My little paper pieced gem

When I start paper piecing I get this urge to keep moving from one project to another. My last one was playing with “fabric saucers” (click here for details). Today I finished the mini quilt pictured above (I haven’t had a chance to go get a proper hanger for it yet!). I think it turned out super cool…

This pattern is called Serenity and I got it from the book Little Gems by Connie Kauffman. Here is Connie’s original version of this pattern:

Isn’t it gorgeous?

Some specs:
Size: 12-1/2″ x 12-1/2″
Pieced with Aurifil 50 wt
Quilted with Aurifil monofilament (throwing away Superior Threads monofilament!!!)
Paper: Papers for Foundation Piecing (photo below)

I LOVED working with this paper and will not use the other brands I have used in the past. Why? It is very lightweight, although it will not rip as you are sewing; yet, it is super easy to remove once you are done sewing the blocks together.

To make better use of the papers I printed three copies of the block
pattern on regular printing paper, cut them out and pasted them onto one
sheet of paper. Then, I scanned the paper and printed it onto the
foundation paper, making sure the printed size was exactly as in the
book (I had to make some adjustments on the printer Properties dialog
box and print a couple of samples just to make sure, only because I
wanted to print six blocks on each sheet). Perfection!

I loved this pattern and wondered what it would look like if I used the
same colors on all long rectanges, and also repeated the fabric on
all the small rectangles. So, knowing that one of my son’s is turning 15
this weekend and that he loves blacks and reds, I grabbed all the
fabrics from my stash, included some lighter shades and grays, and there
we have it: Chris’s Mini Quilt. He absolutely loves the quilt, yet
doesn’t know it is for him…

As Connie suggests in her book, I just picked fabrics at random as I was putting the blocks together. Paper piecing is soooooooooo relaxing to me! If you have never tried it, Connie gives you lots of details at the beginning of the book so, by the time you choose which of the 15 projects you want to make, you will feel very confident you can do it. You can also check my tutorial on paper piecing.

My next project from her book? Well, that will be a very difficult choice… and here is why:

Do you see what I mean? They are all so beautiful… I think I will have my son Ryan, whose birthday is coming up too, pick a pattern he likes and then I will use his favorite colors, as I did with Chris. 

I am in paper piecing heaven… and Connie Kauffman’s projects in Little Gems will keep me up there for a while. They are perfect for when you need to give a gift to someone but do not have the time for a large quilt. Another must-have book for your library!

Enjoy your day!