Update on Some Recent Applique

Finding time lately to quilt has been a challenge.. and finding time to blog about it has been even more of a challenge.  I guess it is just that time of year.  We have had some family visits, weekends away, and time spent getting our beach condo ready for the rental season.  The condo is now ready for our first guests which arrived yesterday, so now we can relax a bit.  This time of year, with the warmer weather upon us,  is a time to slow down, get out of my studio, and get back to some slow stitching. 

Do you remember this?  If you don't, you shouldn't feel bad because I am not even sure I ever posted the start of this block.  I can't find any reference to it, but I am guessing it was close to a year ago that I started this block from the A Bountiful Life quilt.  Where does the time go???

I finally picked it up again a few weeks ago.  I think I know what was stopping me...  those darn bird feet!  I love all the birds in this quilt, but those feet sure are challenging!

 Four feet... I just needed to get them done so I could move on with this block.  I label the freezer paper patterns so I remember where they belong on the block.

Once I got them done, I could add the Red Winged Blackbirds to the block. Will anyone notice I changed the fabric for the bird feet?  I knew that a batik would fray a lot less than a regular cotton fabric.  And it was easier... but still challenging.  I also changed the beaks, making them closed rather than the open beaks in the pattern.  Much easier!

After a dip in the spa, my block was clean and ready to be pressed. Oh it felt so good to get this one finally done!! 

I wanted to keep this momentum going and moved right on to the next block, The Peacock.  I always start with the stems and baste down the leaves.  You can see the blue marking pen I use to mark the pattern on my fabric.  There is a lot going on in these blocks and it is easy to not have everything fit together. 

Here are some of the fabrics I have chosen from my stash for the peacock and the roses.

And, of course, I will have more bird feet to deal with.  I need to change them a bit to make them easier to applique.. besides they look a little strange to me. :-)

Also completed awhile ago is this block from My Enchanted Garden.  Funny that I am working on both of these quilts and they are both based on the Bird of Paradise quilt. 

Love the wool and cotton combination.

And the addition of the beads. 

But my favorite part of this block is the bunny. So sweet. 

I'm linking up at Kathy's Quilts Slow Sunday Stitching.  Hopefully I can get some stitching done today!

Happy Stitching!

Happy Father's Day to everyone.  If you are lucky enough to still have your Dad with you, give him a big hug if you can!!

Deb

Strawberries, Out of Season? I Think Not!

June is strawberry month here in New Jersey.  I have wonderful memories of sitting in a sunny field with my girlfriend spending hours just talking and picking this luscious fruit.  The sweet smell of just picked strawberries is amazing.  I look forward to strawberry season every year.. So I was really looking forward to working on this block in the Bountiful Life quilt.  Which is why I chose to make it next.

I have been working on this block the past week and a half.  Taking my time.

I started by selecting some of my favorite small scale red prints.  Red is one of my favorite colors. 

Aren't they luscious.. Like real strawberries?

Then I started with the leaves, which have an interesting shape.

Next, I started to add the fruit.  Can you tell I really like strawberries?  Note the strawberry wool pin cushion on my work table. It is one of my favorites! 

I  hope to have this block done this week.. after I make all those strawberry caps!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Fruit Anyone?

I finished the Sideboard Bounty block from the Bountiful Life quilt.  It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed putting my own touches on that wonderful display of fruit.  There were some new fabric choices from the original, some design changes, but I am really please with the way it looks.  I think it will look fantastic in the finished quilt.  

Even though there were no vines or leaves in this one, there was still a fair amount of blue marking lines and basting glue used, especially on those grapes.

So.. I decided to take the plunge!

My recipe? A little warm water, some mild detergent, a drop of courage, and a deep breath.  Into the water for a soak.

I gently placed the wet block on a nice thick towel to dry, smoothing out most of the wrinkles.  Then I noticed it......

AAggghhh!! A small area of a raw edge showing.  Don't you just hate when that happens?  So as quilters we all know this is just another opportunity to find a creative solution.

And so.... nothing a small grape couldn't cover up.  Quite simple.  (sigh)

Now it's time to move onto.... what do you think these will be?

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Sideboard Bounty Block

This week I started my next block from A Bountiful Life.  This block is called Sideboard Bounty and I believe it does not appear in the Civil War Bride Quilt although it is in the original quilt, Bird of Paradise.  I wanted to take a short break from the stems and leaves and enjoy stitching this summer fruit.  This is not the next block in the order.... but who says they have to go in order!?

Here is the pattern and the start of my block.  I have changed some of the fruit from the pattern to give it more variety.

Here is the original pattern.  I have changed some of the oranges to peaches, plums, and a pear.  Not to mention those tiny bird feet.

It was after a trip to the grocery store yesterday that I decided to add the red plum and change the stems for the cherries.  At least I think they are cherries!  Large cherries or small apples!??

Next will be the birds and the butterflies.   I need to simplify those bird feet!  These birds are much smaller than those golden eagles.... of course.

Here is the photo from the A Bountiful Life book by Karen Mowery.  I thought it needed more variety in the fruit.  Hope I made the right choices!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Grapevine Block Done.. on to the Pair of Golden Eagles

I have finished the Grapevine with Swooping Bird block.  Like most of you, I have turned the block around. The bird flying upside down didn't seem right to me!

I added the detail embroidered stems to the grapevines.

I've included red and white grapes!

Could these be for a nice Chardonnay?

Now onto the next block - Pair of Golden Eagles.  I have drawn the guidelines on my block - there is just too much on these 12" blocks not to draw the placement directly on the block with a water soluble pen.  I made some minor changes to the original pattern and selected some of the fabrics - My favorite part!

There are a lot of leaves in this block!  I iron down my freezer paper templates to make the leaves. I try to number them so I remember where they go!

And here is the first section basted - ready to stitch!

Summer fruit has returned!  Peaches are one of my favorites!  These would look delicious in my quilt!

Happy Sunday - my favorite day to stitch!

Deb

Working on the second block

I have been working on the Quiltmaker Bride block of the Bountiful Life quilt.  I have to admit, I  have not made a lot of progress over the past few weeks.  But here she is, almost completed.  

There are still plenty of leaves to sew and add to this block.  I am debating if I should embroider her face, or leave it blank.

I did slim her down a bit.  She was quite plump in the original pattern! (I wish someone could just draw me thinner! LOL) 

Yesterday was laundry day...  Lucy decided to help my husband fold the towels......  She thinks we can't see her.

Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday.  And remember the men and women who sacrificed for our country. 

Here is my Sweet Heart for today.

Happy Stitching!

Deb

First Block Done... and Signs of Spring!

It's been a pretty quiet week, but that doesn't mean that work on my quilt blocks has been quiet.  But generally it's been uneventful, which is a good thing!  However...... drum roll please......  Yesterday I completed the first block of the Bountiful Life quilt!  I was so pleased with the end result.  What do you think?  The block is called Bluebell Bouquet.

I typically don't plan out all my fabrics when I start a block... I am more of a design-as-I-go kinda gal.  So I never really know what the block will look like until I am done.  I re-drew the birds in the pattern.   These look more like birds to me.

The pattern is on the left, my bird on the right.  I need to add a french knot for his eye.

I am very pleased with my applique leaves.. which is good because there are plenty of them on this quilt!

I also sewed together the first two rows of the Sweet Sixteen quilt.  They look great together and I like the different backgrounds, which I tend to do in a lot of my quilts.  Seeing them together tells me I really need to focus on getting that last block done.  

Suzi seems totally disinterested.  Probably because I am taking up room on the bed, which she occupies most of the day.

Finally, someone was very happy that the back door to our deck was open. This is a much welcomed sign of Spring.

Nothing better than rolling in the sun!

This little pot of basil on my kitchen windowsill reminds me that Summer is not far away!

Happy Stitching!

Deb

Happy Birthday to Me!

I celebrated a birthday this week which typically does not get me too excited except this year my husband bought me a wonderful gift - the book, A Bountiful Life.  To be more accurate, I bought this book at the quilt show last month so he could give it to me! : - ).  So I decide to mark my special day by starting the first block of this magnificent quilt.  This week was also marked by some unseasonably hot weather.  Last week when I said cooler temperatures still prevailed, someone must have been listening.  The first three days of the week were remarkable with temperatures well into the 80's.  On Tuesday my car registered 88 degrees when I got into it!  Whew - it was an unexpected blast of summer!  But very welcomed after the cool Spring we have had.  Everything is now blooming!

 I have decide to size my blocks down to 12" from the 14" in the book and piece the backgrounds.  I have not decided whether I will include the groom in the quilt or not.  The original quilt, The Bird of Paradise, does not include the groom block.   Some speculate that perhaps the intended of the bride was killed in the Civil War.  However, Karen Mowery did include a groom in her adaptation.

Karen Mowery's A Bountiful Life quilt.

I also picked up this little stack of quarter yard fabrics at a shop on Saturday to use in this quilt.  Love the colors!

The Octopus's Garden and Goddess of the Deep

This week I also packed and shipped my quilts for the International Quilt Festival of Ireland.  I only had to get them to Illinois, luckily avoiding the cost of shipping them to Ireland!  I guess I won't be seeing these for a few months!

Sea Gem

Each quilt has its own bag to keep it clean.

Also this week, I finished the Sweet Sixteen block from last week.  This little kitty is Lucy's understudy. : - )

 

 So sweet!

The best of all - were all the cards!  It was a great birthday!

Happy Stitching!

Deb