Beauty and the Beast
A while back, my blogging buddy over at Coloring Outside the LInes and I decided we would do a New York Beauty quilt. I decided to step out of my comfort zone completely and move away from the reproduction fabrics. It was a chilling thought…didn’t know if I could do it. I decided to use batiks. The pattern lends itself so well to batiks. Of course I had no batiks in my stash. I begged some batiks from my sister and purchased some others and dug around in my mountainous stash and found two. Yep…two. Have I mentioned that I usually only work in reproduction fabrics? I guess the Civil War era ladies just weren’t that into Bali . 🙂
I went through my minute little pile of batiks and pieced some NYB blocks. I can see now that my mini stash of batiks is sorely lacking in brights. Looks like the only brights I have are red or pink. What’s a girl to do? SHOP! I guess that’s the only answer. Shop. So, that’s the plan for this weekend. Shop for batiks.
Here are the blocks I’ve finished. I usually don’t paper-piece. I like the nice, crisp points you get with paper-piecing. I just hate the waste. I have a difficult time deciding how big of a piece to cut. And I always cut some just a smidge too small. Then the next ones are much too big. Feast or famine….. Beauty and the beast…. If anyone has any tips on frugally cutting fabrics for paper-piecing, I’m all ears!
In my last post, I sang the praises of Down Under Quilts magazine. I still have to make that hexagon quilt that’s on the cover. The quiltmaker recommended Marti Mitchell’s hexagon template ruler kit. So, for the small price of $12, I bought it. I made a test block to see if I’d like the templates. Oh yeah….they’re great!
My only concern is all of those Y-seams. I can’t seem to get away from them! I should be pretty good at them by the end of this project! BTW….these aren’t my fabric choices for the project! 😉
My little friend and I would like to wish everyone a fun-filled Halloween!
buriedinscraps 
Wow! Your NY Beauty block is very beautiful. How many of those do u need to make for your quilt?
I think 13. Then it has a free-hand border. The border is scaring me but I think I can figure it out. There’s no paper-piecing diagram…you have to draft your own. Oh well..more challenges!
What pattern are you using?
http://www.etsy.com/listing/106163271/you-little-beauty-quilt-pattern?ref=pr_shop
Oops! Taking a look at it, I guess I have a whole lot more than 13 blocks! That’ll teach me to trust my memory.
I want one! Oh my gosh!!! Gorgeous!! Me too! Me too!! I’m jumping in! Lol
Not to turn you aside from your new direction, but I saw that the Galveston Historical Foundation is having a Civil War tribute quilt show, and they’re accepting entries until Dec. 7. So of course I thought of you! There’s nothing posted about it on their website, but if you are interested, I will forward you the info I have.
I would like the info. Not that I would enter but I’d like to know the details! Thanks!
Your blocks are gorgeous! Can’t wait to see what your weekend shopping adventures produce. Maybe we should do a fabric swap…..I’ll send you batiks and you can send me some civil war era backgrounds for my Grandmother’s Choice!
I like how they’re turning out. I just want more variety.
We’re going to my favorite quilt shop Saturday. it’s about a 2 1/2 hour drive but worth every minute in the car! They specialize in reproduction prints. I’m positive I won’t find batiks there! But when we go into town there is another quilt shop. I don’t go into it every time we’re there because I rarely find anything…too bright. I’m thinking they may have what I need this time around. Then someplace nice for lunch and a trip to the winery and we’ve had a full day!
I’m a little in love with the batiks! What a start. Excited to see where it heads. Happy shopping!
I like the look of baitks…I just never use them. They remind me of jewels.
I like the hat and mitten fabric in your test block.
Lillian
lillianscupboard.wordpress.com
That has been in my stash for a very, very long time! I fell in love with it but never had an opportunity to use it.
You asked a question on my blog, but I have no way to contact you. You are a no reply blogger. I don’t know how to change that in WordPress. But if you are entering giveaways, you will not be able to win the way your settings are now. In any case you asked me what “FO” stands for. My linky party, the NewFO Challenge is a take off on the quilting term UFO. FO stands for fabric object. UFO stands for unfinished fabric object. A new FO is a new fabric object. Thanks for stopping by I enjoyed seeing your link.
I like FOs!
I’m trying to figure out how to change the no reply in WordPress. Hopefully I’ll figure it out!
In conjunction with the 150-year re-enactment of the Battle of Galveston, the Galveston Historical Foundation is sponsoring a quilt show featuring quilts with a Civil War theme. We’re especially looking for quilts based on the Jane Stickle quilt as popularized by Brenda Papadakis. We’re also accepting quilts made primarily from Civil War reproduction fabrics, patterns, or other influenced by the Civil War.
Contact Jenny Chiovaro: jenny@chiov.net, 281-299-4665, for forms and more information. Submission deadline is Dec. 7. 2012.
Here’s the quilt show info I mentioned. I know in the past they haven’t had a huge number of quilts entered, and have even extended deadlines, so here’s your chance to enter without facing an inordinate amount of competition (if you’re nervous about that kind of thing, as I am). I think it’s right up your alley!
I contacted her. So we’ll see…….
Yay! Good luck! If you get in, I’ll go down to Galveston to see your quilt in person!
Such a pretty block! I’ve never worked with batiks before – no special reason, just never seem to think of them. Cutting fabric for paper piecing is tricky. I just bite the bullet and cut a generous (and I mean generous) 1/4 inch to fold over. Thanks for stopping by my blog. 🙂