Hive 1 October Tutorial: Dreams Away

Hello Hive Mates!

Hello Hive Mates!

October is my favorite month – I love the weather, the leaves, the first storms rolling in. So, I’ve selected something else I love for you all to make: hot air balloons. This pattern is being done as paper piecing. I know in the poll some of you indicated an unfavorable history with the technique. I’m asking that you give this pattern a try, but if things go terribly wrong, make a post ranting about it with a picture of your attempt, and don’t worry to much about forcing yourself to actually finish the block.

Diagram of piecing sections

Coloring page for the block

Back to the pattern. The balloon itself can be anything you like – maybe there’s a great print you’d like to showcase or a practice block that doesn’t belong to a quilt or a piece of crumb quilting (an option as I tried my hand at here). The easiest and fastest will of course just be a single fabric. I have no requests on colors (maybe no baby prints) for the balloon so go wild! I am requesting that the background/sky read as blue and the basket/ropes as brown though I don’t care if these are patterned or even scrappy. Here are a few examples of the block sewn with a crumb center, a single fabric center, and a scrappy background.   

This block is sewn in two sections, the balloon and the basket which are then joined. The final block should measure 12.5*12.5 inches. The balloon section pre-joining should measure 12.5*9.75, the basket pre-joining should measure 12.5*3.25. 

Before I jump into instructions there are two documents I want to provide you. The first is a PDF with all of these instructions, the piecing patterns, and the cutting patterns (for those who don't love working off a computer screen). It can be found here. The second is the paper piecing patterns with the cutting patterns for those who want to use paper piecing while making this, found here. Note that these will be linked several times throughout the post so no need to open them all now, I just wanted to put them somewhere convenient for you all. Whichever you print, ensure that it is set to print at 100%. If you are an experienced paper piecer and don't feel like reading instructions, please note that the cutting templates are designed to be placed on the backside of the fabrics. 

Please ask lots of questions if you have any – this pattern is one I designed and it’s my first time writing a pattern for other people. Diana and a few others have kindly tested it for me, but a pattern is always a living document, so let me know if something needs clarification! For those new to paper piecing, or who want a refresher, here are a few great tutorials on the technique – how to line things up and be sure that the pieces fully cover the intended area after sewing a seam.

        Paper Piecing Tutorial 1

        Paper Piecing Tutorial 2 

        Paper Piecing Tutorial 3

Instructions:

Cutting:

Needed: Cutting templates (found in complete instructions, and piecing documents)

              Balloon: Cut one piece using the template from Balloon cutting sheet.

              Brown: Cut 3 pieces using the templates from Browns cutting sheet             

              Blue: Cut pieces B-O using blue cutting sheets 1-4. Place the cutting sheet on the                         wrong side of the fabric.

Note: Cutting sheets have a ½ margin added to the pieces, EXCEPT the balloon, which only as ¼” seam allowance marked (because otherwise it wouldn’t fit on a page)

 

Figure 1; Cutting sheets for blues

Figure 2; Blues and balloon cut out

 Piecing:

1.       Cut out balloon paper piecing templates 1 and 2 and tape together at dash marks. 

2.      Start by placing piece A (the balloon) on the paper and joining piece B (blue). Press the blue piece away from the balloon. (In this section, piece A is the balloon and all others are sky).

a.       Tip for paper piecing: shorten your stitch length to make the paper easier to remove.

3.       Continue adding pieces in alphabetical order pressing between each piece.

a.       Triangles are added to the main piece by aligning and sewing along their longest edge. 

 

Figure 3; Example of the addition of the pieces around the balloon

b.       To make piecing easier, fold paper back along the next sewing line and trim the last added piece to ¼” before lining up the next piece (See trimming example below)

Figure 4; Trimming the edge to be sewn before adding the next piece. This is not completely necessary but will make it easier to line up the next piece.

c.       Sew directly on the line (as shown below) when adding pieces. 

Figure 5; Sew directly on the line when adding the next piece.

4.      Cut out the basket piecing templates from the basket piecing sheet and tape at the dash marks. (For the basket segment, pieces 2B, 2C, and 2D are brown for the basket. All other pieces are sky)

5.       Start by pinning section 2A to 2B and sewing across the line. Press open.

6.       Continue adding segments alphabetically, pressing and trimming as above for each segment

Figure 6; Image showing sections 2A-2E sewn together with 2F and 2G ready to add.

Figure 7; Entire basket section sewn together

7.    Join to the balloon, matching the bottom of the balloon to the rope of the basket piece. Press

8.       Trim to 12.5*12.5”

 

You’ve made a hot air balloon! For anyone who struggled, go treat yourself to a piece of chocolate (and anyone who didn’t struggle for that matter). Feel free to leave the paper on or tear it off if you have issues getting it into the envelope. I look forward to seeing what beautiful balloons float my way!