NEW YORK BEAUTY BLOCKSI start with some conveniently pre-printed fabric: "Foundation by the Yard"™ by Sharon Hultgren © for Benartex, Inc. Twelve New York Beauty blocks are pre-printed, with instructions to make a baby quilt by sashing and bordering them. I decide to make all twelve, and then veer off the pattern into something more in line with my funky inspiration. I make one block according to the pattern, then get bored and alter the next block to add variety and challenge to my piecing. That's fun, so I alter five of the twelve blocks. I do enjoy choice-making more than mere assembly. Notice that this foundation pattern includes seam allowances? So if you make it as designed, you'll trim the finished piece around the outside line. But! Be aware that if you slice and alter the foundation, you must remember to add seam allowances to the cut edges! So as I foundation piece the outer fabric to the foundation, I make sure it covers the cut edge plus about a half-inch. Then, when trimming it for final assembly, I cut on the pattern line for the unaltered parts, and a quarter inch wider than the cut edge of the foundation. Contrary to my wont, I try not to obsess about coordinating the colors. When I look at all the colors in the bag, they scream "70's!", but if I co-ordinate them too particularly in the quilt, it might say something different. My big concern is that coordinated blocks might fail to blend with the whole (i.e. a red block, a blue block, et cetera). It's hard, though, when the colors are uncongenial neighbors. Especially the harvest gold solid, which I loathe. I could make it more tolerable by putting it next to browns and greens, but then I'd have a block with reads "warm", instead of one which reads "explosion in Mary Tyler Moore's closet". I sew the harvest gold to a blue and try to trust the process! SOME EMBELLISHMENTSAt one point, I get a bit bored and doodle some paisley on the back of a piece, then trace it with my sewing machine. Looks cool, huh? So I embellish a few more blocks. LAYOUT IDEAS
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Karen Roy
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