Taking a Break from the Cruise Posts!

To take a break from the tedium of organizing my travel pictures, I've done a bit of crafting and quilting in the last few days.  On Tuesday I drove out to friend Patty's farm for lunch and so that she could show me a new method of paper piecing.  She learned this technique at a recent workshop sponsored by our quilt guild, one that took place while I was cruising in Norway.

This method uses freezer paper for the paper piecing block pattern.  Rather than sewing directly onto the paper as you normally do, you sew just outside all the seam lines, which means no tedious ripping off of paper patterns when you're done.

Above is the block I made.  It is very tiny--about 3".  One of the huge advantages of paper piecing is that one can make small blocks that are precise and accurate.  I plan to make 11 other of these tiny blocks, using this color scheme (the same color scheme of a king sized bed quilt that I am working on).  I plan to use for this wall hanging scraps from the Anniversary Quilt that Patty and I made last fall, as well as some of the same fabrics that are going into the bed quilt. 

Another project:  A couple of days ago I made two fabric postcards, to send to a dear friend as a belated birthday greeting.   I now have a postcard stamp for the address and message side of the postcard; I love it!  I just heard from my friend to whom these cards were addressed.  Friend, you mentioned receiving ONE.  You ought to have gotten two; let me know!