GDGarden

I'm still plugging away at my Grand-daughter's Garden project.  It is such fun to see it grow each week.  My studio is a mess with all kinds of fabrics hanging around for me to choose from for making my blocks.  Perhaps by next month, my studio will get cleaned up once again .... until the next project! :o)

At least I know what the width will be like ... with borders.  A few people (Debra) are trying to convince me to go without borders and just make more blocks.  Nope, not me, I'm a border kind of gal.  The length is still being figured out, but this is it so far.

Below, this block is ready for sewing together.  I like to stick my pieces onto a piece of styrofoam and then stand back to see if I like the look of all the pieces together.  Close-up, they always look good until you see a block at a distance and at this point, it is easier to change out any piece that doesn't look right.

The back of this block shows all the paper that was used to make the individual pieces.  Yes, this is English Paper Piecing, of which I am a great fan of now.  You could say that I am a bit obsessed doing hand work.  I don't sit at my sewing machine much these days.

When do the paper pieces get removed?  A number of you have been asking me.  Do you see the red and the green fabrics?  As soon as all edges of a piece have been surrounded (sewn) by another section (blue fabricsf), then those papers can be removed.

Below, you can see where the papers have been removed and you can still see the outer edges (blue fabrics) that cannot be removed yet.  If I do, there is nothing to hold those turned under edges .

I need to make a lot more blocks, but first these paper pieces need to have a light pressing.  While sewing my blocks together, my paper templates do tend to get a bit wrinkled and folded and limp.  A light pressing makes them flat and stiff again.

Another update in about a weeks' time should show more progress.

Have a great day!