It’s a new year, and with our new circles block #7, we’ve turned the corner and are more than halfway done.  Yes, this does look remarkably similar to Block #1, because it is–only I’ve blocked in the spaces between the points for a different look.  The complete collection of Circles Blocks, all done with English Paper Piecing (EPP), is found on the tab above titled Shine: The Circles Quilt EPP.

As always, the updated patterns are free, downloadable PDF files. And as always, please do attribute the source of this to Elizabeth at OccasionalPiece-Quilt  (or OPQuilt.com) and do not print off copies for your mother or your friends.  Please direct them here to get their free copies.  Many thanks.  

Playing with the patterns in the fabrics can be interesting.  In the above, I liked the bigger, bolder, polka-dots so I clustered my points through that section. I also decided I wanted to repeat the high contrast swirling blades, so chose fabrics that brought out that aspect.  To get the blades to swirl the opposite direction of Circles Block #1, place the pattern with the words visible, or facing up, as shown above. I’d originally thought a fabric that coordinated with the magenta-y purple blades and the orange points would be interesting.  Here I’m trying it in the cut-fabric stage, before I’d basted it onto the papers.  It looked all right, so I proceeded. But something just didn’t look right once I had the pieces basted.  So then I cut out and basted the points with the pink dots.  I fussy cut those to get the dots in the center.  As always, I tried out my block in multiple ways, and decided on what I wanted.  Most often I do this at the cutting stage, before I have basted them down, because, wow, it’s too much work to baste and then not use the pieces.  But this block didn’t reveal itself until this stage, like a sulky teenager or something. I start by joining small pieces together. Then those small pieces get joined to become larger sections, and so on (and sew on?). I read on Instagram last week a discussion of how much the stitches show.  However, please don’t re-do any of your stitching until you remove the papers, as one commenter noted.  With all the papers in, the stitches have a “tension” on them and tend to show more.  I thought that was great advice.  Of course, because we are moving between strong colors, you can’t always get a thread that will match both sides of your seam.  I’ve heard people sewing with Bottom Line, a very fine thread from Superior Threads, almost silk-like, and that would certainly that would help.  Another commenter said she used a “ladder stitch,” taking a small “bite” of fabric on one side and running her needle through the fold, then the other side, alternating.  At the end she would pull her thread tighter and the stitches nestle in.  Here’s one illustration of that: And here’s a video, sort of showing the same thing.  I use an overcast stitch, taking tiny bites of fabric, and just don’t worry about it all.  You can see close-ups of my stitches in other Circles blocks posts. Cut a 14 1/2″ large square of your background fabric, fold it into fourths and press in the folds so they’ll serve as guidelines for centering your circle.  Remove all but papers except the ones in the outer blue wedge-shaped pieces. I also trim off any wild or excessive seam allowances at this time, too, so as to remove bulk.

Pin down your circle, using small appliqué pins (so you won’t get stuck so much), and then stitch your circle onto the background, removing the papers, tucking under the points as you go.   Turn it over and cut away the background fabric 1/4″ away from your appliqué stitching.  Then stitch on your center circle, again using an appliqué stitch.  I’ve done the EPP method on this part, and believe me, it’s easier just to appliqué it down.  Like always, I auditioned several different centers (I’m getting quite a collection) but decided to go with this one.  Not every center is a home run.  The idea is to get them to play together, like the six shown below: Now there is one more!  While I give tips and trick about the stitches in this post, every circles post talks about something a little different, while going over similar ground.  Please refer to the other circle posts for more specifics, with all of them found on the tab above.  Circles Block #1 mentions the basic method of English Paper Piecing.  Circles Block #2 talks about fussy cutting your fabrics to yield a certain design, as well as joining the background via EPP, rather than appliqué.  Circles Block #3 shows a cheater method for sewing together your fabrics on your machine before cutting them out, then proceeding with EPP.  And so on.  Have fun and we’ll see you the first part of February. It won’t be on the first day, because that’s the day for our reveal for the Four-in-Art Art Quilts, but shortly after that.  Have fun sewing!

Circle #6: Star of Wonder
(but stay tuned. . . another variation of Circle #6 is coming in a couple of days)

Welcome to my series of English-Paper Pieced Circles!  I decided some time ago that I needed a new hand-work project for those night when you just want to sit around and stitch and watch TV or a movie.  I liked circles, and hadn’t found any EPP versions, so decided to create my own.  All my patterns are hand drawn, but they are free.  I do test-make them to get rid of any quirks before I present them to you.  I’ve already done five circles and this post gives you the sixth.  Here they all are together:

This sixth circle, based on a six-pointed star, is all English Paper-Pieced, except that I do appliqué the larger circle onto the background square, as the results are better that way.  And since this center circle does not need go over a series of joining seams, it can be paper-pieced right into the circle.  I can’t remember where my inspiration for this one came from, but I do like that secondary star pattern that forms in-between the golden star points.  The center of this star is suited to a medallion-type piece of fabric, so drag out those large prints and see which one works.

As usual, these blocks start with a hand-drawn circle, and then I trace off the patterns.  And then I realize that it would be better if I had one more of THAT star point and one less of THIS arc.

This time I didn’t staple the wad of three sheets together, as I used to in the past, but instead cut more carefully around each piece.  Tedious, but they go together better at the end, I think.

I’ve pinned the pieces on, cut around them, then I lay them out to check for color/pattern.  I liked it so I moved forward.

I did this circle in three different states at five different houses and a hospital room.  EPP travels very well.  Here I have stitched the ring pieces together, sometimes attaching them to the circle as I go.  Now I’m starting to attach the star points.  I think it looks like a clown hat at this juncture.

I try all the points on, lining up with the seams in the blue-and-green polka-dotted ring.  I stitched them on, one by one and set it aside.

Next is stitching the inner sections together.  First join the upper small star point (red) to the lower wedge (white).  Then attach one (blue) arc to the side, then the other.  The first time I tried this I got all confused, but remember to lay the longer flat side of the arc along the small star point and you should be fine.

Trying this out.

I took this photo to show how I attach those inner wedges: first one side, a stitch at the point, then the other side.  I also take a stitch at the top of the blue arcs, holding one to the next.

Ta-DONE!

I lay the circle on my 14 1/2″ square of background fabric.  I’m visiting a brother-in-law in the hospital at this point and am doing this on his bedside table while he is sleeping, so instead of being able to iron four neat creases into the background fabric to help guide me for placement (as before), I finger-pressed in what I could and eyeballed the rest.  As you’ve noticed, there is a bit of extra fabric all around the circle, so I’ll be able to correct any missteps later.  It was at this point I realized that my center medallion was not centered on its axis.  It was kind of keeling on its side, pointing a bit to the Northwest.  AAAGH.  I still appliquéd the circle down and checked my suspicion with my husband when I got home from traveling.  Yep.  It’s a re-do.

The circle without its center.  I just snipped loose the stitching (it’s amazing how easy it was) and centered it again.  This time I loosely (about a stitch per seam) basted in the center and checked it often as I did the regular EPP stitch.  I did this step as we drove to see our grandson at his eighth birthday.  Circles on the move, I say.

So here it is. . . all done, and ready to go into the quilt.  I made this circle up in a different coloration and will show it to you at the next post.

But here are the first six, arranged digitally.  I hope you have been able to keep up with our progress, but these patterns will be here for a while if you haven’t.

Now come back for the next post, where I show a completely different look to this circle.

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Also linking up to Live A Colorful Life’s Choose Your Own Block-Along.

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