Little Penguin Quilts Through the Year

Little Penguin Quilts Through the Year

Friday, August 16, 2024

A hand-pieced parade!

I finished up two hollow 9 patch blocks in orange this week, and that got me to thinking about my hand-piecing experiences over the last few years.  I hope you don't mind if I indulge in a virtual trunk show of my handpieced quilts!


Early in 2019, Patty of Elm Street Quilts and Kristin of Simple.Handmade.Everyday teamed up to offer a hand-piecing quilt-along that I decided to join in with.  That resulted in this little quilt, which was stitched completely by hand, including quilting and binding.  


After I finished that one, I wanted to keep going with hand-piecing, so I picked my favorite block from the QAL, and made a bunch of them with some blue scraps leftover from a graduation quilt that some friends and I had made for a former student.

These blocks:


Made this quilt!


As you can probably tell, I really enjoyed hand-piecing, and I joined in with another QAL again the next year!  This time the QAL was called Book Club, and each block was inspired by a favorite book.   That year I learned how to cut with templates and hand-piece curves!  This might be one of my favorite little quilts that I've ever made.


Patty and Kristin were back with one more QAL in 2021, and of course, I had to join in again!  This time you could make one (large) block for a mini quilt or four of them for a throw.  I recall I was working from a small fat quarter bundle for this one, so opted for just the one block quilt.


Also in 2021, I started a hand-pieced block for a Rainbow Scrap Challenge project.  I chose something easy - no templates, curves, or even triangles, lol!  But a bunch of hand-pieced 36 patch blocks resulted in this finish - and I enjoyed every stitch.  This is my biggest hand-pieced and hand quilted project: 48 x 60.


Two more rainbow quilts followed - and both are right up there on my list of all time favorite quilts!



Phew!  That's a lot!  Thanks for bearing with me.  That brings me to this year's blocks - the hollow 9 patches.  Sixteen blocks are what I've made, and I realized that I'm ready to be done!  Of course, there's plenty of hand stitching left to do.  My goal is a doll quilt, 24 x 24.


Sharing at SoScrappy for ScrapHappy Saturday.









18 comments:

Anonymous said...

That a lot of hand stitching with beautiful results! Gail at the cozy quilter

grammajudyb said...

You hand pieced some gorgeous quilts! Book Club is really unique! But, my favorite is Dancing Pluses or Rainbow Bow ties or the blue one with the embroidery, but also Sea,Sand and Sky, and Harmony and Trip Around the Rainbow and I know I like the Hollow Nines too! Yeah,I like them ALL! 😁

Linda said...

Diann I loved your trunk show! I remember doing that first one in 2019 - I still have that little quilt on my sewing room wall and marvel that I actually hand stitched it. How neat that it made you want to keep going - it made me want to quit - LOL! You have some real treasures in those hand stitched pieces, they are all lovely. I really like those hollow nines - trying to resist. ;)

Libby in TN said...

I, too, enjoy hand piecing, but not something so simple that I can see it would be easier strip-pieced. I take my Lucy Boston/Patches of the Cross project on cruises for at-sea days.

Sara said...

You've done a LOT of hand stitching! And so pretty! Those hollow 9-patch blocks are calling my name.

Vicki in MN said...

What a fun parade to watch Diann! I had forgotten you have done so many hand stitched quilts, awesome!!

Deb A said...

That was a fun trunk show! I didn't realize that second hand pieced quilt was from that favorite block! All are stunning, but I really love that second hand quilt along quilt in red! So pretty.

TerryKnott.blogspot.com said...

Wow! What an amazing trunk show sharing your hand sewing skills especially your hand piecing. Each one is a beautiful finish.

The Joyful Quilter said...

What a lovely hand-pieced parade, Diann! Your ORANGE block is a wonderful addition to the 2024 edition.

Karen - Quilts...etc. said...

your have a lot of nice hand pieced quilts there and such a nice size to have finishes. I'm glad you are enjoying it

PaintedThread said...

I didn't recall Sand, Sea and Sky - it's a beauty! But a lot of the other ones were familiar. Nice quilts all around!

Chantal said...

Great post. Such a lovely parade of quilts. I love them all. Your latest project is so cute. Enjoy! ;^)

Kate said...

All of your hand pieced projects turned out beautifully. Your RSC projects are my favorites. Enjoy your slow stitching today.

Kat Scribner said...

Wow Diann. I didn't realize you did hand piecing! That's alot of dedication. I think Trip Around the Rainbow is my fav of this collection.

Sylvia@Treadlestitches said...

Lovely quilts, thanks for the trunk show! Hand piecing is so peaceful and portable. I enjoy it, but I love machine piecing too!

Jeanna said...

You've made some beautiful hand-pieced and hand-quilted quilts. Those are treasures, for sure.

Sue said...

Bring on the trunk show! I love all the quilts. That's a lot of hand-piecing & worth the fun.

Melisa- pinkernpunkinquilting said...

Eeeh I love a parade!!! And a hand quilted parade is the best! Wow you have made some amazing quilts, Diann. It is hard to choose a favorite. It seems like yesterday that you were working on Rainbow Bowties. I ooohed and aaahed over it last year. But they are all spectacular and Hollow Nine Patch is going to be as well. Happy Quilting. Hugs