have you joined in The Farmers Wife 1930's Quilt Along ?- you can click here for all the details over at Angie from Gnome Angel Blog.

If you would like to grab a copy of the book you can do so here

The Farmer’s Wife 1930s Sampler Quilt: Inspiring Letters from Farm Women of the Great Depression and 99 Quilt Blocks That Honor Them by Laurie Aaron Hird for Fons & Porter/F+W; RRP $28.99 – Click here to purchase.

Sponsors for this great Sew Along are Fat Quarter Shop and Marti Mitchell

I am here today sharing all of my best tips and techniques for this block -

#93 Starlight using Paper Foundation Piecing.

1. Tools I love to use when Paper Foundation Piecing include

Add a 1/4 Ruler

Clover Finger Presser

Open Toe Sewing Foot

Rotary Cutter

Rotating Cutting Mat

Pins

2. Always pre-sew your papers. After printing out your pattern onto your paper (I just use regular printer paper) trim your pieces to the dotted line and then take out any thread from your machine (top and bobbin). Sew over each of the lines to "punch" a hole into the paper. This will make it easy to tear later with these perforated lines. I love to use an Open Toe Foot on my machine for this - it makes it so much easier for you to see where you are sewing.

3. When sewing your lines always turn the "Stitch Length" to 2.0. This smaller stitch ensures the security of the stitching against tearing.

Always "Backstitch" at the beginning and ending of a line.

Run your stitch from the middle out to past where the seam will finish. This will ensure you don't have any holes in your pieces later once you join the next piece.

4. Use your "Add a Quarter" Ruler and Rotary cutter to cut the excess fabric from your piece. This gives you a perfect 1/4in seam allowance.

5. Using a "Finger Presser" will mean you don't have to run back and forth to the iron each time.

6. I like to hold the last piece to be sewn down with a pin. As you can see here I have already sewn down piece B2 and next I will be adding piece B3 - the Pin is well out of the way of sewing line B3. (NEVER sew over Pins!) This pin will keep piece B2 out of the way while sewing the next piece.

7. Always ensure you followed the lettered/number order to ensure all of your pieces are sewn in the correct order. Place out all of your sewn pieces before sewing together to ensure you have each piece in the correct position and orientation.

8. Press seams open when you Paper Foundation piece. This ensures the bulk is distributed evenly.

I hope that helps with some of my best tips and techniques for Paper Foundation Piece sewing.

Here is the upcoming list of Blocks

02/08/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com ; Marti @ Marti Michell

04/08/2016: Raylee @ Sunflower Quilting

09/08/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

11/08/2016: Jemima @ Tied With a Ribbon

16/08/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

18/08/2016: Sherri @ A Quilting Life

23/08/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

25/08/2016: Janice @ Better Off Thread

30/08/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

01/09/2016: Lisa @ In the Boon Docks

06/09/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

08/09/2016: Sedef @ Down Grapevine Lane

13/09/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

15/09/2016: Kerry @ Kid Giddy

20/09/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

22/09/2016: Lisa @ Sweet Little Pretties

27/09/2016: Angie @ GnomeAngel.com & Marti @ Marti Michell

29/09/2016: Cat @ Cat & Vee

More sewing inspiration for this Quilt Along can be found at #FQS1930FarmersWife

Happy Sewing

Jemima x x

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

The Farmers Wife 1930's Quilt-A-Long - #46 Jewel

Welcome to The Farmers Wife 1930's Quilt -A-Long. I am sharing my tips and techniques to make block #46 Jewel with you all. I was thrilled to be asked by Angie of GnomeAngel to participate an an official blogger together with Fat Quarter Shop.

It took me a long time to settle on which fabrics I would use. I brought out a few collections like my Cotton and Steel, 1930's Reproductions and a few others but finally settled on some fabrics from my Liberty of London collection inspired by the colours of pink, yellow and red.

ENGLISH PAPER PIECING

I love English Paper Piecing (EPP), I love the time taken to hand sew each stitch and how perfectly imperfect each stitch is. I find it relaxing as well as a great way to take my sewing with me out and about on long car trips, waiting for my girls when they are at activities or just as a way to spend some time winding down.

I think that if you are going to spend time hand sewing then make sure you have the right tools and equipment to make the process easier and enjoyable. These are MY favourite Notions and Tools for any EPP project.

Clover Applique Sharps size 9

Olfa Rotary Cutter

Quilters Wonder Wheel

(adds a 1/4in seam allowance around shapes)

Pre cut Papers and Templates

in what ever shape or pattern you are using

Small Embroidery Scissors

Thread Basting versus Glue Basting - I really think this is just personal preference. For this block I have chosen to Glue Baste.

Invest in good tools and equipment, for example you don't want to have inferior thread snap, break or shred for all the time you spend hand sewing and using needles that glide through your fabric will be much easier.

#46 Jewel

FREEZER PAPER EPP METHOD - For this block I am using Freezer Paper to make my Templates. You can of course use regular paper to print out your pattern and use but I hope to show you a technique you may have not seen before for English Paper Piecing. This method makes it easy to keep pieces for each fabric together and stops the paper from moving about while you are basting. Also because you will be dealing with Mirror Image pieces in this block it makes for easy cutting out without having to worry about which pieces to mirror on the fabric and getting muddled up.

Step 1 - This block does not use common pre-cut paper shapes or templates such as hexagons, diamonds or pentagons like in many English Paper Piecing projects so you will need to make your own Paper Shapes for this block. I use Reynolds Freezer Paper and after printing off the Completed Block Template from the CD, trace the entire block carefully onto the paper side of the Freezer Paper using a sharp lead pencil and ruler.

Step 2 - Take your chosen fabrics for each of the pieces and number the pieces on the Freezer Paper pattern according to co-ordinating fabric number - in this block I numbered my Pink fabric 1, Floral fabric 2 and Yellow fabric 3. Carefully cut out the Freezer Paper pattern pieces as accurately as possible to make your template shapes for your block.

Step 3 - Place the shiny side of the Freezer Paper to the wrong side of the fabric, leaving enough space around each piece to later cut out a 1/4in seam allowance. Press the shapes to the back of the Freezer Paper and they "stay" in place on the back of the fabric without moving. Cut out each of the shapes using your Rotating Cutting Mat and Rotary Cutter with a 1/4in seam allowance ready for Glue Basting.

Step 4 - Glue Baste your shape using your Glue Pen. Do not trim any "tails" as you move these out of the way of your paper pieces as you sew.

Step 5 - To sew your pieces together place them with points/corners matching and right sides facing. Put a Binding Clip at the opposite end to hold the points. Whip Stitch towards your binding clip keeping your stitches just through the fold of the fabric and not lower in the paper (otherwise you will not be able to remove these later). Try to keep your stitches nice and even so that they are less noticeable.

Step 6 - Continue to English Paper Piece all the pieces together as shown in the pattern to make the block. Binding clips are also fabulous to help you meet the intersections with the pieces so that everything lines up.

Step 7 - Once you have sewn all the pieces together you can carefully remove the papers by lifting the seam allowance from the papers and peeling the Freezer Paper off the back of the fabric. Press the seam allowances back into position to sit flat and Press out, the outside seam allowance to make your block to correct unfinished size.

I hope this Freezer Paper technique shows you how easy it is to sew with Mirror Image Pieces in your blocks. Hand sewing your blocks does take time so enjoy it and the more you do the better and more confidant you will become with this technique.