Paradox Point QAL - Basic Info & Choosing Fabric
Hi Everyone! Welcome to the first post of our Paradox Point Quilt Along. Today we are going to discuss the basic info needed to make the quilt and choose fabric! Choosing fabrics is one of my favorite parts of quilting. I try to picture a pattern in as many different color combos as possible! This post is chalk full of information, so stick with it!
Paper-Piecing 101
First, let's talk paper-piecing. People either seem to love it, hate it or fear it! This is a sewing technique that comes with a list of pros and cons. For us, the pros outweigh the cons. We love the precision of the points and the creativity a foundation allows. Also, this is the easiest (and quickest!) BOM quilt we have designed. The arrow points are constructed with 4 matching triangle blocks that can be chain pieced in a short amount of time.
New to paper-piecing? Think about it as sewing by numbers. It really is that easy! We have a photo tutorial here for reference.
Materials Needed
Paradox Point calls for 24 coordinating fabrics, an accent and a background. Each block is made with 1 color A, 1 color B, the accent and the background. When choosing the block fabrics, make sure the A and B fabrics contrast with the accent and background.
In addition to the Paradox Point book, you will need the fabric amounts listed below.
- ¼ yards of 12 Assorted Fabrics for the Color A's
- ¼ yards of 12 Coordinating Fabrics for the Color B's
- 5½ yards of Background Fabric
- 1¾ yards of Accent Fabric (includes binding)
- 6 yards of Backing Fabric
We also have a few recommended products (not necessary, but will make life much easier!).
- Letter-size Foundation Paper
- 12½" 60° Triangle Ruler -or- Freezer Paper to make templates
- Add-a-quarter™ ruler
Getting Organized
You will use two fabrics and the accent to make each block design. You can pair two fabrics of the same color range together like the Rainbow Solid and the Kaffe Fassett versions -or- you can pair two contrasting colors together for each block like the Desert Bloom and Tonga Batik quilts.
I suggest using small swatches of fabric and a gluestick to arrange your Color A and Color B Fabrics in the order you would like the colors to gradate through your quilt on the squares to the Introduction page of the book.
Juli's Fabric Choice
Juli is making a colorful version from her stash! She pulled 24 fabrics in rainbow order and paired the colorful bunch with a solid black accent and a black and white collaged newsprint fabric for the background. She is making this quilt for her daughter's bed and her philosophy is "the brighter, the better!" This will look amazing in Chelsea's pink bedroom.
Kristy's Fabric Choice
Kristy and Juli choose almost complete opposite approaches for this quilt along! She is using assorted black and white prints for the blocks, rainbow solids for the accents and a medium grey for the background - all Me + You Indah batiks from Hoffman California Fabrics. Each block will have white-on-black and black-on-white prints for the Color A's and Color B's -and- a different rainbow solid for the accent. I think it is going to a fun twist to the pattern!
MaryEllen's Fabric Choice
We have a treat for you! My grandma is also going to sew along with us and make her very first Paradox Point. She chose a dark background print and assorted low volume fabrics for the Color A's and B's. For the accent, she is taking a page from Kristy and using a different color for each block! I can't wait to see her progress!
I can't wait to see what color combinations and fabric lines you all decide to use! Be sure to snap a photo and share it on Instagram (tagged with #ParadoxPointQAL) or in our Flickr group for a chance to win a prize. I will announce the winner with the Block 1 post on January 2nd. Every have a wonderful holiday season and we will see you next year!
