Four Block Wonder is on Block 3... Get the pattern for free!

The Bear Paws block is the next installment for our Four Block Wonder quilt.  This block is truly impressive to look at but is constructed completely with squares and half square triangle units.  The pattern is available at www.crazyladyquiltdesigns.com.

Oh, by the way, I am still making good progress on my Bali Wedding Star quilt as well.  I finished another block yesterday.  Now that I've mastered the techniques, this went together quickly.  This will is going to get finished for sure now that I've got it!

More Bali Wedding Star Progress...

I got my first block finished -- YAY!!!  I struggled a bit because I want everything just right but now that I've done it, I'm finding that the second block is going much faster and easier.

I have to say that Judy Neimeyer's method of gluing your curves before sewing is spectacular!  I never would have thought of this.  You just put a small amount of Elmer's school glue (the glue stick that goes on purple and dries clear) in the seam allowance area and adhere the curved pieces together.  It is so slick... no pins and the the curves are beautiful.

Now that I've accomplished the first block and now the second is coming along so much quicker, I actually believe I can get this quilt finished soon.

Bali Wedding Star Progress...

I started my Bali Wedding Star back in November when I took a 4 part class on it at This Is Sew Broadway in Crookston, MN.  It was a great class and I knew when I signed up for it that this was going to be a huge project.  The pattern is a 24 page book and the instructor provided lots of additional handouts to help us through the process.  Judy Neimeyer has a great process of putting things in bags that keeps them very organized.  A good thing too since there are LOTS of elements to this quilt -- the arcs, the melons with star points that are between the arcs, the points... I can't list them all here, but the list goes on and on. I ended up with 18 large ziplock bags with hundreds of units split between them.  It has taken me this whole month just to get all of the paper piecing completed.  Now I am ready to start assembling the quilt.  It is SOOOO exciting.  These pictures show a block in progress.  I love the beautiful points... thanks to paper piecing... and now that I have a handle on the color placement, I can really make some progress.