This week’s paper piecing Monday is a little different. I recently joined my first quilting Bees – one of them is a do.Good.Stitches circle and the other is a fabulous collection of fellow bloggers who set up “Scrap-bee-licious”. For both Bee’s I was “queen” this month, which means I am choosing the pattern/colour scheme for my fellow quilters.
The Scrap-bee-licious Bee caused me the most consternation as this quilt is not going to charity, but will be staying with me. I have only kept one quilt so far in my quilting history, so I had to think long and hard about what I really wanted. So after much umming and ahhing, hair pulling and mind changing I settled on…
… low volume. A couple of weeks ago Sarah at No Hats in the House posted photos of one of the most amazing quilts I have ever seen. Her “Once Upon a Forest” quilt took my breath away. Inspired the beauty of this quilt, I have asked my fellow Bee members to make me a scrappy low volume paper pieced block or two.
I have not selected a specific pattern to be followed but have asked them to make me any 12 inch paper pieced block they want. There are so many fabulous free paper piecing patterns on-line, including this one (called Circle of Geese) from Pieced by Numbers or Julie at 627handwork’s Block Rockn’ blocks or Quilting on the Squares Compass Collection.
As I discovered with this block there is a method to getting contrast and detail when you are working with low volume. When I pulled fabric for this block I pulled two different type of low volume from my stash:
1. Pastel, soft solid fabrics.
2. Predominantly white fabrics
The importance of the contrast these two different low volume fabric selections give you was highlighted to me when I made the mistake of using two pieces of solid light grey in the background. In the resulting block…
–..you can see how the grey pearl bracelet in particular distracts/hinders/muddies the circle of geese pattern. A little unpicking and some re-sewing later and the block was just what I wanted. I am now excited to try a paper pieced star or two using these colours and I can not wait to see what my fellow Bee members come up with. This is going to be fun.
WOMBAT QUILTS 
Love this block…the soft colors make me think ‘vintage’
Oh I do have to agree with you, Cath. Sarah’s Once Upon A Forest quilt sure rocks the low volume! Glad to see you are working on a low volume project, too, and thanks for sharing your tips about fabric choices! Love your block and have shared it, with a link back, to fb at http://facebook.com/sewfreshquilts
Hope you had a wonderful weekend!
Lorna thanks so much for linking me up. I am soooo excited about this quilt.
PS. I just noticed that you have started using an ACTUAL profile pic! Really nice to See You!
I love this block, and the low volume is very pretty.
1. YES to your picture. I love love love it – you with that beautiful quilt behind you! Beautiful, both of you! Oh yes, I love this block. I’m so glad you’re stretching me this month – you know I’m going to work some low-volume for you this month! I can’t wait to pick the block 🙂 Great choice!!!
I am so very excited to see what you create. I am also really excited about having a quilt just for me, full of blocks made by such a fabulous group of people.
Also, LOVE these resources you’ve shared! The compass collection – holy cow. Love.
I’m excited a really intimidated by this one 🙂
This is what happens when you invite a paper piecing mad woman into your Bee!
What a pretty block with the low volume! I can’t wait to see what the rest of the group makes, this quilt is going to awesome. Man every time I see someone posting about the scrapbeelicious I am so green with envy–I totally want to be in it next time.
I do love to look at low volumes! The forest is lovely and this one will be too!
What a gorgeous inspiration to use – this will be so much fun! Definitely my first attempt at low volume, but I can’t wait to choose a fabulous paper pieced block. LOVE that Block Rockn series at 627 handworks 🙂
I am in awe of your stash…..
Beautiful work as usual, your blog is such fabulous eye candy 🙂
I am so inspired by the low volume look- just stunning! I know I don’t have enough lights in my stash to pull it off. Shopping trip?
Ahhhh, I can’t say how many times how excited I am to get started. Already have a few ideas…
Can not wait to see what you create. Yipee.
I’m doing some early-Sunday-morning research and…(it’s always ME making trouble, huh?) 12″ finished, so 12.5″ unfinished, yes? Or do you want 12″ unfinished?
I think it is time for me to finally try a New York Beauty 😉
Oh sound exciting. Can not wait to see what you create.
Laura with this quilt it does not matter at all but usually my blocks are a 12 1/2 finish…so when sewn together they are 12 inch blocks.
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