Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Cotton Club Beginning

Happy Tuesday! Over the weekend, I started the Cotton Club BOM by Bonnie Blue through a LQS. I had hoped to have the first 5 blocks completed (this months installment) to show you but that didn't happen. There has been a flurry of closet cleaning instead. As I mentioned in a prior post, I'm using a Harriet Hargrave tip to get my 1/4" seam more accurate. While not perfect, it's much improved. These blocks finish at 5" and will be set on point. As you can see, it starts simple!
Cotton Club Block 1
I've been playing around at drafting blocks - the tutorials by Lori Holt really captured my attention. I checked out the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns and 5500 Quilt Block Designs from my library to see if I could draft a block in a size I wanted. I'm having some success! Both of these books will be purchased as the possibilities are endless!

Question for you all - Do you know how to convert a block sketch/layout to a paper pieced pattern? I'd love to learn to do that as well.
Playing Around at Drafting Blocks
I've also become very enamored of all the Farmers Wife blocks I've seen in blog land. I think I'm slowly losing that battle!

I hope you all are having a great week. Thank you so much for your visits and your comments! I appreciate you and continue to be inspired by you!

24 comments:

Annie said...

Looks pretty perfect to me.

Have fun with designing the blocks. You are becoming quite the expert!

quiltingnana said...

I have the 5500 book and just ordered the Encyclopedia book....great additions to your library.

Margaret said...

Oh wow, I'm glad you're doing that club -- now I can see how the blocks look. :D The Farmer's Wife blocks look great, I agree. And designing blocks -- good for you! I hope it goes well for you!

Pat said...

I've seen the 5500 Quilt Block book that quiltingnana has and it is a great book. I've not seen the other one but will see it once her copy arrives.

Shay said...

I never get my blocks perfectly perfect. Looks like you have that skill mastered.

I'm valiantly trying to avoid doing a sampler quilt at the moment...maybe I'll put it on my list for 2012!

Theresa said...

Your block looks great!!!!! You've even mastered pattern making?! That is amazing!!!!

Barb said...

Love the block....your drafting looks so much better than what I do...my work is just a bunch of scribbles and I dare anyone to be able to understand it....it is fun tho...wouldn't you say?

Simone de Klerk said...

Wow, Jackie, you are incredible. More talents to be discovered inside you!
Sorry I can't answer the question. Hope someone is able to help you.
And thank you for the links! I'm going to follow Lori's blog again (o:

Lois said...

What a nice block. I'm afraid I can't help with your question but what a nice block you've drafted so I'm looking forward to seeing it pieced together!

antique quilter said...

two great books!
well worth having in your library in mho!
looking forward to seeing more of your blocks
Kathie

Marie said...

Very nice block. I have not drafted anything and I think if I did I wouldn't be able to follow it. I have fallen inlove with the Farmers Wife and just bought the book. Maybe I will have some luck in doing them.Just learned to crochet and that has taken over my life at the moment. I need perhaps to multi-task. Have a grat day. Hugs, Marie

Patty C. said...

It looks great Jackie -

Vicki H. said...

Looks great! I am starting a Farmers wife next week myself. I am paper piecing, check out the yahoo group because the paper piecing patterns are there. I was gifted EQ at Christmas and it is perfect.... no more math mistakes for me. I even took College level math too. LOL!

Nancy said...

Enjoy your Cotton Club BOM! Your first square is very pretty!

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

oh very beautiful !!!!

woolwoman said...

Cotton Club is gorgeous - LOVE the color combinations - those rich reds and browns - OOH LA LA - can't wait to see this one develop - Enjoy! Mel

Deb said...

Great start on the Cotton Club. I got my first month too but haven't had time to start it yet.

About the drafting and paper piecing, I have an idea how it's done but it would probably be too hard and long to explain in this comment. You would have to break down your block a little bit more (i.e, where you have the A pieces and D pieces. As I said - hard to explain all of it in this comment.

Michele said...

I took that class with Harriet Hargrave last year! I'm afraid the Farmer's Wife blocks are getting to me also. I had the book in my hand a few weeks ago, but I was able to put it down before I got to the checkout counter. Next time I might not have the will power to do it!

Catherine said...

I am not a quilter, although I do love, love, love quilts!! Good luck!

Siobhán said...

It looks great, Jackie! I have no clue on how to convert a pattern to paper piecing. Good luck with it!

I am loving the FWQ blocks, too. Gorgeous stuff!

kwiltnkats said...

Agree that it would be way to hard to explain on paper a conversion. The one thing about paper piecing (PP) patterns is that there needs to be easy ways for continuous seams to the outter most parts of the finished design. Or you end up with a lot of sections that need to be pieced together. Piecing designs aren't always the best to convert to PP. I applaud loudly designers like Claudia Hasenbach and Linda Causee. These are two of the designers of the PP flowers I'm working on in my Kourageous project.

I like the background fabric of your Cotton Club BOM project. Nice work with matching your points. Sandi

Sally said...

Your block looks lovely Jackie:)

quirky granola girl said...

that's good looking drafting if you ask me. mine are way more scribble like :)

Ellyse said...

Have you signed up to receive the Marti Mitchell template instructions for cutting out the Farmer's Wife blocks? She send s them out from her website once you sign up every 2 weeks and they use her template system. They are brilliant!