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!
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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!
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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.
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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?
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