I found a stack of beautiful hand dyed fabrics that I knew worked well together and began the journey of paper piecing. I love the perfection of paper piecing, but as you can see the center of this one is not perfect! My idea didn't pan out as expected because when the pieces meet in the center it's super thick! I have way too many points meeting...it was a terrible mess!
Having 16 points meeting in the center is not a good idea anyway you slice it! Back to the drawing board for me! I wasn't about to let this block go down without a fight.
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| 5 1/4" x 5 1/4" |
Try number two was a little better as far as the center thickness goes. I modified one of the sections by basically cutting of the points. The center was better, but...
...I didn't like how the points are cut off. And if matching up the center wasn't hard enough, matching the center points and the 'octagon' center was more of a challenge than I wanted. Back to the drawing board again.
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| 6 1/4" x 6 1/4" |
The third block version was much better and it's possible it might be the last one. The jury is out on that decision! I've got some fine tuning to do before I'm satisfied.
Even though the center isn't perfect, I ended up finishing all three blocks into mini's just because I could! Back to the drawing board...
LINKING:
I like the block design and with a little tweaking as you know you can come up with a workable solution. Finishing them as mini's was a good idea, something I should do.
ReplyDeleteI’m still partial to the one with all the points and I might try to see if I can figure out a better way to make it work…we shall see! I do love making test blocks or stray blocks into minis if possible!
Deletenice you can play with it - yes 16 points in the center would make it very hard to quilt and be a little lumpy in the middle wouldn't it
ReplyDeleteI like how this is evolving, Jayne! I hope you find the sweet spot that makes you dance a happy dance. :)
ReplyDeleteoooh. A really cool block tho!
ReplyDeleteLOVE the first version, Jayne! Perfect points or not. Assuming you tried pushing the seam allowance to one side and then tried the other direction, too. Right?Sometimes that can make a surprisingly BIG difference!
ReplyDeleteI plan on trying the first one again soon. This time I’ll be mindful of pressing seams in order to reduce as much bulk as I can. I’m not giving up!!
Deleteit's a beautiful block. so hard when so many points come together.
ReplyDeleteI really like the block design but can see how the center points would be a problem.
ReplyDeleteI love this whether the points match or not, but good for you for continuing to work on the design to find a better solution!
ReplyDeleteI love the block, especially the one at the top, the colors are so comforting together.
ReplyDeleteAll of them are lovely Jayne. But I really like the colors in that middle one. The blues with that nutmeg color is so pretty. Thanks for linking up with Oh Scrap!
ReplyDeleteI think they are all marvelous. I’m no expert on paper piecing, but do admire the exactness it gives! Well done,in MHO!
ReplyDeleteOooo - those are pretty! I like each version.
ReplyDeleteI admire your perseverance! It's apparent that the centers are the most challenging part of such a design, but the effect, nonetheless, is impactful. It's just fine that you settled on the last one for the greater ease in the center. It works.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone can make those tiny pieces to behave it is you - the High Priestess of Mini Quilts and the Whisperer of Tiny Pieces :-)
ReplyDelete