Monday, February 17, 2014

Hugs and Kisses to You

Welcome to my day to share the love. Ok, mine and a few other very talented ladies who are noted below.

I signed up for this hop as for all others with the desire for fun and maybe some stretch outside of my usual comfort zone.  Madame Samm's brilliant idea coupled with  Soma from Whims and Fancies       wonderful patterns were definitely outside of my comfort zone.

I have 2 problems with paper piecing. First is I can't get a handle on the angle I need to place fabrics from the back.  As soon as I can't see the fabric I'm lost. To successfully make this pattern took an amazing amount of fabric to compensation for this lack of vision on my part.  I entered this hop with the plan of making 3 pillows of various sizes for my couch. Didn't happen.

It took me hours to make one heart with arrow.  I only had to rip maybe 3 times because of my angle issues. I am proud to admit that I did finish. And, yes it is just what it was supposed to be thanks to the great pattern design but I just couldn't work up the umph to try 2 more.

I gave up on my idea for 3 pillows and ended up with a Lawn Decoration on the never ending snow.





A Table Topper





or, a Welcome to my guests for my front door.





The second problem I had was rediscovered when I finished the sewing and started the paper removal.  I absolutely, positively HATE to remove paper. I am including 3 more photos to emphasize this hatred.

15 or so years ago I saw a paper piecing demo at a quilt show.  I immediately signed up for a class.  This is the resulting top from the class, cute with wonderful points.



This is the back of the piece







Yes, all of that is still the paper attached 15 long years later. From the first ripped piece I hated it.  I have tried to foundation piece on and off over the years with the same result.  I don't always learn from my own example.

While I do admire the art of paper piecing and appreciate the art of the designers and the wonderful work of the sewers, I think my base problem is that I am a speed quilter who really doesn't give a hoot about perfect points and removing paper is phenomenally time consuming and I for one don't have the patience for it.

In summation.  I stretched and am glad I did. I didn't fall in love with PP but I have conquered it paper and all.  Now please go on to visit the rest of today's hoppers listed below for your viewing ease and any you may have missed up to now.  The Hugs and Kisses contributers have been wonderful and sew creative.
Lady Mary

Lady Vickie

Lady Anne

Lady Selina ( that's me )

Lady Theresa

Lady Jane


Thanks for stopping by.


65 comments:

  1. Your heart turned out wonderful! Love all the ways you displayed it. Thank you for sharing.

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  2. But you did finish a project even the light of it all!

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  3. I LOVE your heart. I really like it on the door. I don't do paper piecing either. I seem to waste too much fabric when I do it. I did finally learn to lower my number of stitches per inch way down so that the stitches are really close together therefore it almost perforates the line so the paper comes off really
    easy. Thank you for sharing with us! It looks terrific.
    xo Jan

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  4. Your heart turned out darling. Love it as a door display, so very inviting.

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  5. Your heart turned wonderful, very sweet.

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  6. I love the heart, and all the ways you've shown to showcase it.

    On taking the paper off, it's like removing the freezer paper from applique, that's why I've switched to washable types of stabilizer, heck, they even have washable freezer paper now. However, if you used a machine embroidery stabilizer that is washable, it will completely disappear after your first washing and you wouldn't have to worry with ever removing the paper, plus those types of stabilizers are soft and easy to sew over, you'd never even know that stabilizer was in there if you didn't wash it. They are also just as easy to mark or create as freezer paper is, not printable that I'm aware of, but they are really easy to mark. :)

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  7. I love your table topper and the arrow shows up so well on the white. You made the hardest block, the others are a piece of cake :) I suggest you hire a family member to tear the paper off that pretty 15 year old quilt :)

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  8. Very cute heart especially on the door.

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  9. Poor you, still the paper on the back after 15 years, gosh! Just remove year by year the paper of 1 or 2 blocks, and you will be quilting it soon :-))
    I love your "snow decoration", the red fabric you chose for the heart is fantastic!!!

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  10. That quilt made me laugh!! Your heart piece is a lovely addition to your house for V-day! Great job!

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  11. You gave it a great effort and your heart turned out lovely.

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  12. I think your heart turned out great, and looks wonderful on your front door!

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  13. Beautiful, beautiful heart! I love the fabrics you chose, they really pop! This hop showed me a love for paper piecing. I love the organization of it. Removing the paper, not so much. But speed is not my strong suit. If you like, send me your topper and I'll remove the paper for you LOL Love your projects, sew very pretty!

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  14. LOL, well your heart is very lovely. Good for you for going for it, even though you have trouble with it. You did a great job.

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  15. Your heart is so lovely. And a very good result from your practice with PP.

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  16. Congrats for jumping out side your box! Now days there's water soluble paper to use for paper piecing, etc. I like to pre-stitch my papers (no thread in the machine) so that they're already perforated before I add the fabric. Seems like the pieces come off easier that way if I've used regular printing paper for them. Your heart is SEW versatile!

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  17. my sweet your perseverance payed off-what a lovely welcome to anyone who comes across your doorstep...

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  18. Your heart table topper is so cute!

    and thanks to Alicia's comment, I may have to go in search of that water soluble paper!

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  19. It looks great on your front door - definitely shows up beautifully. Like you I'm not a big fan of paper piecing...until I finish it and it is so perfect. :) I made a block this week, first by hand piecing and when it didn't come out to be the size I needed I took it apart and machine pieced it. Still not the right size. Then I paper pieced it and it was perfect. I applaud you for knowing what you like and what you don't but more for trying something new. blessings, marlene

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  20. I enjoyed your paper-horror-story and you are right, great designs, great designers and you DID do a lovely job but if you don't enjoy it, you shouldn't spend a lot of time doing it. You little heart is so cute on the front door, I hope you put it there every February. Maybe you will come up with 11 more for the other months--but maybe not paper pieced!

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  21. Your little heart turned cute. Great try on the paper piecing.

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  22. Awe, bless your HEART, the paper pieced one and your soul too! You did it again and it's LOVEly!! Great job and what a CUTIE when I knock on your door! I love it. Try pp again, this time use a water soluble or a thin cheap paper to copy on and shorten your stitch length to short, short, short!!! I'm like you, I LOVE the look but hated removing the paper until I switched to a thin paper and teeny, tiny stitch. It's SEW easy now.

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  23. Your red and white heart looks like Valentine's Day perfection on the snow, table or door. Thanks for sharing in the hop. XOs from me to you ... <3 Pat

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  24. Mastering paper piecing is one of my goals for 2014. I took a Craftsy class with Carol Doak. She says it just takes practice, practice, practice. Your heart is cute and looks perfect ! And I would have thought you've been PP for years !

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  25. Lol. I am exactly the same!!!!
    Lovely on the door though

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  26. I love your little heart! I understand your dislike of removing the paper. Maybe that's a good job for any little ones in your life! Children love to be helpful and they might really enjoy getting to tear something up on purpose!

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  27. Oh I sew relate to getting the angles "right". Cute piece though.

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  28. Your heart turned out really beautiful, so that is quite an accomplishment! Paper piecing can be frustrating sometimes and I'm with you on tearing off those papers...I don't like it either! :O)

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  29. Well, at the very least you ended up with a cute Valentine decoration of a size that is extremely versatile for decorative use. The finishes that give me the most grief become my favorite pieces. I hate them for the grief they caused and love them because I CONQUERED their difficulties! LOL

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  30. Your lawn ornament/ table topper/ door welcome hanging is just perfect. Your sense of humor is unending and I really enjoyed your post. Send me that topper you have had for 15 years and I'll rip the paper off for you. I find it therapeutic...lol

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  31. Your heart is beautiful! I don't enjoy pp either fr similar reasons so I empathize with you!

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  32. Love your heart, and it makes a PERFECT Valentine door hanger! That looks so cheerful from outside, and safe behind the storm door. I'm not a big fan of PP either, but I have to say the X wasn't too bad.

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  33. Oh my, I so relate to you! My first class I traveled out of state to take a paper piecing class with a gal, who was a guru! I hated it and was so baffled over it, that, that project is still in a bag with the book 10 years later. I have learned to love it finally, but that paper removal is not my favorite for sure. I did find a water soluble product from Marathon, that I can print my design on, piece and soak and it disappears. It's expensive, especially if your doing a big project, but it saves on sanity for sure. LOL!!

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  34. your heart looks so pretty in the snow.
    I am not the biggest fan of paper piecing either but I don't mind taking the paper out while I watch TV.

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  35. Your heart turned out beautiful. I have the same problems with angles and paper piecing. That is just one reason I am not fond of it. Another reason is I feel I waste too much fabric.

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  36. Your heart is lovely, and congratulations on stretching your skills. As for taking out the paper, I find that if you crease the paper in the seam before you try to remove it, it comes out easier. Thanks for sharing. Beth @ Words & Stitches, pbstrand@msn.com

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  37. Glad you persevered and learned a new technique. Never know when you might use it! Great job!

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  38. I love your little heart and I hope you love it too after all of your challenges! It just takes awhile to get the angles figured out...you can count on wasting some fabric. When I'm doing a complicated piece, I now use the dissolveable papers for easy removal. Otherwise, I just consider it "hand work" and relax in front of the TV and remove the papers for something mindless to work on. Thanks for sharing today... I think we can all relate to your issues!

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  39. Your heart wallhanging is very beautiful... look at it as your PP trophy!
    I chuckled at seeing all the paper on back of your quilt from the past!
    I have to use pins to show the lines that I will be sewing up on. (I get messed up thinking backwards, too.)
    Thanks for sharing your experience.

    Susie

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  40. I'm happy to hear you've conquered the 'paper' end of pp this time around. I think the quilt is lovely and I vote that you hang it on the door. It looks so bright cheerful there.

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  41. LOL! I get the whole paper thing and commiserate :)

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  42. I'm sure you are not the only one who has issues with paper piecing. It's not my preferred method, but some will swear by it. If it's any consolation, I have seen vintage quilts that still have the paper in them. Perhaps they had not been washed, as I would think that washing would start to release some of the paper. Thanks for sharing your lovely work and your story.

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  43. I do love paper piecing and dont blame you for hating to peel the paper. Thanks for sharing your project

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  44. Your heart looks very beautiful! I love the different photos you shared. I usually run one of my favourite shows on tv while removing the paper to make a tedious job a little easier :)

    Thank you for joining the blog hop.
    -Soma

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  45. I love your little quilt. It looks great on your door.

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  46. I love your little lawn decoration/table topper/ welcome quilt. It turned out beautifully.

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  47. LOVE the way it looks on the door! Adorable -- and snowing again!

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  48. It looks amazing on the door but what contrast with the snow, LOL. I appreciate your trying foundation piecing, giving it another go. It may have solidified that it is just not going to be your thing. I use newsprint sheets and it comes out fairly painlessly but that is little consolation now.

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  49. I love your PP Heart as the door greeting. Thank you for sharing your true story of PP love/hate relationship. Some day someone will come across your first quilt and think the paper is supposed to stay on the back. :o)
    Thank you sew very much for Hopping...

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  50. Have you ever tried to paper piece with freezer paper. You do not sew on it so there is no ripping paper off. :) Copy your pattern on freezer paper. Use a tracing wheel to perforate each line. Iron the pattern with waxy side down to first piece of fabric. When adding each piece of fabric, fold the paper back, I use an" Add a 1/4 ruler". Place it right next to the fold and trim. Then place your next piece of fabric right sides together matching edge of your 1/4 inch seam and sew very close to the paper. Unfold the paper to cover the 2nd piece of fabric you just sewed on and press with an iron. Repeat with the next piece. I have better luck with this method because I can check the fabric placement before I sew to make sure I have the right angle. I just hold the seam with my fingers while I flip the paper over the fabric to check it before I sew. I also hate ripping paper. I think you would like this method. You can use the same pattern several times. If this is clear as mud just google freezer paper paper piecing for a tutorial. Janita

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  51. We all do what we like. I'm not one into repetition which makes me an impatient piecer. But it is fun to try different aspects of quilting and return to our comfort zone. You made a lovely piece

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  52. You did a wonderful job girlfriend. They look great!

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  53. Oye!! I do sympathize! Have you checked out youtube for some tutorial help? I watched this video and it helped me IMMENSELY! Hopefully it shows.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8B0Ll7LAcY
    Great work even with the difficulties!! I know it can be a challenge!

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  54. I loved your little heart on the door to welcome your guest...You did a wonderful job!

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  55. Love your little heart--it looked wonderful as a bright spot in the snow and in your house! I think tearing off the paper is the worst part--maybe you could persuade someone else in your family to do it for you??? Thanks for sharing!

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  56. Cute heart.
    One of the tricks of paper piecing is shorting your stitch length so you have more holes in the paper. The helps when removing the paper. It rips easier. I understand low patience. We all have patience with some things, but not others. Oddly enough, (since I do not paper piece) I can sit and pick off bits of paper, no problem. I embroider things on fabric with paper patterns.

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  57. I think I am with you on paper piecing, like you I accomplished one heart when we had a demonstration at our guild. But your heart is beautiful and looks good on your front door. Thanks for trying and sharing.

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  58. You did good!!! Love the snow!!! Send me your 15yr PP top I 'll d-paper it!!
    June- NC

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  59. Hi Selina,
    your heart looks so pretty on the door, you did a great job
    and you made me laugh because of that old paper piecing top ;-)
    Bente

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  60. Yay for finishing! The heart looks great on your front door! PP is not my favourite technique but I find that using shorter stitches perforated the paper more. Also you could try thinner paper, like an old phone book.

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  61. Great job...I too HATE the paper removal...I love how PP looks, but hate the process. :)

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