Warning: Addicting and Contagious!

That's what the label said: "Warning: Addicting and Contagious!" The problem was, by the time I read this, it was too late. Of course, I had already heard plenty of others say how addicting English paper piecing is. That's why I steered clear of it. Still, I was caught completely unaware during my most recent stint of volunteering at the New England Quilt Museum. The current exhibit includes a fabulous quilt that's also on the cover of Massachusetts Quilts: Our Common Wealth. This enormous Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt is made of more than 8,000 1/2-inch hexagons. The attached skirting reads as a chartreuse gold. It's actually a coverlet with no batting or backing.

Educational Opportunity
One of the NEQM volunteers set up a bunch of fabric and paper hexagons with needle and thread so that visitors could try making some hexagons. I picked up one to try it and before I knew it, I had basted nearly every one! Embarrassed, I put the remaining few unstitched pieces back in the bag.

Research
When I got home, I told myself I was just doing research; I had some technical questions to answer. I was thought I was immune to the lure of the EPP, since I knew I did not want to cut all those paper pieces, and, besides, it's a rare GFG that gets me excited.

Looking for Love
But I was only fooling myself. The bug had bitten me. While I learned a lot about technique, I was also hoping to find an EPP quilt that I loved. Not "liked." Loved. And, here it is, a beauty by Bridgitte Giblin. Click the "all sizes" button to see the detail. I love the border, and the block in the upper-right hand corner made of pentagons. The fabric choices have a lot to do with why I like this design so I'm likely to follow it closely. I also know the colors and shapes remind me of store-bought coverlets my mom put on our beds each summer. I hope to locate some old photos to see if I can get some more inspiration on the colors and shapes.

More Inspiration
Meanwhile, here are a few more EPP projects that caught my eye.

• This pincushion is a longtime favorite because of the choice of print fabrics and their random placement. I think those hexagons are close to 1/4 inch.
• Hexagon balls/hackeysacks are also fun. Here's Lori Hanson's Tutorial for a Pentagon Baby Ball.
• Check out this this incredible set of EPP blocks. The shapes also remind me of my childhood summer coverlets. This one is my favorite. I think the patterns come from, Liesel's Hexagon Technique, a book sold by Paper Pieces (see link below). I am besotted. [besotted: having an irrational passion for a person or thing]

Papers
From my brief encounter with EPP, I knew I wanted precut templates close to cardstock weight (think index cards). From reading blogs, I learned that Mylar templates are not for me because they are not flexible enough when it's time to stitch the Y-seams. Early last week, I found Paper Pieces and accepted the sample they offered me -- so I could find out if their paper works for me. The package arrived on Friday. The weight of the paper is perfect -- the durability of oak tag or cardstock but thinner.

Waste No Time
The package included instructions, 8 paper hexagons, and 7 small fabric squares. In a couple hours, I had my first hexagon flower made, appliqued onto a piece of fabric and "quilted" without batting! That meant all my papers were now available for re-use, so I cut up some taffeta and made a second flower. I got to try an alternate method (found online) and experience what it's like to work with slippery fabric . . . because . . . I've got plans!