The latest quilting book "Quilt Lovely" by the incredibly talented Jen Kingwell is nothing short of amazing. I still find myself quite intimidated by most quilting blocks - until I've tackled and mastered them (after much cursing and usually two bottles of wine).
I couldn't resist learning the Courthouse Steps Block through this gorgeous heart block. The pattern in the book actually calls for a bunch of blocks to make that very sweet cushion as seen below. I doubt I'll complete the entire project... I wish I had/made more time for personal projects. My heart is actually set on creating a hoop wall of newly learned blocks... Fingers crossed I can pull it off. I'm certain there will be plenty more Jen Kingwell blocks to learn and proudly display!!
So here's a look at the inspiration and Liberty scraps I want to use. Oh and I chose the Liberty print Travelling Threads as my 'neutral/low volume' print - which isn't exactly what Jen means by low volume... but I wanted to use Liberty and this was the best I could find in my stash.
So I found the pattern quite easy to follow. The only trouble I found was working out the order in which the cut pieces had to be arranged as this is not explained. I know that more experienced quilters would work this out very easily. But as a novice, I had to do a bit of deducing and scribbling on my book. I kind of pieced them together the way I thought they would go - as you can see below! I balanced the prints as best I could. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't included the yellow Kayoko print as it draws the eye too much in the finished block - but I found it hard to resist that gorgeous yellow.
I laid them out in the order to sew - that made the most sense to me. Well it kind of made sense, in the sense that I had to recheck every step 5 times to make sure I was doing it right!
And this is how my little blocks worked out. At the time I couldn't envision the end result, but they pieced together easily once I got my rhythm.
Sewn together, amazing!
Overall, I really enjoyed it! I find that I get really stressed when I'm learning a new technique and don't just relax and enjoy the time. I worry that I'm making mistakes and hate not knowing how it's going to work. I think that's because I'm a step-by-step person. I can't read a pattern or recipe and just figure it out. Maybe in time, with practice, learning, experience, and wisdom, that relaxed nature might develop.
Next up, I want to learn Jen Kingwell's Pinwheel Block. Can't wait!!
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