Dabbling into Paper Piecing

There are a variety of quilting techniques that I need to learn about, including appliqué and paper piecing. I decided to tackle paper piecing first. I liked not having to have fabrics cut to exact measurements and being able to visibly follow a line to sew on. What got me into trouble though, is my desire to conserve what little fabric stash I have. Numerous times I thought a scrap of fabric was big enough only to find that it was a smidge too small after I'd sewn it on. I think it's because I'd orient the scrap the wrong way when checking the size, and then it'd be flipped when I was actually sewing it (if that makes any sense at all, you're doing better than me!).

Here was my first block attempt. It's the Circle of Geese pattern that was used in the Craftsy Block of the Month 2012 Sampler.

Since I was using a charm pack for the geese and about a 1/3 yard of the blue background fabric, it came together without incident. Maybe that's why I got over-confident and tried my hand at a more challenging pattern, the Crazy Cat Two Paper Piece Quilt Block, found here on Craftsy.

It was much more challenging with the smaller pieces and some of the seams just didn't match up as well as they should have. This block is definitely not 10" x 10" and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the pattern and all to do with my paper piecing skills. Still, it's been an exercise in determining what quilting techniques I like. I absolutely see a place for it when it comes to complicated blocks with small, intricate pieces. Is it a technique I'll go out of my way to do often? Probably not. At least not right now. It's a technique I'll place on the back burner. Next up, I need to try some machine appliqué.


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I've linked this to Show & Tell Tuesday and Fluster Buster's Creative Muster. Drop by to see some other great projects!