Sister's Choice Quilts

My interests are quilting, reading, cooking, family, decorating, and matters of style. I post regular quilting tutorials and book reviews of current fiction.

Flowers for Clara

IMG_3788

Now, these blocks are not sewn together, just laid out on the design bed, but you can see how this top is coming together!  Don't the blocks make a cool design when rotated the way they are?  The pattern and fabric was a kit I bought from Bonnie Blue Quilts, a shop specializing in reproduction fabrics.  The pattern is called Flowers for Clara.

I am so relieved to have these blocks finished.  Would you believe I have been working on them for over a year?  I was using some special triangle papers that Bonnie Blue sells, and all in all this is my review of them:  The half square triangles were super duper accurate, but tearing off that darn paper was a pain in the you know what.  It was a mixed bag for sure.  You have to lay the fabric and the triangles papers together just so, pin the paper to the two layers of fabric, sew on the dotted lines, then cut on the solid lines, then press, then trim, then make the blocks.  I would make three or four blocks and just get weary of the entire process and its many steps.  It took me forever.  And I had 64 blocks to make, each one with 12 half square triangles.  You do the math. 

Spinning star papers 

The plus side is, you get dead on accurate half square triangles.  And you get eight of them per triangle paper.

I love the blocks, I know I am going to adore the quilt, so I guess it was worth it.  Now that I am done with the darn triangle papers!

Watch for more progress on this quilt, as I get the rows sewn together.  Once that is done, I will be making my second appliqued border in my life.  Woo hoo!  And it will be an accurately measured, flat, non-rumply border.  Yes it will.

36 responses to “Flowers for Clara”

  1. This one is coming along great!!!
    Bummed to read of your experience with the triangle papers. You’ll die when I tell you that they’re all I’ll use. I like the fact that I can get so scrappy with ’em. I do agree the papers aren’t as kind as other brands to remove! but I guess since I’ve decided these are for me, I’ve worked out a system. I won’t bog you down with it but being darned and determined I found my way.
    I do think this is worthwhile to share: Bonnie’s patterns call for a fabric cut that is too small to comfortably work with when using these papers!!! All the patterns seem to be that way so since I’m using my own fabric and noticed this “trend” — I made my cuts a bit bigger and barely pin.

  2. This one is coming along great!!!
    Bummed to read of your experience with the triangle papers. You’ll die when I tell you that they’re all I’ll use. I like the fact that I can get so scrappy with ’em. I do agree the papers aren’t as kind as other brands to remove! but I guess since I’ve decided these are for me, I’ve worked out a system. I won’t bog you down with it but being darned and determined I found my way.
    I do think this is worthwhile to share: Bonnie’s patterns call for a fabric cut that is too small to comfortably work with when using these papers!!! All the patterns seem to be that way so since I’m using my own fabric and noticed this “trend” — I made my cuts a bit bigger and barely pin.

  3. I love the secondary design, very nice.
    I’ve yet to try the papers, I just don’t think they’d do it for me. But then I trim anyways, so really it’s just one extra step, well two cause I rarely pin anything smaller then 4 inches across.
    It looks really good.

  4. I love the secondary design, very nice.
    I’ve yet to try the papers, I just don’t think they’d do it for me. But then I trim anyways, so really it’s just one extra step, well two cause I rarely pin anything smaller then 4 inches across.
    It looks really good.

  5. i love those papers! but i go about it a bit differently… my ocd nature and all… i do all the triangles, all the cutting, then all the pressing, then all the ripping. i like to save the ripping for a car trip or a really long movie i want to watch on tv and sit and rip over a plastic bag.
    as i said, my ocd nature comes out…

  6. i love those papers! but i go about it a bit differently… my ocd nature and all… i do all the triangles, all the cutting, then all the pressing, then all the ripping. i like to save the ripping for a car trip or a really long movie i want to watch on tv and sit and rip over a plastic bag.
    as i said, my ocd nature comes out…

  9. I just love how this looks! You will be glad you used the triangle papers, don’t you think? I’ve never used them, but a friend has, and she was very glad for the accuracy. You are going to have a beauty when it’s all done!! Great job!

  10. I just love how this looks! You will be glad you used the triangle papers, don’t you think? I’ve never used them, but a friend has, and she was very glad for the accuracy. You are going to have a beauty when it’s all done!! Great job!

  11. This looks fantastic – I can really appreciate how much work you put into it! I can say with reasonable certainty I will never undertake that complex a project! Great job!

  12. This looks fantastic – I can really appreciate how much work you put into it! I can say with reasonable certainty I will never undertake that complex a project! Great job!

  13. I love this quilt! Of course, I love any and every thing with Civil War repos! Can’t wait to see the applique border! Is it on this quilt? I love applique too!

  14. I love this quilt! Of course, I love any and every thing with Civil War repos! Can’t wait to see the applique border! Is it on this quilt? I love applique too!

  17. You are my quilting hero. This is a stunning quilt. Half-square triangles can be a pain, but they sure make a quilt interesting.

  18. You are my quilting hero. This is a stunning quilt. Half-square triangles can be a pain, but they sure make a quilt interesting.

  19. What a wonderful quilt! I love Bonnie Blue Quilts, they have the best patterns. I have used the the papers you are talking about. Yes, it can be a struggle to get the paper off, but I love the accuracy. Did you shorten you stitch length? This helps a lot. Also, before you tear the paper, fold the paper back a few times to help loosen it…does that make sense?

  20. What a wonderful quilt! I love Bonnie Blue Quilts, they have the best patterns. I have used the the papers you are talking about. Yes, it can be a struggle to get the paper off, but I love the accuracy. Did you shorten you stitch length? This helps a lot. Also, before you tear the paper, fold the paper back a few times to help loosen it…does that make sense?

  21. Nicole it is spectacular…I love the accuracy that the paper gives…but I hate to tear it off. I’ll be looking forward to the border.

  22. Nicole it is spectacular…I love the accuracy that the paper gives…but I hate to tear it off. I’ll be looking forward to the border.

  23. Love the paper for 1/2 sq’s when there are so many to make. If you fold the paper back, then lay a small ruler on the tear line it makes it easy, then the skinny side just pulls off. It’s TV work for me.

  24. Love the paper for 1/2 sq’s when there are so many to make. If you fold the paper back, then lay a small ruler on the tear line it makes it easy, then the skinny side just pulls off. It’s TV work for me.

  33. Every time you blog about this project I like it more, which seems impossible, because I’ve been enchanted with it from the beginning. I don’t think you’ve showed a picture of the pattern, I’m eager to see how the applique border looks, the top is lovely as is.

  34. Every time you blog about this project I like it more, which seems impossible, because I’ve been enchanted with it from the beginning. I don’t think you’ve showed a picture of the pattern, I’m eager to see how the applique border looks, the top is lovely as is.

  35. Ok…I am in LOVE with this quilt! Is it possible to have a quilt crush? 🙂 I love love love the fabrics, and the pattern is just SO cool.

  36. Ok…I am in LOVE with this quilt! Is it possible to have a quilt crush? 🙂 I love love love the fabrics, and the pattern is just SO cool.