My first attempt at a New York Beauty Quilt

Whenever I host a giveaway and ask "what would you make with this fabric?" inevitably someone will always say I would make a New York Beauty quilt.  And every time I needed to look it up.  My reaction has always been, "Oh right... this block.  Uhhh... no thanks, that looks impossible."  So imagine my reaction when C&T Publishing asked me to do a book review on New York Beauties & Flying Geese by Carl Hentsch!

Image Source: C&T Publishing

The book starts you from the basics of how to paper piece each section and how to sew curves.  I would highly recommend that you have experience doing both before attempting these blocks unless you are really ambitious.   You can check out my paper piecing tutorial here.

The projects in the book use a variety of blocks to showcase this style but break it down to each arc.  For each quilt, there are corresponding pillow patterns to go with it.  There are also step by step instructions on how to make the pillow.

Reading the book quelled my fears about the difficulty of a New York Beauty quilt/pillow so much I decided to try to make a one!  Not a full quilt, but maybe a mini or a pillow.  I can do this, right?

One of the best parts about the book is the section of blocks in the back.  It shows every variation of solid arcs, flying geese arcs, sectioned arcs in each of the concentric circular rings to make all the different blocks.  So if you don't want to make the EXACT quilt pattern or the EXACT pillow shown in the book, it's really easy to mix and match your own creation!

I have a PDF version of the book, so it was really easy for me to print the paper piecing templates straight to my printer without having to get a copier for a physical copy.  However, I did find that I scrolled back and forth between the instructions, pattern, and templates on my iPad while I was planning out the quilt.  So it's up to you on what you like more between a PDF versus a hardcopy of the book.

I used Island Batik Solids since I know they press as flat as paper.  I finished the flying geese arcs and the sectioned arcs pretty quickly and way faster than I imaged it would take.  The rest of my sections were full arcs so it was a matter of cutting them out with the templates.

Notice that I opted to do quarter circles in the center.  The book also gives you the option to applique on a full circle in the middle, but I wanted to keep this strictly piecing!  I was also rather pleasantly surprised that the sectioned arc and the flying geese arc had their seams nest.  That meant I was sewing a curve in less than 2 inch increments which made it way easier!

Here's the finished mini quilt top!  I love how this turned out and I almost want to make a full quilt with this style.

Here are my top tips for making a New York Beauty block:

• When paper piecing, use double-sided tape to help the fabric stay put.
• Don't forget to remove the papers before sewing the curves together.
• Cut the curves with a 28mm rotary cutter.  The smaller the better for the curves.
• Start sewing the curves from the innermost part outwards.
• Curved sewing, the book gives you guidance but do what you are comfortable with!  My preferred method when not trimming is to pin the beginning, center, and end.  I don't use more than 3 pins.

So where can you purchase the book?  You can buy the book directly from C&T Publishing on their website or on Amazon!  (affiliate links)

Also for those that live close to Kansas City, the KC Modern Quilt Guild has invited Carl Hentsch to teach for a private event at The Fabric Chic in September.  Tickets are on sale to members first and then if there are any left to non-members.

Have you tried making a New York Beauty Block before?  What did you think?

Join me again on Friday for Friday Foto Fun! Link up and share your progress on your own projects!

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