Mandolin Quilt Blocks

Last year I subscribed to the Mandolin Quilt club hosted by Jodi at Tales of Cloth .  Jodi is an Austrialian whose work with English Paper Piecing (EPP) inspires me.  Her patterns are creative and this is the second English paper pieced quilt I’ve started as part of her monthly subscription for papers.  Today I’m sharing my completed Mandolin quilt blocks with you.


Someday I want to make a La Passacaglia quilt, with all it’s tiny pieces, but not until I’ve proven to myself that I will actually finish an english paper pieced quilt.


So far I’m a great starter!


I began the Ice Cream Soda quilt in 2017, and still have many blocks to make.  That didn’t stop me from starting the Mandolin quilt, though.


These Mandolin quilt blocks finish rather quickly, I think.  The pieces are simple and stitching them together is easier for me than the smaller ice cream soda pieces.  This would be a good beginner project if you want to try epp.


My blocks feature fabrics by an Aussie design house, Tilda.  They are beautiful and fun to sew with. There are also fabrics from some Liberty of London designs on quilting cotton as well as other blenders from my stash.


I have also used a variety of fabric arrangements in my blocks instead of sticking to one pattern.  I like each block individually.


With some blocks I fussy cut the fabric to showcase a print and create a repeating design.


Fussy cutting is an approach to using fabric that has fascinated me for a long time.  I wanted to try it but was afraid to waste fabric and make mistakes.


You will see that in many of my current projects I am experimenting with fussy cutting.  I want to be good at it, which will never happen without practice!


I have now finished 13 of 20 Mandolin quilt blocks.  My biggest obstacle is the time it takes to select fabrics, cut shapes, and baste them to the papers (I use glue sticks).  I guess I let this preparation seem like a big deal in my head, so I avoid it.


Once the pieces are prepared I have no trouble stitching them together.  It is good to learn what step I stall on, so I can overcome that weakness.


I have prepped all of the remaining blocks, so it shouldn’t be difficult for me to finish the blocks.  After that remains the step of choosing fabric and piecing all the joining blocks.


I have a great deal of work ahead to finish my Mandolin quilt top but I’m happy to be more than half done with the blocks.