Monkeying A Round

Quiltmakers 100 Blocks magazines inspire and instruct. I had not really been very much inclined toward paper piecing due to the amount both of paper and fabric that seemed to become waste,  but a design called EZ Mariner's Compass in Volume 4 on page 39 brought me on board. I needed a center block from which to build a small quilt design, and this seemed to fit the bill. 

Clockwise from top left, tracing paper for fussy cut and the paper foundation; magazine page with inspirational block beside mine in progress; "light box" for tracing from a regular printed sheet; back side of the paper pieced and joined sections.

I decided to fussy cut two monkeys to flank each of the four quarter center triangles. Tracing paper, slightly wider than needed cuts, and sunlight plus glass window (improvised light box) helped with  placement. The "light box" served again when I decided to transfer a computer printout word circle for a feed-dog-dropped, free motion take on the center medallion.

Now I have the center block from which to build. This unfinished block measures 12.5 inches. Running along the outer edges will be 6 inch (finished) blocks. The finished quilt will probably be about 36 inches square. Still monkeying with the design.

My medallion clipping went a bit beyond what would render a smooth edge, so I may have to cover up with some machine decorative edging. But this is the unfinished feature block for my "Ten Little Monkeys" quilt still in progress. Oh! You may notice that there are only 9 monkeys on this, but you must remember that one little monkey may well be at the doctor's office with a broken head!

The monkey fabric was the inspiration for the theme of the quilt, which will be from the "Ten Little Monkeys" countdown story rhyme that goes:
Ten little monkeys jumping on the bed.
One fell off and broke his head.
Mama called the doctor,
The doctor said, 
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed!" 
.... etc. etc. until at the very end the doctor's warning is twice repeated, quite solemnly on the final time.

Epilogue: Click HERE to see what became of the monk, the monk, the monk the monk.