Great Paper Piecing Project RESTARTED!!!

Last year I had ambitions of creating an ongoing paper piecing project where I share some of my favorite paper-pieced blocks with other quilters.  Those ambitions were overshadowed by life in general but now I'm ready to start anew.

Go to my website www.crazyladyquiltdesigns.com and you'll see the image above there as well.  Clicking on the image will take you to a free pattern and some pretty darn good directions on basic paper-piecing technique (if I do say so myself!).  I include LOTS of pictures and step-by-step instructions to get you started on your own paper-piecing project.

Going forward, I'll be sharing more of my favorite blocks.  We'll start out pretty simple and who knows exactly where my project will take us?  I plan to progress to more complex and detailed blocks and maybe by the end of my project, I'll be ready to design a whole paper-pieced quilt to share with everyone.  So get clicking and find your way to my website.  Come back here and share your input and progress with your own project.

Great Paper Piecing Project Part One...

This very simple block is going to be the first step in creating beautiful blocks with incredible detail and points.  My first installment in the Great Paper-Piecing Project has been posted. 

The pinwheel block can be made easily without paper piecing.  I chose this block for it's sheer simplicity so we can focus on the technique rather than the design.  The step-by-step instructions are clear, concise and illustrated with LOADS of pictures!

And what happens when we make a mistake while paper piecing?  Well, the tutorial includes great instructions that will get you past your mistake while saving your pattern with no muss, no fuss.

Last, but not least, a foundation pattern for a 6" finished pinwheel block will get you started.

So come on over to www.crazyladyquiltdesigns.com and download the first block in the Great Paper-Piecing Project.  Sew along and before long you will be a paper piecing princess!

Changed the size but this will be a good one...

 I actually designed this quilt last week and decided to write up the pattern for it.  I am calling it my Four Block Wonder Quilt because there are four different blocks used to create the design.  When I started writing the pattern, I did some slight changes and tweaks to make things easier to cut and piece.  The original design was 85" square and now it is 95" square but I think that is a great size for either a full or queen size bed.  If you use lighter batting, it could make a spectacular bedspread for a twin bed as well.  I will be releasing this pattern as a Block of the Week.  As each block pattern comes along, I will show some different colorways as well, just to give you an idea of the possibilities.  So keep tuning in to catch the installments!

Sha-Zam!!! The Pillow Sham!

The Create-a-Bed by Christmas is progressing well despite an awful round of flu and an unexpected but delightful weekend trip with some of my grandchildren.  I'm making two of these and I have one quilt completed -- well, I'm sewing on the binding... the second is ready for quilting.  Since I'm quilting using a simple allover design, that takes almost no time. 

I decided to take a binding break today and get ready to make the pillow shams.  As I wrote the pattern, I decided that these are gonna be "easier-than-pillowcase" shams.  There's really nothing to it!  Check it out at http://www.crazyladyquiltdesigns.com/createabed/

Can't wait to post pictures of these quilts on my beautiful granddaughters beds!

Create-a-Bed SewAlong moving right along!

Bed Skirts are on their way.  Gotta love Amazon.com.  I have moments though when I think I really should make them even though the cost to make them will be about triple (or more) than to make them.  It must be something about actually writing a pattern and then not getting to use it.  Oh well -- no time for regrets now.  I have quilts to get mede!

I have finished the pattern for my Twin Size Fat Quarter Quick Quilt.  It is made with 30 very simple blocks.  You will get two blocks from each fat quarter so gather 15 quarters and a little yardage for your borders and let's get started.  Here is the link to get to the pattern -- http://www.crazyladyquiltdesigns.com/createabed/
I think I can get the center of one quilt finished this afternoon.  Since I am making two, I plan to do all of my cutting at the same time so the second quilt will be a breeze.

The cutting and sewing are fast and simple.  The totally random placement of fabrics and blocks makes this a quilt top a no-brainer.

Join me and SewAlong!

Preparing for the Create-a-Bed Sew Along!

As I prepare for the Create-a-Bed Sew Along, I have decided that I want to use French Seams to enclose all of the seams on the Bed Skirts.  My experience with French Seams dates back to my garment sewing days and I know that it is not necessarily a technique that is often used in the quilting world.  I decided to see what kind of information is out there on this particular technique.  I found a wonderful tutorial at the Sew Neau website.  Check it out here -- http://www.sewneau.com/how.to/french.seam.html  -- Thanks Sew Neau for a fantastic resource!

French seams are a fantastic way to put a clean finish on seams and I think it puts a professional touch on a project.  You decide if you want to use it or not...

Don't forget to check in often... Sew Along and Create-a-Bed by Christmas!

www.crazyladyquiltdesigns.com