This is not Shimmer‘s first rodeo.

It first started as “Dazzle” and I liked it, but then I was playing around one night and came up with that bias-stripey-trim on the outer ring, and liked it a lot more. So Dazzle went back in the Possibles File, and Shimmer came out.

I clumped the cut-out freezer paper pieces with their chosen colors and got to work. First up is folding on all those lines, something I learned from my last attempt at this. The really flat edge of the Add-an-Eighth-Plus ruler is lovely for this. (I just picked the first link that came up; there is no kick-back.)

I still use that backwards-fold-it-over method I learned from Verushka, as it allows me to see how big of a piece I need for the next segment. A somewhat confusing (apparently) discussion of all this is on my first freezer paper post. But if you follow along on the steps, you’ll get it.

This is a small ring, the first one, so there is only one section, and the piecing goes quickly. I’ve trimmed it all up. Peel off the freezer paper gently, so you don’t open up any seams.

I always keep the concave side on top, with the convex side on the bottom. In other words, the quarter-circle E piece is toward the feed dogs. I explain it in the pattern.

Two parts finished. It’s late at night, but I was determined to get the block done. Mistake.

Whoops. It’s not supposed to be two blues together.

Luckily, with freezer paper, it’s easier to unpick that if you were using paper in the traditional foundation paper-pieced gig. Got the blue replaced with lavender, but then couldn’t get the two sections lined up. Unpicked that one, re-stitched and kept going. (Don’t you love the dull light at night, even with the best lamps? No wonder I can’t see colors!)

And then went to bed bummed out because I hated it. Moral: don’t sew when you are tired. Duh.

The next afternoon, after the sun had come out from our cloudy/drizzley morning, I decided I liked the light pink and green combo. The outside sections were also working fine, but that it was the middle large rays that were the bust.

So I auditioned new colors for the rays. I also ended up changing out the A piece–the outer corner.

I decided not to take apart the block I didn’t like, but start again, making it over and using the new colors.

I also decided to press the seams toward the colorful wedges, although truly, this fabric is so good it doesn’t much matter, as there is little see-through.

Remember how I showed you I have five points of pinning on those larger curves? One in the middle…then fold the edges in, and mark those where the folds are. That makes five, with the two outer edges.

And here’s the new one. Will I throw away the first attempt? No. Look below.

If you are aiming towards a quilt, make five of the new one. Those, along the first and second blocks we made are on this Progress Chart. It doesn’t much matter that the first attempt is different. These blocks may not stay in this arrangement, but it gives you an idea of where we’re headed.

The new color chart (and the first version of Shimmer block colors) are up on the free Preview at my pattern shop. And everything is organized on the tab above: New York Beauties. I’m thinking that the pace of about every other week suits me. Hope it suits you, too. And no worries if making this is not in the cards at this time. The pattern, and these tutorials will be around for a long while. I’m still getting notes from quilters using my FPP circle patterns, and that first one was from a decade ago.

Okay, there’s another block for you in this New York Beauties Quilt (for Barbara). The pattern coupon from the last post has expired but getting twelve fascinating — but not complicated — blocks in one pattern that costs just a little more than a pastry and a beverage drink is a real deal. Grab yours here and come sew with me!

Yeah, I promised I’d do these blocks every two weeks, but it was a day I wasn’t weeping over Dad and stuff, and I could breathe and the sun was out and the white snow atop the mountain in the distance was so beautiful, and it was time to sew. It’s good to have days like this every once in a while. Plus I still had some awesome Valentine Candy for snacks (Trader Joe’s Xs and Os anyone?), so that must have been an omen to get out the fabric.

I skipped way ahead in the line-up and went for Aurora, the eleventh block in my New York Beauties quilt. Maybe I just wasn’t up to some fancy piecing, or I loved the blues, or what, but again, I used freezer-paper piecing and still liked it.

Rhonda wrote to say that the older freezer paper seems better than the newer stuff, and in her case, it can sometimes shrink slightly, so press it once down onto your ironing board, just to be safe. Carol wrote to say she was able to get five uses from her freezer paper: love to get comments giving me tips. I realize the last post was sort of intense, so this one will be lighter.

I use Painter’s Palette Solids from Paintbrush Studio (you can buy them here). Good goods. Full stop.

I’m starting to make a color card for this project, adding in the colors I use, in case you want to duplicate this. I am going the full color range for this quilt, but not full-strength. Some colors are muted (with gray added to them) and some colors are lightened (white added to them). The muted colors will keep this from looking less like a paintbox exploded (no laughing out there, yes I know it’s still pretty colorful). Here’s the card, so far. I will keep the card updated on online, where the pattern lives (not here).

To get your free download, go to the pattern, and click on the word Preview (in the pink circle). It’s also a way for you to get the color numbers of colors that work together.

This is where I started. My printer was having fits, so I cut the freezer paper slightly smaller than a page of card stock I had and taped it to the card to send it through. Then I arranged colors of my fabrics, trying out what I wanted to combine.

Then I folded the creases in from the front, then from the back (another tip from Rhonda).

Rolling, rolling, rolling. (You have to be of a certain age to appreciate this.)

I use two sizes of rotary cutters for those curves (little for the inside, larger for the lower curve).

Peel back the center papers to join the B1 piece to the B2 piece (same on all the blocks).

This has a narrow inner ring, unlike Block One, Wild Sunflower. You can sew the ring either to the rays or to the Inner Center Piece. I make marks in the center for this short distance, so there are three pinning points.

For the lower curve of the rays to the Outside Corner, I do three different marks, so there are five pinning points.

I’m getting ambidextrous, but I still prefer the pieced rays on top when I sew.

Home stretch.

And although this is a wonky photo, I did evenly trim them to 9 1/2.” Two are done in no time at all.

My chart for keeping track. They are all in their places, with colorful faces!

Reminder: the coupon is good until Leap Day, February 29th, if you want to make some, too.

PS: I carted home several journals and photo albums from the clean-out of my parents’ apartment, which made me realize that the little photo, above — a composite of my monthly markers on Instagram — is like a type of journal for 2023. Good memories!