Quilt Concert Series #1 Guest Post / Topic: Lucy Boston Quilt Block and English Paper Piecing Made Modern

A Quilt Concert Series #1 participant will receive a free package of English Paper Piecing Made Modern, Lucy Boston templates.

English Paper Piecing Made Modern, self-stick templates enable you straight stitch by hand or machine.

Hours of preparing your EPP turns into minutes, when you do not not have to baste, whip-stitch or pull papers.

Keeping reading, to find all the details.

This is a guest post for Quilt Concert Series, presented by @Cassandra.Beaver and @lovinglylissa on Instagram.

Everyone is welcome to join. Visit Cassandra and Lylissa on Instagram to sign up.

Lucy Boston is famous for a number of things.

The Patchwork of the Crosses is what she is most know for related to quilting.

The Patchwork of the Crosses consist on one shape, used in amazing ways.

The Honeycomb or referred to in book, The Patchworks of Lucy Boston by Diana Boston and Photographs by Julia Hedgecoe as 1" long hexagons.

The shape lends itself so well to focus/fussy cutting. There is enough room on a 1" honeycomb to capture many wonderful motifs. The motifs can be combined with the shape beside it, to form another interesting motif. 

Use this link after you have finish this post for examples and inspiration. https://www.pinterest.com/sewforever/english-paper-piecing-beginners-experienced/

The focus/fussy blocks are generally surrounded with solid color honeycombs/long hexagons. 1" Squares connect the blocks.

Sometimes the solid color row is left off and just 1" squares and the center square block, connect everything together.

The square in the center is made up of 4, 1" squares surrounded by 8, 1" squares 2 on each side. There are options in that configuration - 2" center square and 2" rectangles could be used.

Permission granted to use this photo. Thank you to Wendy and her Mum, Joy Hill from Auckland, New Zealand. Joy made this blocks. This was the best photo to show how the blocks connect. This link below is for Wendy's blog.https://wendysquiltsandmore.blogspot.com/2019/02/peacock-party-and-trip-to-auckland.html

I wanted to learn more about Lucy Boston. This book tells about her life and features wonderful pictures of her quilts.

https://www.amazon.com/Patchworks-Lucy-Boston-Diana

Here are some highlights.

In 1938 Lucy made her first patchworks, a curtain and a throw for a sofa using a large hexagon shape. There are pictures of these projects, and much more in the book.

Lucy wrote the Green Knowe children's books. She was an gardener that loved roses and scented plants. She purchased the Manor Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon, restored the house and entertain there, well into her nineties.

The house is open to visitors year round by prior appointment. http://www.greenknowe.co.uk

This is the package a lucky winner will receive.

What is inside?

This package of 6 sheets contains:

90  - 1" Honeycombs, 96 - 1" squares

Reusable until they no longer stick, 5-8 times. That is a lot of templates.

Self-stick templates eliminate per-turning, basting/gluing, whip stitching, and pulling papers out. Use the templates to cut fabric shapes, including fussy cutting. 

Then simply straight stitch fabric shapes together by hand or machine.

How would you like no basting/gluing, whip-stitching, or pulling paper at the end?
I had your same concerns so I created an alternative.

English Paper Piecing Made Modern.
Use the templates to cut shapes, including fussy/focus cutting, then re-stick centering on the wrong side of a shape and straight stitch by hand or machine. Sew Simple!

Let's look at some focus/fussy cutting fun to inspire you.

I cut plastic templates from EZ Quilting Extra Thick Template Plastic to preview motifs. Stick an English Paper Piecing Made Modern template on the plastic and trim the shape with no seam allowance. Then peel the EPPMM (English Paper Piecing Made Modern) template off.

Make a small hole in the template, use a hole bunch, if you have one.

The little black things is from a clothing tag.

I made plastic shapes for almost all the EPPMM shapes. These are the La Passacaglia shapes.

I carry them when I fabric shop, to determine if a motif will fit inside the shape.

You can also use the EPPMM templates and a light box to preview shapes.

Once you know where you want to cut, place an EPPMM template on the right or wrong side and trim a 1/4" around the template.

An Add A Quarter Ruler makes this task very easy. The ruler has a lip that butts against the template resulting in accurate 1/4" seam allowance.

Then simply center the template to the wrong side of a fabric shape, add another fabric shape (no template on the one being added) right sides together. 

Straight stitch by hand or machine from corner to corner of the template, tacking at the beginning and the end.

Continue to add fabric shapes to all sides of the one with the template. Then move the template to an outer shape and repeat.

After this post visit my You Tube channel to see the templates in action.

https://www.youtube.com/c/SewforeverbyBeckyCampbell


Instagram link to see what I am up to on a regular day.

https://www.instagram.com/sewforeverbybeckycampbell

This is a bed coverlet made using just 5 Patchwork blocks. You do not have to make a whole quilt to use these blocks.

My helper/model is my granddaughter, Reese.

“If you’ve ever done English Paper Piecing, if you’ve tried it and didn’t like it, if you’ve been intimidated or overwhelmed now there is an alternative to traditional English Paper Piecing. English Paper Piecing Made Modern changes the game.

Thank you for for reading this post. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter.

They will not flood you inbox. I only send newsletters when I have something that helps you achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort.

Newsletter sign up https://sewforever.com/apps/seguno/subscribe

Thank you to Cassandra and Lylissa for featuring English Paper Piecing Made Modern.

Join in the fun and enjoy Quilt Concert Series #1!