February Sewing Update

 I'm going to try something new, and on the second Wednesday of each month, post about what I've been sewing lately.  I joined a group doing a quilting UFO challenge this year, where each group member makes a list of 12 unfinished projects or projects they've been wanting to sew, at the beginning of each month a number is drawn, and you work on whatever is on your list under that number.  So, hopefully, I will be doing more sewing than I have in a few years, and therefore, have something new to talk about here on a regular basis.

For January, my project was a paper pieced wall hanging that I'd bought the pattern for at least 5 years ago.  At that time, I didn't realize how tiny the pattern pieces were, and I got rather overwhelmed at the thought of tackling a paper piecing project that was so intricate.  Add in chaotic family changes over the next few years, and this became a UFO that was never even started.  

As fate would have it, the number drawn for January coordinated on my list with this fearsome little wall hanging. This year, however, I was determined to get it not just started, but also finished.  After making photocopies of the paper pieces in case I really messed up, I jumped into sewing little pieces of fabric to little pieces of paper in numerical order.

I messed up alot.  As I kept sewing, I eventually got the hang of lining up my fabrics with the lines on the paper in the correct manner.  However, every time I took a break, say from one day to the next, I had to teach my brain all over again.  There was lots of seam ripping, repositioning, and resewing just to get the first little section done.  The next section was a repeat of the learning process.  And the next, and the next. . . 

As you can see, my stitching didn't always make the colors join smoothly.  But, for a first (and second and third and tenth. . . ) attempt at paper piecing on such an intricate scale, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

This little guy wasn't too bad.

It took me probably close to two hours to do each of the three penguins.  And they are small.  The tallest one is about 6" tall. 

This was totally a love-hate kind of thing.  I love the end result, but the process itself I rather hate.  Yet, as a perfectionist, I know that this probably won't be the last paper piecing project I ever do. It's challenging, and the end result is rather pride-inducing.

Speaking on end result, this is the completed wall hanging.  It is slated to be given later this year as a birthday present to my penguin loving daughter.

There was also some embroidery involved (French knots for the eyes, back stitching for the skate blades), which has me itching to do some sort of needlework--either embroidery or counted cross stitch--in the near future.

February's official UFO number matched a bunch of blocks from a 'south-west color' Jacob's Ladder swap I did back in 2013.  I had 14 blocks from that, and had decided last summer that I wanted to use them to make a throw-sized blanket to have picnics with the grandkids or to take to the beach. I would need 2 more blocks in order to make a layout of 4 blocks by 4 blocks.  Those, I whipped up a week ago.  A few days later, I came up with a layout that was not perfect, but would do.  Interpretation of 'south-west colors' kind of varied from block maker to block maker, so it's kind of a mish mash quilt. 

 As I write this, the quilt is a completed flimsy, awaiting sandwiching and quilting (hopefully this coming weekend).