Amy your blocks are great - you have very sharp points!! ;) I tried to learn PP'ing from books/websites many years ago, but it didn't really "click" until I saw someone do it - then it was like turning a light on :) I agree that there can be a lot of waste with paper piecing - especially when there are very acute angles. I just consider it the price I pay for getting such accurate seams, hehe. I've been pp'ing for several years and I still screw up - sew fabric wrong sides together, or use a piece that's too small, or sew in the wrong order, LOL. It's definitely the best way for ME to get accurate blocks, and there are so many free patterns online, it's like a PP'ing smorgasbord out there! Sandra :)

I made a gingham apron and a wrap skirt in Home Ec in eighth grade. I bought a used machine when my two sons started school because I thought I should hem their jeans. I never did. I did counted cross stitch for a relaxing hobby for years, and once crocheted half an afghan. Three years ago I thought I'd try to crochet another afghan, but found out my hands get too spastic for the constant holding of the yarn. I decided to make a Cathedral Windows instead, and my mom asked me to keep an eye out for extraordinary fabric for her Grandmother's Flower Garden. It turned into one for me, one for her. And then two for me and one for her. And then....well, you get the idea. I decided to do a fabric album quilt--Applecore charm. I put the CW away, away, away. Too many black squares! I had more fun cutting my applecore pieces. My neice got pregnant with her second when my mom's eyes were messed up with cataracts so I said, Never fear! I will make this baby's quilt! I'm pretty sure my niece was bummed and worried, and mom was sad. I did the absolute best I could. It turned out well all except for me finding a lost quilting needle inside it after I washed it. My mom took it, and fingered every inch of that quilt five times while she was listening to books on tape and her eyes were all patched up. The first round of fingering found TWO more needles, and the last four rounds were needle free. The eyes got well, I got both praise and happy mom instruction on keeping up with needles, and assorted other things I needed to know along the way. My sweet niece was almost rude in her stunned surprise and pleasure when we presented the quilt (couldn't have satisfied me any better!) I've pushed her into actually using it by saying I need to know early on how my stitching will hold up to wear. So, all together, that's three years for me.

A few of my favorites are; Fiskars personal trimmer, corner rounder, tape runner, Fiskars circle cutter, deckle scissors and the new punch press thing, I forgot who makes it, but it's great especially for the border punches that are so hard to punch. I also like the stickers by 'Me and my Big Ideas' their really nice and come on the large sheets. I hate the Fiskars oval cutter! I did get the CM oval cutting system as a gift and I love it!

The dolls are so cute. I like the ones that already have faces otherwise mine would be faceless!! I bought a package of just the doll Paperkins and will attempt to make some clothes. They make packages of the doll with clothes, but no packages of just clothes, I tried some other doll clothes but they are the wrong size. So I guess I'll be making clothes too!! The small checks and plaids would make cute dresses, shorts and tops, just have to get the pattern down. Wish I saved all my paper dolls from way back when, boy am I dating myself! If you have scrapbook magazines check those sometimes their might be a pattern or two in them.