"On the plains of Oklahoma, with a windshield sunset in your eyes like a watercolor painted sky, you'd think heavens doors have opened."
Fly Over States



Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Paper Pieced Blocks and Steers Wearing Hats


Notwithstanding that I have a zillion other quilting projects that need to be finished, I have been happily working on my 9-11 blocks, instead.  At my last posting, I had completed four or five but I have twelve, at this point.  Here are the last eight:


I was looking for some color when I did this one and think I may have walked off the plank:

 This is one of my favorites:
This one, not so much.  It has more pieces of fabric meeting in the middle than ought to be legal.  I do not believe a large caliber bullet could pierce it at the center:
 I had to squash it down with a vengeance to get it to lay flat for the photo.

The following has some of my favorite colors but it didn't really come out the way it looked in my head so I am a little unhappy with it.  Sometimes these things surprise me in a good way, but this one surprised me in that it is a little boring:
 I had a wild hair to incorporate a batik to soften the bright orange and it is okay, but clashes a bit, seems to me.  One it is quilted, it should smooth out the tones:
I used this one to put together a tutorial for my quilting buddy, Thearica (not yet posted).  It is a really simple pattern and a good one to learn to paper piece.  Thearica already knows how to paper piece but if I were teaching a class, this is a pattern I might use.
I am not sure I would use the yellow and green, again.  But I like it okay.

I have been so busy I've been meeting myself coming and going.  I took lots of photos, have lots of things going on, and no time at the moment to ramble on about it.  Husband has been out of town for a couple of days and this is probably a good time to go chill out in the studio. 

Happy Quilting, Penny, Evelyn and Pearl

15 comments:

Miriam said...

Ohh I do hope you post your paper piecing tutorial. I have tried paper piecing one or twice and it does my head in! I seem to get upside down, back to front and inside out...all at once!

Love all the fabrics in your blocks.

Yellow and green is a difficult colour combination to get to work. I think you did pretty well.


How on earth did anyone get that head gear on that steer!!!

ranette said...

Beautiful blocks! I can't wait to see the finished quilt :0)

Carol S said...

Hi, Penny, I like that colorful block you think should 'walk the plank', and agree the pretty blue and green block needs some more contrast. It is going to be a beautiful quilt. Did you take a hammer to the block where all the points meet in the middle?

Sartenada said...

Lovely blocks.

InfinityQuilter/Knitter said...

Not sure what to think about the hat?!?! But definitely can say I LOVE the blocks...all of them!

Hope all is well with you and the girls.

Florida Farm Girl said...

Hey, girlfriend!!! Glad to see you back. Those star blocks are all just gorgeous.

Mad about Craft said...

Fantastic!!!!!

Nancy said...

Penny I hope you and your family are alright after the OKC earthquakes. Certainly not what you expect to deal with in Oklahoma.

Lilaciris said...

I love these blocks and would love to know where you got the patterns

Kimi said...

These blocks are gorgeous! I found you via Pinterest, and am so glad I did. Do these blocks have names so I can hopefully find the templates online?

supersara20 said...

These blocks are gorgeous. Can you share links to the patterns?

Sharon Kwilter said...

What gorgeous blocks -- are there patterns available somewhere?

Anonymous said...

Just found your blog and love it. Hope that the tornado missed you. Take care and God bless!

Anonymous said...

The one you said you thought walked off the plank, is the one I love.
Love those colors together.
Love the other ones to, but this is my fav.

Lady Beekeeper said...

Sorry I haven't check in lately, ladies. I got all the patterns for this quilt from Carol Doak's Fifty Fabulous Paper pieced Stars. it has always been my go to book for paper pieced patterns for this sort of block. You can use the same pattern with a different color combination and it looks like a differnt block. You can also mix and match the star points from several of the patterns in the book to make something unique.