Adventures in foundation piecing

An addition to my quilting library last year was this book by Juliet van der Heijden (tartankiwi patterns).  The animal patterns were all very enticing, but I finally settled on "Howl" -- the wolf pattern, as it would be ideal for a quilt for an upcoming baby.

The patterns are quite large -- the wolf is one of the smaller ones with a 20" block.  The patterns are easily printed on 8 1/2" x 11" paper using the CD that is included in the back of the book.

I decided I wanted my wolf reversed from the way the pattern is designed, so I printed off my pattern using the mirror image command.

Then I made a cup of coffee, put on some music (Jonathan Antoine), and settled down to prepare my foundations.

First I cut out the sections and assembled them in roughly the correct configuration, using the "maps" in the book.  Fabric choices are not indicated on the foundations.  I studied the colour diagram and used coloured pencils to block in the fabrics where I wanted them.  For fairly large pieces like these I prefer to use freezer paper for my foundations, so once everything was labelled, I set up my light table and traced each piece and all my notes onto freezer paper.  This wasn't a quick process -- I think I listened all the way through my music several times.

Printed foundations with notes about fabric placement. 

Each foundation was traced onto freezer paper. 

The sewing step was fun.  There is that eagerness to finish just one more section so you can watch the picture come to life.

All the sections are completed and it is time to sew the block together!

I framed the block and extended the "night sky" fabric to the edge of the quilt.  I chose the column of Plus Sign blocks to balance the quilt and give it a bit of a modern look. 

The new parents were very pleased with the quilt, although they have decided that it depicts a coyote, not a wolf!