Leo’s Mane Sew Along.... Introduction and Fabric Requirements

Introduction:

Leo’s Mane is the result of a fascination with the kite shape and the stars they form. It is the third in a series of quilts made from this shape. I’ve named them after various constellations and stars. In this design the shape the diamonds make around  the kite stars reminded me of a lion’s mane, therefore “Leo’s Mane”, after the Leo constellation.

It started off as a simple wall hanging with only the centre section. But after looking at it for some time, it didn’t quite seem finished. So I spent an evening playing in the Electric Quilt 7 computer program and it grew and grew and grew. There were several block changes made because the original choices did not work well for the size of the blocks or for the English Paper Piecing technique. Pictured below is the final rendition of the quilt we will be making. I can’t show you a picture of the actual finished quilt because mine isn’t finished. I’ll be sewing along with everyone else, although I’ll be a few steps ahead.


How It Will Work:

Starting September 15th I will send out an email to those who have signed up and also post here on the blog instructions for the section to be worked on. We will start in the centre of the quilt and work out from there. On the 15th of September I will email to those who have signed up printable pdf pages of the shapes needed to make the centre section, for those who wish to cut their own papers. The papers will be available for purchase from my web site, should you wish to purchase them already cut. Go here to purchase. Also, issued on September 15th will be the instructions for the first element of the design. After that, the instructions will go out on the 1st and 15th of each month. Each section of the quilt will be broken down into 3 or 4 separate steps. You can follow the steps as given, or sew them together however you prefer. I will not be giving actual instructions on how to do the English Paper Piecing technique. There are many excellent you tube videos that show it much better than I can. A couple to check out are Sue Daley and Hillbilly Quilt Shop; both of these have multiple videos showing the techniques required. I will however, share tips if I come across something while making my own quilt that I think will be helpful to you as you sew along. Please feel free to email me any questions you may have and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Fabric Requirements:

Following are  the fabrics needed to make the entire quilt. I have also broken the yardage downing the requirements for each section. These amounts were generated by the Electric Quilt 7 computer program; which tends to be generous in the amounts needed. If you are interested in signing up for this sew long, please email me at eagleswingsquilts@icloud.com

Leo’s Mane progress

Once again, I’m working on Leo’s Mane. This is definitely going to be my main Slow Sunday and the rest of the week, as well, hand stitching project for many months to come. I’m making good progress through the second border.

All of the corner units are done. 
I’m well on my way to having all the red squares sewn into the corner units.
Some of the octagon circles are sewn into their units. Some of those have the corner sections sewn on. And seven of the blocks are completed and ready to be sewn into rows to go onto the quilt. This is most definitely a long term project, but I’m hopeful that the next few weeks will see this border finished.
If you are interested in sewing along on this project, leave a comment on this post, as long as I can get in touch with you. Or, email me at eagleswingsquilts@icloud.com. Go here to see further descriptions of how the sew along is going to work. I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and to Design Wall Monday

Slow Sunday Stitching

My Slow Sunday Stitching continues to be occupied by preparing for the coming sew along. I now  have all the blocks for Leo’s Mane tested. I had to change out one of them, due to a construction issue. So, I have a final layout decision made. Here is the centre..... you’ve seen it quite a few times before.


Here are the border blocks.



Here is the final Electric quilt rendition of the quilt. I may need to play with my colours a bit. It’s currently looking maybe a bit too purple. In the last border block, I may switch out a couple of the purple shapes for some red. But in the meantime, this is the final layout. You can choose your own colours. This will finish at 60 inches square. It is all English Paper Pieced.

And finally. a close up of a quarter of the quilt.


The fabric allowance instructions, and introductory explanations will go out on August 15th. I’ll include a line drawing for colouring for helping to choose your colours. If anyone is interested in joining, this will be a free sew along. With the instructions for each section, I will also include pdf pages for you to print in order to cut your own papers. These papers will be provided free only to those who sign up for the sew along. Of course, you can purchase the papers in our store, if you’re not into  cutting your own. They will be listed there by the 15th.
Sign ups will be taken at eagleswingsquilts@icloud.com, or leave a comment here on the blog. Just make sure I can get in touch with you.

I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and to Design Wall Monday.

We’re not as young as we used to be...........

I’ve been absent from the blog for the past week. We’ve been doing grand parent stuff. Our grand daughter Abrielle's baby sitter was off on vacation last week, so we looked after her for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Then Saturday, there was a wedding, so we had her then too. Added to that, we also had our grandson Avery Saturday evening and Sunday until about 5. And that’s how we found out that we’re not as young as we used to be. There is a reason why people have their kids when they are young.....
So, there wasn’t a lot of sewing or quilting or stitching done in the last part of the week. I have a bit more progress on Leo’s Mane. I’m testing the blocks to make sure that they work, before publishing them publicly. The pieces on the star needed a bit of adjusting. The first attempt, the bottom one, was a bit full and ended up with a “c-cup” in the middle. The adjusted one worked much better. (grin) I’m ready to attach one of the octagon borders to the main part of the quilt. However, I’m not sure if I should go ahead with that, or just continue making blocks. I have the last border block to test out yet, and then I can get started on writing the instructions. Have I mentioned that I’m totally enjoying this project, even with the occasional “whoops”?
I’m linking up to Design Wall Monday, and then it’s back to more out doors time stitching away.

Slow Sunday Stitching

I have the first border for Leo’s Mane finished and sewn in place. I’m loving it! As it stands now, it measures 20 inches square.



Our guild had a mid-summer sewing day yesterday, and I had plans on finishing up a machine pieced quilt. Everything was together and ready in my suitcase where I keep my sewing machine for travelling, or so I thought. I got there only to find out that I had no power cord. So much for machine sewing. Thankfully, at the last moment, I impulsively grabbed Leo. So I got to spend the whole day working on him.  I cut and basted a whole pile of parts for the next border, which is made up of octagons and squares and partial octagons.



I had time to get a bunch sewn together, as well. This is what they look like, up against the main body.



While at the sewing day, I got the chance to consult with other quilters about exactly how the sew along for this project should work, so I can give some more information about it here. I will do a specialized post about it too. I will be giving the fabric requirements and introductory information on August 15th. After that, instructions will come out on the 1st and 15th of each month. There are six sections to this quilt, the centre medallion and five different borders. I will include a colouring page of the entire quilt for those who like to play with those in order to figure out their colours. At the beginning of each section, I’ll email out the pdf’s for the paper shapes, as well as the number of each shape needed to make the section. If you don’t want to cut your own papers, there will be a kit available for purchase on our website. I will need your email address in order to be able to sign you up for the mailings of the pdf’s. Please email me at eagleswingsquilts@icloud.com to sign up, or leave a comment on this post, as long as I can reach you from your comment.
This is going to be so much fun!
I’m linking up with Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching, Amanda Jean’s Monday Making and Design Wall Monday.

Leo’s Mane, first border

I have all the pieces sewn together into the borders, and two borders sewn onto the medallion centre. I love the way it looks!! The last two of this first border should be on by the end of the week. Then I can begin the process of assembling the pieces for the second border.
It’s too nice of a day to spend indoors, working on the computer, so I’m going to link up to Lorna’s Let’s Bee Social and to The Needles and Thread Network, and then I’m headed back outside for more warm temperatures and more hand stitching.

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Slow Sunday Stitching....

I’ve put aside all other hand stitching projects to focus on Leo’s Mane. I have decided to offer it as a  sew along here on the blog. But, in order to do that, I have to make sure that the blocks I have decided to use in the borders actually work, so that is my focus.
I have two sides of the first English Paper Pieced border done, and it is working quite well.


So, this is the current plan for the project, providing all goes well with the individual blocks. Pictured below is the proposed finished quilt. It is all English Paper Pieced.
 I will seriously start taking sign ups for it in August, but if you want to sign up now, by all means go ahead! I’ll need email addresses, since I will need to send out pdf’s of the paper shapes, for those who wish to cut their own. I will have a kit of papers available for those who wish to save the time and get right to sewing, available to purchase.

 I will post fabric requirements also in August, and the start posting the instructions in September. I will focus on the instructions for the blocks, but will not be doing actual EPPing instructions. There are tons of those already available in various places. I will search out some links and make them available.
So, what do you think? Anyone interested in sewing along? Email me at eagleswingsquilts@icloud.com or leave a comment on the blog. Make sure you are not a no-reply blogger, so that I have a way to get in touch with you.
I’m linking up to Kathy’s Slow Sunday Stitching and Design Wall Monday.
For the rest of the day, I’ll be spending it here, stitching on Leo..... who is named, by the way, for the constellation. Later this afternoon I’ll be joining a small group of ladies from the guild who are going to be sewing in public at the Home County Folk Festival. The festival has a tent/pavillion set up for different artistic organizations in the area to demonstrate who they are and what they do. They invited the guild to participate. So, along with stitching, we’re taking information about the guild, who we are and what we do. I’m hoping the weather will cooperate and that we’ll have a good time.