Category: Projects

For years I have admired English paper pieced (EPP) Lucy Boston quilts and quilt blocks.  I especially love the fussy cutting that usually accompanies them.  The symmetry, secondary patterns, and creativity in these blocks also appeal to me.  So, of course I bought papers!  And now I’ve finally made my first ever Lucy Boston 1″ block.  It’s a start on what I’m sure will be a very long term project.

I first learned about these Lucy Boston quilt blocks from the ladies at Alewives Fabrics .  Their weekly kits caught my attention, and this block is one of them.  I bought all the fabrics and never made it.  When July 4th rolled around and I felt sad I’d had no time to sew, I remembered this block.  This block became my tiny holiday stitching project.

Last year I started a larger size with 2″ elongated hexagons, or honeycombs.  I love it, but still wanted to make the smaller size.  This block only measures 8.5″ square, so I’ll need many more to make a quilt!  I purchased the paper pieces for both sizes at Paper Pieces .

Have you made a Lucy Boston quilt?  Do you English paper piece?  I didn’t think I’d enjoy it so much.  For me, it’s definitely been a stage in life thing – when my lap was always full of children I certainly didn’t have a needle nearby.  But now, it’s nice to have stitching I can carry everywhere I go.  I might enjoy applique a tiny bit more, but as my skills improve I enjoy EPP more.  Now, the real challenge is to find time to actually turn on my sewing machine!  This summer is busy!

Today’s quilt is a second, more colorful version of my Listen Quilt .  If my first Listen quilt was all about silencing other things to focus, then this one is like listening to all the ideas bouncing around in my head.  Lots going on!  I’m calling this my Candy Shop Listen quilt because it also reminds me of looking in the window of a candy shop.

The construction of this quilt is almost the same as the original design.  However, I included some special instructions for the colorful version in the pattern anyway.  Mine features Anna Maria Horner’s vivacious lawns as the centers of the stars.  Art Gallery solids comprise all the background colors behind the stars.

The whole design was inspired by one of my favorite fabrics right now:  the regimental ties print, part of the Kaffe Collective.  I love the variety that came from cutting a busy print and using it as the trellis design, though I did pay careful attention to stripe direction as I sewed.

I departed from Art Gallery solids with the royal blue in the border.  It was just the right color, and I had it on hand.  It’s the same Amelia Blue that I used in my Lucky Lone Star quilt.  That color is a long-time favorite.

I backed my Candy Shop Listen quilt in a gorgeous Heather Bailey print.  It’s from an old collection, True Kisses, and I love the bubble gum pink in this print.  It plays beautifully with all the bright colors in the quilt top.

Melissa Kelley quilted this in one of her edge to edge designs.  I bound it in the same aqua I used in the outer border.

So there you have it:  my Candy Shop Listen quilt.  I always strive to reimagine quilt patterns in new ways.  Changing the fabric colors or prints is a simple, but effective way to do it.

Of all my patterns, Listen might be one of the most fun to make, since it comes together in a surprising way.

In May I shared the first four blocks for a new version of my Prosper quilt .  After a too-long sewing break I finished the rest, so today I’ve got more Prosper quilt blocks to share.  As with the first four, I LOVE the saturation of the nocturnal blue, and the incredible contrast it offers to the juicy florals.  These blocks are FUN.

Originally I planned to finish this quilt top immediately.  It turns out, the joke’s on me!  Instead of finishing in a week, I put everything away in preparation for houseguests, and never had time to get it back out.  Recently I carved out time to finish, and it felt great to be sewing.

I ran out of Sanderson prints to include, and started digging through some Kaffe florals.  In the end, all but one block contain at least one Sanderson print.  So I wandered pretty far from the original idea but I think they all play together well.

As I’ve said before, this quilt is fun to make.  Each block is large and dramatic, so it feels exciting to finish even one.  In the blocks above and below I mixed in some Dutch Heritage to keep things interesting.  That teal floral below is my favorite print of the collection – wish I’d bought more of it!

After making more prosper blocks, I waffled considerably regarding fabric choices for the final block.  In the end, I decided to go bold, and made a block that is less like the others.  When I sew the quilt top together, though, I think it will blend in well enough.  Mostly I struggled to find a color combination I hadn’t already used too much.  So I stepped outside the lines a little, but now they’re all finished!

Life at my house is full of exciting things right now, all of which require a lot of effort.  And that’s just fine.  But my plate is awfully full, so I’m not making any promises on how soon these blocks will become a quilt top.  Sooner or later, I’m excited to see them together!  It’s wonderful to be reminded how delightful the Prosper pattern is to make.

Happy Sewing!
-Jennifer