Paper Pieced Meet 'n Greet: Kyndra @ Sewlio

Today we're talking with one of our sponsors, Kyndra from Sewlio Designs. She's here to tell you newbies that paper piecing isn't too hard to try! And to share some eye candy :)

Give a quick, couple sentence bio of yourself.

I am a 30-something wife, mom-to-two and a nurse. I'm a Midwest girl, and in addition to quilting and hanging out with my awesome family, I love baking, books, chocolate and coffee. 

Angle

How long have you been sewing?

I have been sewing since I was about 12. I for the last 10 years, I made mostly Halloween costumes and curtains. I made my first quilt in early 2011 and have been addicted ever since.

Kyndra's Inburst quilt

When did you try your first paper piecing project?

I tried my first paper piecing project just in January of this year. I am in a quilting bee with some of my fellow members (and now very dear friends) of the St. Louis Modern Quilt Guild. We call ourselves the Redbird Bee and this is our second year together. This year we decide to push ourselves out of our comfort zone and try new things. In January we all made the Star block from Fresh Lemons' Summer Sampler series.

How hard did you think paper piecing would be and how hard did it actually end up seeming to you?

I was really nervous to try paper piecing. It was really intimidating to me because the finished paper pieced blocks that I had seen looked so complex. It took me only a couple of blocks to get the hang of it, and I was really surprised that once I got going, it wasn't that difficult at all.

What surprised you about the method?

The most surprising thing to me was how accurate your seams and points can be with the paper piecing method. I also love how the possibilities are virtually endless as far as what you can do with paper piecing.

Another beauty! This one is still untitled.

What helpful hints (or warnings!) can you give to any brand new paper piecers?

I don't have a lot of advice to offer, but the advice given to me when I started was to find time that you can sit down without distractions and to get a good nights sleep before you try your first block. Being well-rested and able to focus was very helpful. I would also recommend making a practice block, just to work out the kinks. It is much less frustrating to mess up a practice block than the real thing!

You have a beautiful pattern out – Starburst. Can you tell us about this pattern?

Thanks! Starburst is my first pattern. I originally designed it for a wall hanging I was making. At that time, I had no intention of writing a pattern, but I received many requests for one.

When I finally decided to write the pattern, I had no idea just how much time went into writing a pattern. It was a lot of work, but I am so glad I did it. I feel like my quilting skills have significantly improved throughout the process of making, remaking, researching processes and refining the pattern. I enjoyed the process so much that I wanted to do it again- I am currently working on several more patterns. 

One of the techniques I looked at when writing the Starburst pattern was making a paper pieced version. I didn't end up going that route for the initial pattern, but I am still considering working on a paper pieced version.

Are there any links you would like to share with us? (to QALs, patterns, Flickr group, etc., can be your own or others’)

My blog: www.sewliodesigns.com.

You can find my patterns in my Etsy shop and in my Craftsy Pattern shop. 

I really hope I can find time this summer to try the Summer Sample Sew-Along at Ellison Lane, It looks like a lot of fun! 

Thanks so much for chatting with us, Kyndra! Your quilts are fab and we can't wait to see what you come up with next :)