A Few More Texas Stars

I am so excited, because I have two old, old stitching UFOs that are really close to completion. Maybe one more day each. Neither of them was on my to do list for this winter, but, well, you know. I was organizing my stitching box, and I saw how close they both were, so I got distracted. I can't show you those yet, but in the meantime, here's some more Texas Stars:

I have been avoiding picking a favourite fabric in this quilt, because there are so many nice ones, but I think this one above would be it. It reminds me of Hawaii, with the sun and scudding white clouds. This is a very old fabric, I don't remember buying it at all.

These next two I did just buy specifically for this quilt. They are from the Home Front collection from Connecting Threads:

I found a lot of fabric with apples in my stash. Here is another very similar one that I have in a few different colours:

Progress on the quilt suffered quite a bit during my wrist troubles. English paper piecing seems to be particularly hard on my hands and wrists. But, I have found that if I stick to just one star per day I am ok.

My wrist problem, by the way, turned out to actually be a pinched nerve in my shoulder. I have changed the way I stitch so that I sit back and bring the stitching close to my body, keeping my elbows by my sides. So far, this is working really well. Computer work, especially typing, is the only thing that really still bothers me. So I'm sorry if I ever seem terse in the comments!

Hopefully I'll have some finishes to show soon. Happy stitching!

Paper Piecing Sedona Star Month 2, Part 2

A TQS member has asked me for more detail on my paper piecing method for Sedona Star, Month 2. Maybe it is lucky that I still haven't finished all those blocks! I went back and enhanced the original photo of the template with my newer photo software. Hopefully it is now clearer. You can find that on the original post here.

I also took a photo of some partially completed blocks which I think will help too:

Click the photo to see it larger in the photo viewer.

Here is a little more information on the stitching order:

1. The two halves are pieced separately as far as you see here, then joined before the final pieces are added. You can see one half in the photo on the right. Those sections are pieced starting with the light orange point in the middle, and working out, ending with the yellow point. The long blue piece beside the yellow point is the one I make a template for, because it is sewn first to the light orange fabric, and then flipped up so that the yellow piece can then be sewn to it.
2. When the two sides are done this far, they are sewn together. On the left you can see the block back with the seam right up the middle. On these blocks the excess fabric along the sides has already been trimmed away.
3. The next step will be to applique the pie piece at the bottom. On my block this is the white fabric.
4. Finally, I add the border pieces, which in my block are light green. 

Here again is my test block, all finished. 

I am still not completely decided on how to do the applique. I need to spend one more day experimenting, and then I will be ready to finalize it all. On the test block here I used Beth Ferrier's turned edge machine applique method. I will not be doing the final quilt that way, though. It will be fused instead, with the edges finished either by machine satin stitch or by hand. 

I hope that sheds more light on things! Please leave any additional questions in the comments. Happy sewing!

Related Posts

 Paper Piecing Sedona Star Month 2, Part 1

 More Month 2 information