Another Kind of Paper Piecing

I wasn't looking for a crazy new project. Really, I wasn't. But sometimes they just find me. I came across this new pattern today, and I was instantly inspired. I've never done any foundation paper piecing before, so this evening (after watching a short tutorial) I gave it a try.

My verdict: Mostly fun. Kind of messy (lots of little scraps and threads). Quite a bit of going back and forth between cutting, sewing, and pressing. I've still got some things to learn.

I was concerned about removing the paper, but it was really easy. The stitching perforates it, and it tears out without any problem. The hard part for me was joining the two sections of the block. My seams didn't quite meet up. I'm sure there is an easy way, so I'll hunt for another tutorial tomorrow.

Tulip Fever

Last Friday, Freddy and I drove up to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival with my mother.  We brought a picnic lunch and spent all of the late morning/early afternoon at RoozenGaarde.  The sun came out as we walked out to the fields.  There we rows upon rows of red, purple, and yellow tulips; and fields of daffodils, too.  I brought home nearly five dozen tulips, which have been cheering up the dining room and living room all week.

The trip really put me in the mood for spring.  So last weekend I updated the linens in the dining room and started working on a quilted wall hanging.  The "Tiny Tulip" pattern is one I have from Quilting in the Rain, and I just used fabrics from my stash.  The quilt top took about 5 hours to cut out and piece.  Quilting and binding were another 3 or 4.  All together a very quick project.

To hang the quilt, I decided to try out this method from the Craftsy blog.  A friend gave me a yardstick and Command hooks, which saved me from a (possibly rainy) walk to the hardware store. If it stays up overnight, I will call the project a success.

Happy Spring!