Thursday 18 October 2012

TNT Kansas sunflower

This week I have been catching up on the blocks for the Grandmother' Choice Votes for Women block of the week quilt. Although it is only week 7 I had got way behind. So I set myself the task of at least getting 5 blocks done. The blocks are beautiful and I am really pleased with the final result but it involved learning new skills.



Although I had done a lot of dress making over the years I haven't really done very much quilting. When last I quilted it was using the English paper piecing method which suited me perfectly because it is very portable in the early stages of a project.

I started quilting earlier this year as part of my guide unit's project to make prem baby quilts for project Linus. This didn't provide many challenges to my sewing as we used squares to create the quilts. I made a couple of large sized quilts using nine patch and disappearing nine patch but still had not tried making any of these fancy blocks. In fact they were just pretty things I had looked at in books and on the internet. However never one to underestimate my sewing abilities I decided I could make them if I put my mind to it. 

My husband bought me a Dresden plate quilt kit and in April I started piecing the plates. This is the first one I made.



I was very happy with the result and I have now completed all the blocks and I am adding the sashing. I also made a baby quilt using the broken dishes block. Getting good points on all those half square triangles was seriously hard work.

Pleased with the results I was therefore very tempted by the thought of making the weekly blocks for the Votes for women quilt. The first two I did were all squares and half square triangles but then I started making Amethyst. This involves a Y seam. I cut it slightly bigger so I could trim it later and it went together well.




I decided to leave Kansas Sunflower as just looking at it incited panic. Visiting various blogs I found other people who were finding it difficult and this made me worry I wouldn't be able to do it. So on Tuesday I sat myself down and gave myself a serious talking to. I persuaded myself that there was no point in just ignoring it and that it was better to just take it slowly and see how I got on. Another trip round blog land gave me some tips on how to attempt the block and included the advice that quilting isn't about it having to be perfect.




The final result isn't perfect but I am very pleased with it. I know as I carry on with this block of the week quilt I will learn a lot of new skills. In the future I may decided to revisit this block and and remake it or I may just leave it as a reminder of the learning experience.

I'm linking up with Melissa at Happy Quilting for her Try New thing Thursday. Why not go and see what everyone has been up to. Click on Happy Quilting in the line above or click the button on the right

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