It's a Block

I found the perfect background during our trip to visit the kids over Thanksgiving. It's P&B Apple Cider, love that little sprig look. The clerk at the fabric store was very complimentary when she saw my piece work. "Wow! Are those paper pieced? Look how even they are, and how flat they lay!" Well I hadn't pieced them into stars, so they hadn't been proven yet.

Y seams - need I say more? I pieced the star and thought I'd reduce bulk by pressing the seams open, but when I went to set in the background square there wasn't any seam allowance to sew to! Return and repeat. I pressed the seams closed, I set the square in again, too low. Ripped it and set it in again, a pucker. After over an hour on the same seam I got it right. They got easier after that. I have 160 Y seams to do, they better get easier!

It was great to 'piece' the block together in PhotoShop to see how it would look, but it's more exciting to actually have the block together.

The Y seams lay flat and there's a quarter inch seam allowance all the way around.

The eight center intersections come together nicely.

And the directional background fabric all goes in the same direction.

However... the pattern says it should measure 22 inches and mine is 21 and three-eighths. We'll see what size the rest turn out. Then I'll know whether to run screaming from the room!