Feathers Quilt

I've been working on this paper pieced quilt off and on this year.  There was a Feathers QAL that started in December 2013, I think I did start mine in January 2014.  I have learned that I am rarely able to keep up with QALs.  Other things come up, the QAL is not the only thing I'm working on, so I end up just coming back to it later.  

It's later now.  

Some of my blocks completed in March 2014

Here is a link to more photos when I worked on this in March and April Feathers blogpost

In June I gave a little lecture to my Modern Quilt Guild on paper piecing, and I wanted to have this top done to show.  It was not to be, I lacked 4 of the blocks before the lecture started, and I just didn't have it in me to finish the night before.  

The last J Block

Last week I was completing a paper pieced bee block, and I always change my needle after paper piecing, piercing all that paper must make it dull.  It seemed a waste to use that needle on just one paper pieced block, taking the plunge at 10 pm,  I cranked out the last few Feathers blocks.

A 3 a.m. finish, but all the blocks were competed.

Next was deciding layout, I wanted to veer off the path of the pattern because I had a focal fabric I wanted to use somewhere in the quilt.

Erin Michael Lush Uptown Paint by Number - sky

Trying different layouts

I sewed some of my feather rows together, eliminating some of the sashing.

Stopping here to decide on border placement

I knew I wanted to add a border, but I didn't want to frame the quilt top.  Making the quilt larger, without taking away from the pattern and also drawing attention to the focal fabric.  I had limited amount of the print, and of course not to be found anywhere, so I had to be careful what I cut up and where I placed the print.  

I added a small feather along the bottom border

Framing the print with a solid helped separate it from the print

Now to quilt

Here is what it looked like when I took off all the paper

This pattern is by Alison Glass, Feathers 

This is a well written pattern with cutting measurements for each piece, tips included in her pattern, a good start for a beginner.  

I have added a Facebook page, you can like my page and I am posting photos of what I'm working on more often than I am blogging.  Hope to see you there!  

Keep Calm, and Quilt On!

Mary