Round, round, round... Trying out the NY Beauty block

I saw some quilts made from different variations of the New York Beauty block (for a sew-along) on Pinterest and since it's been a while since I did any paper piecing (except for English!) I thought I'd give it a go. It seemed perfect for using some Kaffe Fassett pre-cuts, along with some other fabric in my stash. I've never sewn a round shape except for bottoms on wine totes etc, never anything that's supposed to open up and lay flat. It gave me some grief but here's my first go:

Attachment 63817

This is the beginner's block, so it's supposedly quite simple. Needless to say it wasn't that simple to me haha. I'd appreciate any feedback, especially about how to make the rounded part easier. I'm afraid to clip it too much, I worry it might break?

Thanks :)

For the rounded part find the center of your circle and the piece and match them up. Use LOTS of pins that only pick up a thread or two...not big bites. Sew very slowly and remove the pins as you come to them. It takes practice, but after a few you will be an expert.

BTW, I love your fabrics!

That's basically what I've been doing, so I guess to persevere is the answer! I've not noticed any improvement in skill so far... :D

Thanks! :)

It is beautiful! I tried pp for the mug rug swap and I definitely want to do more of it. I am still a little scared of the New York Beauty block - yours turned out fantastic!

To me, the NY Beauty is easier to paper piece than some of the other type stuff. Maybe because it repeats the same pieces over and over. I made a sample block and turned it into a pillow. I've got some others done, but that will be a slow work in progress.

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I have one also that I have been working on - need to just add borders, quilt and bind it. It is tedious, so had to put it away for awhile. yours looks great so far!!! love the colors!!

on my to do list! I really like it with the KF fabrics!

No advice but what beautiful fabrics! And Karen you too, beautiful!

Ooooh Karen, that is a wonderful pillow! Hm, how can I cope that... :D

I hazardad another block, with two rows of "spikes" - one of which where each spike consisted of two fabrics (sheesh!). I'm learning a huge deal with every block, that's for sure! The tip about just catching a couple of threads with the needle, helped greatly, Barb, thanks! :)

Ann Peterson has a great class on Craftsy for this. Its called Playing with Curves. She has such an easy way of doing these blocks, very little pinning. You should not have to do any clipping either. I am looking forward to trying this pattern. Of course, I might think differently after I try it myself. But I do love her class.

Ah thanks, that sounds like it would be a great help! I'll make sure to check it out. :)