The Paper-Pieced Home Blog Tour: Allie-Gator

The Paper-Pieced Home: Quilting a Household One Block at a Time

By Penny Layman

Interweave/F+W; $26.99

http://bit.ly/1zClNAv

I am very excited to host a stop for The Paper-Pieced Home Blog Tour by my dear friend Penny Layman on my blog today! I feel I've said this so many times already, but I just love Penny and everything she makes!! I don't know if I had discovered the joy of paper-piecing if she had not kindly invited me to co-host our Ringo Pie bee years ago where we designed and made a paper-pieced block each month with super talented gals. I fell completely in love with paper-piecing techniques, and as of today it is by far my favorite sewing technique. So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about her writing her first book full of her original paper-pieced block designs!!! I knew her book would be amazing, but it even exceeded my expectation. How could that be possible?! It has so many amazing patterns and there is a CD inserted with all full sized patterns!

When I had to choose a project for this tour, it was so hard because thought I could make literally anything in this book joyfully!! So I ended up sending a long list of projects I want to make and had the coordinator pick one for me from it :) I am happy this Allie-Gator Block was selected, because he is super cute, and I just needed to start making a quilt for my nephew to be born next month! This is my first time to see my sister being pregnant, and I am beyond excited to welcome a boy in the family! 

Both my sister and her husband are big eaters! My sister is already concerned about food expense since she expects her son to be a big eater like them. I somehow wanted to include some food theme in this quilt, so I modified the pattern between the alligator's teeth just a bit only so I could fit in some chocolate cake and a cherry. And then, I thought I want to incorporate more of food stuff into the quilt so I made the patchwork border around it. (Each square is 2 3/4" finished) This turned definitely too busy for my sister's taste. She likes things soft and quiet, and that's why she never seems to appreciate anything I've made for her lol. Well, it may be the case this will be another thing she won't like very much, but I bet her son may like it.

My girl, Honoka, is having a lot of fun learning new words everyday. In this household, we speak English and Japanese completely mixed, (which is not good, I know) so she would point at chickens if I ask her where "cock a doodle doo" is and enjoys telling me which ones are "Go" (which comes from a Japanese word, Ichigo, meaning strawberries) and "JinJin"(which comes from a Japanese word, Ninjin, meaning Carrots) If my nephew is a big food lover like his parents expect, then he should learn these words quickly and joyfully from this quilt. Well I hope so!! (Most fabric I used in this quilt top is from Lighthearted, my fabric for Kokka which I still have some left in my shop. You can still find them at some shops too - see the shop list in the previous blogpost.)

I think I will embroider his name above the cute alligator's head or applique because the white part seems a bit too strong to me. Then I will probably hand-quilt just like Penny did for hers in the book! Oh I should mention that Penny offers this Allie-gator patterns in two sizes. I picked a larger version. 

If you love paper-piecing and all things retro, you will covet this book like myself, I promise! This may become one of my very first book that I make everything from!!

Here is the schedule for this blog tour. Go ahead and be inspired by all the amazing things these talented ladies are making from this awesome book!

3/16       McCall’s Quilting / Sewing Machine Block

3/17       Love of Quilting / Review

3/17       Sandi Sawa Hazlewood  of Crafty Planner / Watering Can Block

3/18       Quilty Pleasure (Quiltmaker blog) / Review

3/18       Imagine Gnats / Rotary Phone Block

3/20       Verykerryberry / Lion Block

3/21       Artisania / Cast-Iron Skillet Block

3/23       Where the Orchids Grow / Lamp Block

3/24       Katie Blakesley of Swim Bike Quilt / Layer Cake Block

3/24       House on Hill Road / Oven Mitt Block

3/24       Lee Heinrich of Freshly Pieced / BBQ Grill Block

3/26       Pink Penguin / Allie-Gator Block

3/26       A Happy Stitch / Giraffe Block

3/27       Bijou Lovely / Jar Block

3/27       Two Little Banshees / Saucepan Block

3/27       Charise Creates / Espresso Mug Block

3/30       Karen Lewis Textiles / Couch Block

3/31       Poppyprint / Clawfoot Tub Block

3/31       One Shabby Chick / Stack of Books Block

3/31       During Quiet Time / Sleeveless Dress Block

4/06       Pat Sloan The Voice of Quilting / Author Podcast Interview

Would you like to win a copy of The Paper-Pieced Home? If so please leave one comment by the midnight of March 31st! A lucky winner will be announced on the following day!