Starry Bright Sky QAL: Foundation Paper Piecing Pattern 9b

This month is fun - we are doing a foundation paper piecing block!

I am starting with the second block, but have the paper part all ready for the first block too.  I'm busy getting ready to go to a wedding, and then dog sitting and visiting friends on the East coast so get to do that first!

It was an easy pattern to prepare and sew.  Completed it all in one sitting!

I like the way the paper lets you know when you have misaligned the pieces.  I had to add two extra bits of blue to fill the block out...

I've only done a few other paper pieced blocks.  The best was a beautiful deer design that I found online at Julianna's site at: http://jednoiglec.blogspot.com/2012/12/not-so-spring-deer-pattern.html

I sent it off to Katrin in Germany when I was mailing her some blocks she was compiling into a quilt for a friend with an ill child...  I just peeked at her blog and see she has been working on adding blocks to surround the deer block!

The link to see all the other interpretations of the blocks is at:
http://alidatweloqdesigns.blogspot.com/2018/09/starry-bright-sky-qal-linky-month-9.html

Starry Bright Sky QAL - Textured four-patches - Star Gathering month 7

http://alidatweloqdesigns.blogspot.com/2018/07/starry-bright-sky-qal-textured-four.html

I'm a bit behind in the optional textured four-patches part of the Starry Bright Sky QAL.  This month finally had time to get the materials out, read the directions and do the stitching. for the challenge for month 7.

I had fun relearning how to make the knots for hand stitching...!  I like the method where:

1. Thread the needle
2. Take the long end of the thread and place it on the needle so the end is near the eye of the needle.
3. Wrap the thread a few times around the needle.
4. Transfer to the other hand
5. Hold the thread so the wraps stay, and slide the resulting knot so it magically appears near the end of the thread!

After I did some of the gatherings, I had to return to make it so more the fabric would be gathered.

Here is how it looked after I finished the stitching:

I don't have a steam option on my iron, so I left the work pinned on the board for a few days before sewing in the four patch.

Something was wrong with the tension on the stay stitching, but I thought it was making the noise when I got to a stitch that had to be sewn.