My March UFO Challenge

This is my March UFO project for OMG (yes, I have joined the One Monthly Goal 2016 Link up over at Red Letter Quilts) and the APQ 2016 UFO Challenge.  This is called Audrey's Flowers, named after the quilt that Audrey of Quilty Folk made called Happy Flowers.

My quilt is a little different with four flower blocks joined together as seen above...

And a circle appliqued in the middle.  Shhh... this design element helps to hide any mis-matched stems...

 and reduces the bulk in the center of the block.

This is an earlier photo.  I now have all the blocks completed and just have to sew them together, along with some setting triangles... and a border. 

So I am looking forward to working on this quilt this month.  It just feels like Spring with all those flowers!

I started this quilt toward the end of 2014.  You can see the original post here.

I am linking up at OMG - One Monthly Goal 2016 Link up.  I am very excited to head over there to see all the other March projects that other quilters are working on!!  I know some of my blogland friends are linking up as well.   You should stop by too!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

My Secret Garden...

Is something a secret if you just neglect to mention it??  If so, then I guess I have had a quilting secret to share.  

You know how it goes.... it starts out with one block.. then  maybe another... then before you know it you have an assembly line of blocks in various stages of completion.. on their way to becoming a quilt you never intended to make. :-)  I think a lot of our quilts start out this way...

It all started when I fell in love with Audrey's quilt, Happy Flowers over at her blog, Quilty Folk.  She is a phenomenal quilter and I just love her style and color choices.  I watched her progress on this adorable little quilt and decided to try a block or two.....  These happy little flowers are addictive!  

Machine Appliqued stems and leaves.

I machine appliqued the stems and leaves and am using freezer paper applique for the flowers.  This makes this project very portable!  It also is a nice alternative to some of the other needle turn applique I do since the edges are already turned and all I have to do stitch!

After a suggestion from a quilting friend, I decided to sew four blocks together into one larger block.  I loved the way this looked... but didn't like the thick lump that occurred in the center of the block.

It was too bulky and the stems didn't always line up..... what to do??

My favorite solution to problems like this is to add a design element to eliminate the problem.  And the brown circle in the center did just that! 

As you can see from the back, that bulky center is trimmed away once I appliqued the center circle.  Easy-peasey, problem solved. :-)

So my completed blocks are enjoying time on my design wall.  

I am thinking of putting individual blocks in between the larger blocks around the outside edge.  What do you think?  I also am facing a dilemma of what color fabric to use for the setting triangles.  Hmmm... something to ponder another day.

In the mean time as my garden grows, I am thinking an appropriate name for this quilt would be "Audrey's Flowers"

I am linking up today at Slow Sunday Stitching at Kathy's Quilts for the last Sunday of the year.  Please stop by and check out the slow stitching going on today.

Happy Stitching!

Deb