Dee's New York Beauty Choose Your Own Adventure

[Alice F.]

Here are my versions of Block 1. Dee's suggestion to print extras of the pattern and cut the pieces apart to use as guides for cutting the fabric helped me get better control over the straight of grain and print/color placement of the fabrics. Thanks Dee!

[Rebecca F.]

Wow! Your fabrics are intense! I love this.

[Dee C.]

The vibrancy of your fabric choices is spectacular! Great job!!!
Dee

[Alice F.]

I tried the freezer paper method today for Block #3. It worked well for me. My freezer paper says "Heavy Weight for Applique" on the package. I found it hard to fold; so I had to score all the folds first. I'm wondering if there is a printable freezer paper that is more medium or light weight that would be easier to fold.

Folding back the printed freezer paper for sewing gave me a better preview to tell if my fabric was aligned in the correct position before sewing since I can see the shape flipped backwards to the same orientation that the fabric should be in for sewing.

The YouTube video linked in this blog post by Cotton and Joy really helped me get my stripes where I wanted them for this block by using the folded back shape to align the fabric: https://cottonandjoy.com/blogs/blog/...ecing-tutorial

[Barbara B.]

C. Jenkins Freezer Paper sheets are more lightweight than the heavy duty FP.

[Dee C.]

I'm so glad you found a tutorial to help you get your stripes the way you wanted. The look perfect in your block and with your choices in fabric.
Dee

My fabric choices have been the hardest part. Having fun ☄️

[Dee C.]

I would probably agree with you on this Tim Holz fabric. It was a bit challenging. You did great with the contrast. Dee

[Ursula C.]

Like your fabric choice!

I’m trying new things. This time I used Simple Foundations Translucent Vellum. It works great! Folds crisply and the transparency is very helpful for these angled, small pieces.

This is my first block put together. I am really behind, due to difficulty in finding striking fabric.

[Dee C.]

That block would make a fabulous center to a quilt or a pillow. Great job!

[Alice F.]

Here is Block 2, another Block 3, and starting an idea for my layout - I'm thinking to add 3 more beauty blocks in each of the empty 3 corners, and using the pastel cloud fabric in all the negative spaces. (The tan check fabric is my design board).

This is my first Foundation Paper Piecing project and I'm really enjoying it!

My colors and layout remind me of Jacqueline de Jonge's "Becolorful" quilts. So I watched Show 911. In the show she demonstrates an interesting method for making more perfect arcs. When cutting out the arc piece, she cuts a larger 1/2" wide seam allowance on the side that won't be stitched first, then after stitching the 1st side of the arc, she lays the pattern piece over the result and then trim the 2nd side 1/4" to stitch it.

I'm going to try her method for the arcs on my next block. I'm new to machine piecing and always appreciate the "trim to accuracy" method whenever I can use it.

[Dee C.]

Love your work and so glad you are finding ways to make it work best for you. I agree it has a Jacqueline deJonge vibe to it.
Dee

[Helen W.]

Hi Alice, Your beautiful blocks remind me of a combination of Jacqueline De Jong, Caryl Bryer
Fallert Gentry, and Judy Neimeyer. But most of all it now reminds me of Alice F. Just stunning.
Where do you find such beautiful fabrics. They just glow. HelenW

Fun project!

[Alice F.]

This is beautiful!! Your design has a great feeling of energy and fun colors repeated in the border!!

[Rebecca F.]

Love your border too. I'm trying to decide on a border for mine.

[Pam G.]

I’ve got my top done. Now to decide how to quilt it.

[Rebecca F.]

Very cool placement of the blocks. It's beautiful.

[Rebecca F.]

This is my finished original design. The "blank" squares are copies on paper of vintage documents, one of them a letter and envelope posted in Albany New York in 1859 and the other, the hand written original of the poem, "The New Colossus" by Emma Lazarus. I wish the documents showed better in the photo.

[Dee C.]

What a cool idea to put the documents in. You have done a great job.
Dee

[Margaret E.]

Needed a gift using the color gold, this worked perfectly. Making a larger one for me, different colors.

I have truly enjoyed every stitch of this class... I've foundation paper pieced a few times over the years... I always wanted to try te New York Beauty and so this class was perfect! the fabric I used is called Botany and it's from K Designs for Moda... I got a fat quarter bundle and had enough fabric to make two New York Beauty Quilts...I added a two inch border to mine..I quilted my quilt with roses, vines and leaves from an edge to edge design...

[Dee C.]

Wow! I love the fabrics you used. Thanks for including what you did for the quilting design.
Well done!!!!
Dee

[debra a.]

This is a gorgeous NYB love ❤️ your choices!

[knittinnurse]

Very striking and lovely work!

[nancyaguarino]

Ready to quilt! Thanks for a wonderful class Dee.

[Dee C.]

You did good!
Dee

[Karen J.]

I used my own scraps and some recently purchased neutrals.

[debra a.]

Love your “play” on this a spectacular journey!

[Pam G.]

Finished, it just needs to be blocked and a label added.

[Tomsheck51]

Hi Dee, Here is my quilt top. This is also my first time using this pattern. It seemed quite a challenge at first.
I plan to quilt it and face it with no binding.

[knittinnurse]

I really like the light centers against the darker setting triangles. Very striking!