Hand Piecing

I’m having a problem with blogger. So sorry if you’ve tried to leave a comment on my Giveaway post and weren’t able to. Try it on this post and I’ll include you. Remember, you have to be a follower to enter. If that doesn’t work I’ll extend the deadline beyond Tuesday noon. Not only is it not letting people leave a comment it also isn’t updating my blog roll. : c (

The past two days I’ve been in a hand piecing class taught by Jinny Beyer. She is such a classy person. The class was held at her studio in Great Falls. This is a lovely shop. She carries so many great notions and gifts for quilters. Quilters from California, Washington, Pennsylvania and North Carolina traveled to Virginia just to take Jinny’s class! I know it was worth my one hour commute.

I should have taken a photo of my block before I pressed it. It was so puckered I thought it was a lost cause. Amazing what a good steam pressing can do! Yeah, it still has some issues and I need to add the border fabrics.

Here is a look at the back-

Jinny says she just lets the seams fall where they may! Not sure she meant to this extent! I wish I had taken a peak at the back of her block.

Here are some notions Jinny recommends-

John James GoldnGlide quilting needles were wonderful to use. I plan to try them out the next time I do some hand quilting. I’d never used this Aurofil 28 wt thread before. Jinny uses it for hand piecing and for hand quilting if she can’t find the color she wants in the YLI quilting thread. Some lucky ladies will be back to the studio tomorrow to take her hand quilting class. I can’t imagine sitting for another whole day of class. It is really hard for me to sit that long. I’m more of a do a little quilting, do a chore, maybe some reading, do a little quilting, walk the dogs, make dinner, do a little quilting kind of quilter!

After I did my homework last night I made my own templates for a spool quilt. This will be my next carry around project (the hexie flowers were it for 10 years – I know – I don’t do a lot of quilting on the go) so I don’t have any expectations of getting it done soon. I don’t even know how big I will make it. The blocks will be 4 ½” finished. Many of these fabrics are Windham Fabrics Farmhouse West 1890-1940 by LB Krueger. This makes the 4^th quilt I’ve selected fabrics for, but haven’t started cutting – not yet! Yikes! I’ve wanted to try a spool block ever since I started seeing Klosjes (Dutch for spool) in blogland. I think many bloggers are using a stamp and ink. I didn’t want to go that route. I settled on the color scheme after browsing through Dixie Doodles blog.

I won a giveaway from Janet of Rogue Quilter. Thanks, Janet! I won a wonderful Lori Smith pattern and Comfort by Howard Marcus for Moda charm pack. I think I will use my charm pack to make a tote bag for myself.

Have a great weekend – hope you find some time to stitch!