Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Nearing The End :: Epic BOM :: Finale

What a year of paper piecing!  I'll admit that I didn't realize when i committed myself to doing the Epic Sampler BOM that there would be so much paper piecing involved.  I would say 3/4 or more was just that.  Mind you, I'm not complaining.  I've come to love paper piecing, enough that I've even started to make my own!

If you have been following along, every time I finish a month I share my finished blocks and add them to my quilt template that shows my progress.  Some months I may only do the three blocks or sometimes if I get behind I do six at a time.    This month was the final three blocks. 

When I saw this block I was a bit overwhelmed.  I didn't want to do it...it looked like too much trouble.  But I put aside my hesitation and started to cut the pieces and plan it out. One thing I love  about @ Don't Call Me Betsy and her Epic Sampler BOM, she gives you a chart with fabric measurements for each section of the block.  It makes is much easier than having to guess and actually inspired me to use the same method for my first paper pieced block pattern.

That being said, this block was much easier and faster than I ever would have thought it would be!  The hardest or longest amount of time was removing the paper!


Basketweave Star
12" Paper Pieced
This next block went together quickly as well.  It reminds me of a really creepy spider, but don't let that scare you away!  We all see things differently!

I needed to use mostly yellow in the last two blocks to bring my quilt concept together. You'll see what I mean at the end!


HRT Star
12" Paper Pieced
The final, final, final 'block' was not really a block at all!  Instead it was a strip of Isosceles Triangles.  It was the last piece that was going to tie it all together.  The viola moment, the last piece of the puzzle, the cherry on top!

I'm hoping it will bridge the three color combinations together.  Violet/purple, teal and blues. 


Isosceles Triangle Strip
So, ready for my filled in quilt chart?!  There are a total of 39 blocks that have been completed in 13 months.  13!!!  I still can't believe I actually finished this BOM.  Technically, I can't say it's finished yet...I still have to piece them all together and then there is that part about quilting...and on and on!
Imagine if you can...this monster finished?!!!  Which will hopefully be about 60" x 72".  My rainbow concept.  My attempt at trying to get the motion of the ocean flow right!  

The layout might change ever so slightly from this, but it's pretty well set in stone now!  I spent my football Sunday carefully taking out all the paper.  It was a pretty mindless process and wasn't as bad you might think.


My next step will be to press the blocks before I piece the blocks together.  I'm looking forward to revisiting each block.  Do I like this one, not so much that one, love this color combination, I wanna make that one again.  

Thirteen months is a long time to make a quilt, something I'm not use to at all.  It helps when you love the process of each block and love the quilt!


It's also time to think about quilting.  It may sit for another thirteen months until that decision is made!  

What do you think of sampler quilts?  Have you made one...from start to finish?  And how do you tackle the difficult decision of quilting one?


LINKING:

33 comments :

  1. Congratulations, Jayne! That is a seriously beautiful grouping of blocks. I got up and stood back from my computer screen and viewed your layout. I think it is amazing.

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  2. Just gorgeous! You did a really masterful job with color placement. Not that I'd recommend this necessarily, but when I did a sampler a while back, I quilted something different in each block: http://aquilterstable.blogspot.com/2012/07/go-quilting.html

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    1. There are a couple blocks that I need to move around, but other than that I’m very satisfied with it! I love what you did with your sampler and the thought has crossed my mind. Maybe I will or maybe I need to find a long arm quilter willing to take it on for me!

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  3. It's stunning! I love doing BOM quilts, I did mt first one last year and I'm doing three this year, including the Splendid Sampler which is twice a week!! I've learnt huge amounts stitching them, they really push me out of my comfort zone!
    www.thecraftycreek.com

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    1. I cannot imagine taking on three in a year!! This one was fun from start to finish with the exception of a couple blocks I didn’t enjoy! I had the same thought when I decided to join this BOM! It’s always fun to learn something new!

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  4. These blocks are amazing! Your quilt is going to be gorgeous!

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  5. Beautifully done! Love your color concept. Each block is almost it's own work of art. I wasn't a fan of paper piecing, but I've learned to like it. Making a quilt entirely out of a paper pieced block will do that to you. I've made a couple of BOMs. I really enjoy them, but if there aren't finishing instructions given, mine seem to sit for a couple of years till I figure out how to set them.

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  6. Beautiful quilt and this block is amazing, just love it! Paper piecing is not my favorite, but you had made and amazing job!!

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  7. It's amazing Jayne ! You did a great job with piecing and color placing.

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    1. As if the paper piecing wasn’t enough I had to put my twist on it and make it a ‘rainbow’! That was the hardest part each month. Picking the right colors for each block and hoping they would all flow together!

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  8. I made two dear jane quilts which really could be considered sampler quilts I hand quilted and did each block different going with the design of the blocks.

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  9. Wow! It's stunning. I remember when you first started! I did a BOM and made two quilts at once. It was so satisfying to see it develop over a year, and look back on how much my skills had improved.

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  10. Well, I can see that it was really a lot of work but I also understand why you wanted to do it - it really has some amazing blocks in it! I bet you learned a lot. I love the colors you chose - its really quite beautiful, and it inspires me to get back to work. (I have had a hiatus - been traveling to wonderful places the last month) but now I'm ready to CREATE! Thanks for inspiring me...

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  11. Jayne, these all have turned out great and I cannot wait to see them all pieced together. I loved how you tacked the rainbow effect in this one. I am a SUCKER for a sampler quilt. I've made quite a few (some still in the works). I love custom quilting each block to give it it's own personality. I'm kind of sad I missed out on this one.

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  12. I really like the way this turned out! You've done a great job again. I've never done a sampler quilt although one of these days I probably will. Will be waiting to see how you quilt it. Nadine W. Northern Cali.

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  13. This is so, so beautiful! Very exciting to be so close to the finish line :)

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  14. Your quilt will be beautiful. The colors are so striking. I've never done a BOM. Taking that long to complete something just isn't something that sounds like fun to me. I'm more of a one project gal. Right now we're doing some remodeling so I have three baby quilts ready to hand bind so I can continue to craft while enjoying the dust.... Ordinarily I would finish one before I'd start another one. Weird, I know! Please don't wait 13 months to finish this one -- it's too beautiful to wait that long!

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  15. This is absolutely mind-boggling! Expert use of color (as always) and tons of patience))) I did make a sampler quilt - it was my first quilt on which I was taught various blocks and techniques and I quilted it in the ditch as that was the only kind of quilting I could do at the moment. I wouldn't even know how to approach quilting this one, but I'm afraid to do it full justice you won't get away with something simple, looks like every block has to get its own quilting design. Good luck!

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  16. I really love your color concept and use of solids. If I were starting over I'm not sure I would have used Elizabeth's recommended colors, but since I did I will have a quilt with a palette outside my usual color zone. I've finished 8 of 12 extra blocks to make my quilt a little wider, and have used several of the "extra" half-square triangles that I made in July.

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  17. Oh, so beautiful. I really like the rainbow concept. I'm a chicken about quilting and hand it over to a long arm quilter. My excuse is that it takes about 3-4 months for my shoulder to recover from pushing a big quilt around. The great thing about a sampler is that you aren't doing the same block over and over and over again. the only think I can say about the pressing is use spray starch...lots of it so the edges don't get so ripply.

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  18. Absolutely stunning Jayne! I see a number of thread color changes in your future. I know you will quilt it beautifully!

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  19. Wow...it's amazing. Congrats on finishing. You did a great job with the colour placement. Looking forward to seeing how you quilt it.

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  20. This is so amazing! Can't wait to see it finished up! :)

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  21. Oh Jayne! It is spectacular!!!! I think that basket weave star is my favorite! I made Jeni Baker's HST BOM...it definitely improved my still limited skill set. I quilted each block separately...but it was a much simpler quilt than this one, but is still one of my very fave quilts!

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  22. Totally gorgeous project! Love that basketweave block...wow!

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  23. Amazing color choices.... many of these blocks would make great pillows too...

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  24. That is quite the project! I am kicking around the idea of starting the Gypsy's Wife quilt. Very involved ...

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  25. The strong colours work so well in this sampler quilt . I suppose the quilt I'm just finishing for my son is a sampler quilt . I've never undertaken a BOM , something I should try sometime .

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  26. I LOOOOVE sampeler quilts, but have only done a small scale version. This looks really fantastic and your color placement is really well thought out. I had a quilt that I worked on for over a year. I wasn't sewing on it daily, but it was always there saying finish me. I really like labor intensive projects that pack a big satisfaction afterwards... this will get it for you when you're done... plus you're so fast, it won't stay a WIP for long!

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  27. The closest I've come to a making sampler quilt (if I remember correctly) is a series of mini quilts to represent the months. (I may have also quilted a sampler top for someone else.) The blocks were supposed to be a quilt, but I separated them to hang as a changing wall hanging throughout the year. I have never been a big fan of sampler quilts (although I think they must be fun to make) because of the quilting dilemma. In recent years I like them more, I think because of the rainbow solids that are often used, and I think modern quilting methods also address the quilting issue. Years ago, the practice was just ditch quilting or quarter inch away from seams which I would find boring now. Having said all that, I think your quilt top is spectacular, and I know you will come up with a wonderfully creative way to quilt it.

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  28. It's fabulous, well done! I'm not a samer quilt fan, but this one is special

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  29. Congrats Jayne! It's going to be stunning all put together.

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