This week I got out one of my oldest UFOs. I don't know why I stop on a project, but I do know that it is always fun to get a UFO out and see what's what. This project was started by my friend Joan Edwards, and after she worked on it a while, she announced that she was done, and wanted to get rid of it. I volunteered to take it and finish it......well, I volunteered to take it anyway. The apple cores are 3 inches finished height, top to bottom. How old is it? Well, there is one fabric with "2000" printed on it, so it's at least 19 years old.
In looking at it this week, part of it is hand pieced, and part of it is machine pieced. Joan's pieces are all hand pieces, and mine are both hand and machine pieced. I remember taking a class on machine piecing curved pieces, and practiced on this quilt after the class. It is supposed to have all different fabrics in it, but I don't know if that is so at this point in time, and now all I want is to finish it.
I looked online at different apple core piecing methods, and found information about English paper piecing apple core blocks.....I hadn't tried that yet. Here's my first attempts, and I like it. I like this method because there is no fiddling with the concave and convex curves while I am sewing the two pieces together. I read about it (Here)
Here is a picture of some "English papers" I have drawn to cut up and try the English paper piecing method. I drafted my own papers by drawing a box 3 inches square, making a circle that touched the middle of all four sides, cutting it out, and folding it into fourths. Then I drew another box on graph paper, and used the folded circle to draw each 1/4 of the apple core. If you look at my graph paper, you can see that "x" marks I used as guides (showing the center of each apple core), and see how I traced the arches from the folded circle to connect them.
When I first got this UFO out, I did a quick count of how many pieces were in it, and came up with a rough estimate of around 600. This type of quilt is called a "charm" quilt, with the definition being at least 1000 pieces, all the same shape, and all different fabrics. So only about half way to 1000 pieces! Well, Sunday night when I put it up on the design wall, with the start of adding 2 rows to the right side.....I counted again, and it will be 32 pieces X 32 pieces....1024 pieces! So all of the "learning" I did on how to English paper piece this type of block will make this UFO get finished rather quickly.....or so I think right now. Stay tuned...LOL I am thinking of naming it "Red Delicious".
I also think the new method would be the way to go for a doll quilt sized Red Delicious. I am adding a small one to the never ending bucket list of quilts I want to make.
What are you working on? Please link up and show us your design wall for Design Wall Mondays. I do ask that you provide a link somewhere within your blog post that links back to this particular blog post.
In looking at it this week, part of it is hand pieced, and part of it is machine pieced. Joan's pieces are all hand pieces, and mine are both hand and machine pieced. I remember taking a class on machine piecing curved pieces, and practiced on this quilt after the class. It is supposed to have all different fabrics in it, but I don't know if that is so at this point in time, and now all I want is to finish it.
I looked online at different apple core piecing methods, and found information about English paper piecing apple core blocks.....I hadn't tried that yet. Here's my first attempts, and I like it. I like this method because there is no fiddling with the concave and convex curves while I am sewing the two pieces together. I read about it (Here)
Here is a picture of some "English papers" I have drawn to cut up and try the English paper piecing method. I drafted my own papers by drawing a box 3 inches square, making a circle that touched the middle of all four sides, cutting it out, and folding it into fourths. Then I drew another box on graph paper, and used the folded circle to draw each 1/4 of the apple core. If you look at my graph paper, you can see that "x" marks I used as guides (showing the center of each apple core), and see how I traced the arches from the folded circle to connect them.
When I first got this UFO out, I did a quick count of how many pieces were in it, and came up with a rough estimate of around 600. This type of quilt is called a "charm" quilt, with the definition being at least 1000 pieces, all the same shape, and all different fabrics. So only about half way to 1000 pieces! Well, Sunday night when I put it up on the design wall, with the start of adding 2 rows to the right side.....I counted again, and it will be 32 pieces X 32 pieces....1024 pieces! So all of the "learning" I did on how to English paper piece this type of block will make this UFO get finished rather quickly.....or so I think right now. Stay tuned...LOL I am thinking of naming it "Red Delicious".
I also think the new method would be the way to go for a doll quilt sized Red Delicious. I am adding a small one to the never ending bucket list of quilts I want to make.
What are you working on? Please link up and show us your design wall for Design Wall Mondays. I do ask that you provide a link somewhere within your blog post that links back to this particular blog post.
How nice of you to finish this project. It is a good learning project for curves. Happy Stitching
ReplyDeleteWow! All of your reds are so striking. I love this quilt. It will be fun to watch your progress on this one.
ReplyDeleteLove those reds! But oh my, that's going to be a lot of piecing. Definitely worth finishing, it's already gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI have a green apple core UFO somewhere!
ReplyDeleteI think it's a technique we want to try out, but I did not enjoy it enough to want to keep going.
However, I should go ahead and finish it up at whatever size it is.
That is a cool project! and why does 2000 not seem like that long ago.. until you do the math!! ha ha
ReplyDeleteYou never cease to amaze me with your projects. This one blows me away!
ReplyDeleteYour apple core quilt will be stunning! I love all of those reds. Many years ago I took a class on the apple core and I still have the small section I completed in the class but have never done anything with it. Not quite place mat size. The paper pieced method might be easier than the curved seams we did.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and method in this post. I am fond of the apple core pattern and it is on one of my lists so this is valuable info for me. Meanwhile, Red Delicious is a beautiful apple and a perfect name for this beautiful quilt.
ReplyDeleteI am glad it's you doing it and not me. I am amazed at the collection of red fabrics.
ReplyDeleteHelen
A Charm Quilt is challenging in itself, but a Charm Quilt all in red even more so. I have been working on a hexagon paper pieced 1930's Charm Quilt since at least 2007 and found it to be a very expensive quilt. Buying fabric to use only a 2.5 inch piece of it. I am almost at 1,000 which was my goal. I have done an Apple Core as well, but it was called Dog Bones instead. It was a class and we got a plexiglass template about 4 inches long that the teacher had custom made. I think it is a pretty easy method and since the "bones" were so big it went pretty quickly. You are supposed to know about hills and valleys in regards to which side up to pin and which side up to sew. I always have to check out the instructions to get that part right. The quilt is made out of Homespun flannels and is one of my favorite quilts. It makes a great man's quilt, especially when called Dog Bones. I also have hundreds of 1930's cut out for another one, this one will be an Apple Core though. Maybe I'll go look for that shoebox today.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. I always enjoy seeing what your working on and completing.
That is one impressive apple core quilt - well done!
ReplyDeleteRed Delicious is the perfect name for that project! Thanks for showing how you drafted your own EPP papers for the apple cores.
ReplyDelete