Just Takes 2 – The Benjamin Biggs Quilt

Honestly, I think someone needs to do an intervention over here.  Maybe Sharon from Grass Roots Quilting and I can get a group rate.

This is the new block of the month being offered by  Sentimental Stitches called Benjamin Biggs.  Now it’s not like I don’t have three new block of the month quilts starting this year but they were not free and who can pass up a beautiful free one.
It reminds me somewhat of Beyond the Cherry Trees from a couple of years ago which still isn’t quilted.  I may choose to do this one in something other than red and green not sure yet.
So if you are an appliqué  addict like me hop over to Sentimental Stitches and sign up.
Merry Christmas to you all.
Nancy

Robert’s Floral Garden

Back in September I started prepping the blocks for Roberts Floral Garden.

I have had this pattern in my stash for several years.  In fact I bought it long before I ever thought I wanted to or could do hand appliqué.  So one day last September I decided to start working on the blocks.

  I had purchased the fabric Bread & Butter by Kaye England to make a different quilt and it’s been sitting on my table staring up at me for months when all of sudden I thought it might work for 

Floral Garden.

 So far I think it’s going pretty well.

I really enjoy prepping blocks for appliqué.  I think it’s a hang over from my child hood when I spent so may hours cutting out paper dolls.  It’s like putting together a puzzle and once the picture is made I am in no hurry to do the stitching.

Floral Garden has 13 blocks eleven are appliquéd and two are pieced.  Most of the appliqué blocks have some stem stitching.

 I have five more blocks to prep and I am just about out of the dark green fabric I have been using for the leaves.  It’s not from the Bread & Butter line.  What to do.  I doubt it’s still available since I have had it so long.

So I have come to a halt until I find some more green.

Happy Stitching,

Nancy

I am linking this post to Applique Tuesday on A Quilting Reader’s Garden.

Block 13 Alice Criswell

Block 13 Alice Criswell

This is a large block it is the centre medallion of the quit. The finished size is 24 inches and it brought me to a complete stop with this quilt.  I really can’t explain why I just didn’t want to do it.

 I finally got the pattern made and the piece prepped and glued to the background.  Then I put it up on the wall to take a photo and noticed I had left part of it undone.  

I knew 13 was unlucky.

This is a picture of Sharon’s block.  Isn’t it beautiful? You can see the four little horseshoe shapes I forgot to add.

I guess I will have to needle turn these -  aargh!

I can’t believe how far behind I am on this quilt and it’s all because of my procrastinating on this block.

Not too happily stitching,

Nancy

Calico Paradise

Last night I finished the last stitches on the center of my Calico Paradise quilt.  I am well pleased with how it has turned out. So bright and cheerful.

I changed the pattern a little to make mine more balanced.  I just couldn’t bring myself to make it as folksy as the original.  I guess it's that touch of OCD jumping out.

Just the small pink borders left to do.

  

When I first purchased this pattern from Dawn at Collector With A Needle I seriously thought I would never actually make it.  I just loved the picture on the pattern.  

But here  I am almost finished.  Just proves what a little stitching everyday can accomplish.

So keep stitching,

Nancy

Crossroads

It’s almost the end of another year and I finally finished Evelyn’s quilt for her crib.  Thought I had better get with it before she is too big for a crib.

         





         This one is called crossroads and was a kit I bought from "A Scarlet Thread" a local quilt shop.
The colors were perfect for her room.

I put Minky on the back because my children don’t care too much what the front looks like as long as there is some Minky on the back.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Happy stitching,
Nancy

Reach for Your Star

Something we should all strive to do but something I wish for my little Granddaughter “Evelyn”.
I hope she will always be reaching for her star as she goes throughout her life.

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate and a blessed day to everyone else.
Nancy

Evelyn’s Quilt

I must have had too much of this while working on Evelyn’s little quilt because the more I stitched the more I ripped.  Some days I thought it would never come together.  Looking at the picture now I am not too sure it really has.  I think it’s more that I just got tired of redoing and said enough is enough.  So here it is and all that’s left is the quilting which my Daughter hopes won’t take too long.

Evelyn is now 1 1/2 and the space on her wall might finally be filled.

I bet you all thought I had flown off into space somewhere but no such luck.
Happy Stitching,
Nancy

Traveling

I haven't' had much time for quilting or blogging in the past month.  I  have been doing a little traveling with my Hubby in his flying machine.  Such fun.

Maybe I can get back to my hobby soon.

Happy Stitching,

Nancy

Chester County Criswell and Scrappy Cheddar Squares

I finished making all the extra blocks for my Chester County Criswell quilt this week.  Some of the blocks in the quilt are repeated and since I have chosen to make my quilt more like the original I decided to go ahead and make the extra blocks so I would be up to date when the new year starts in September.
I went ahead and washed this years blocks and removed the starch and glue that I used to prepare the pieces.  Teresa from Fabric Therapy has an excellent post today about the process of removing Roxanne's glue from your fabric. This is basically how I remove the glue from my blocks.
The only thing left to do is square the blocks up to the correct size.
I haven't decided how I want to layout my quilt and I really hate squaring up appliqué  blocks so I will put this off as long as possible.

I also managed to get the binding on my Scrappy Cheddar Squares quilt.  I  used wool batting in this quilt and I really like the way it makes the feathers stand out.  If you would like to read more about how I made Scrappy Cheddar you can go here and here for previous  posts.

I hope you found some  time to stitch this summer.
Nancy  

Calico Paradise Progress

I have been making good progress on my Calico Paradise quilt.  I purchased the pattern from Dawn at Collector With a Needle .  It's a lovely pattern and Dawn has been a tremendous help to me in selecting fabrics.

Calico Paradise is going rather quickly. Once I got my mind around the fact that I was not going to be able to find fabrics exactly like the original it became easier.  I am happy with the ones I have been able to find and although it will not be like the original it pleases me.

Once I got the overlay made I used it to place several pieces at one time stitched them and then placed some more.  Holding this large piece of fabric in my hand to stitch became easier once the two large center pieces were finished.

There is still much to do but I must say I just love this quilt.  It is so bright and cheerful to work on.  I  have the pinks to add and they will really make it sing.
Happy stitching,

Lillian's Dresses

It's so much fun making these little dresses for Lillian.


Simplicity #1821

She won't be little long.  She's already three.

Macy Giggles Sundress
Izzy & Ivy Designs








Simplicity #2171

 I think this blue one is my favorite.

Simplicity #1924

Happy Stitching,
Nancy

A Year With Chester County Criswell

Block 12 - Martha Lamborn 

I finished block 12 the wreath block of my Chester County Criswell quilt last week.  I discovered after completing the block that the little flower centers were supposed to be done in reverse appliqué but no matter mine are not.

Here are all twelve of my blocks.  They haven't been squared up as I will do that when I have them all finished and decide how I want to arrange them in my quilt.
I also need to decide if I want to make the smaller version of the quilt or duplicate some of the blocks to make the larger version.  Sharon has a description of both versions  here.

I thought I had been doing really well keeping up with the blocks every month and was just about to start doing a little back patting when I paid a visit to Karen's blog.  How amazing she is.

It really doesn't seem like we have been working on this quilt for a year and I am looking forward to seeing what blocks Sharon sends us next year.
Nancy

Calico Paradise.

Just like lots of other people I have been so tempted by Esther Aliu's new 

Block of the Month Love Entwined.  

At first I was ready to jump right in and start the first block but after thinking it over I have decide to try and get some of the projects I have on hand completed before starting something new.  I will continue to save the patterns every month for 18 months and maybe make it at a later time.

So, I am starting Calico Paradise.  I bought the pattern some time back from Dawn at Collector With A Needle and have been collecting my fabrics.  The only ones I have not been able to find are the floral red and blue stripes that you use to fussy cut the birds, leaves and buds. I have spent lots of time at shops and on line searching for this type fabrics with no luck.

The center for Calico Paradise finishes at 52x63 and needless to say I don't have a light box that size or even a patio door I could use so I made a giant overlay out of upholstery vinyl and will use it to place my  pieces on the background.

 I have decide to use the template and starch method to make the appliqué pieces.  The method I use is described here.  With one difference.  Since the pattern is too large to place on a light box to trace the pieces reversed I had to figure out a way to reverse them.

Instead of tracing the patterns on the dull side of the freezer paper I used a sharpie ultra fine marker and traced them on the shiny side of the freezer paper.  That way I could have the original pattern right side up and would be able to see the pattern pieces through the freezer paper without a light box to trace them.  I must say Dawn did a fantastic job on this pattern.  The pieces are so easy to see through the paper.

Once the templates were traced on to the shiny side I ironed this piece of freezer paper  to another sheet of freezer paper placing the shiny side of this paper to the dull side of the freezer paper just like I normally would.  Not only does this reverse the patterns it also covers the sharpie marks so they don't get on your fabric and you are still able to see your markings just fine for cutting out the templates.

Then I proceed just like in these instructions.

Here are some of my pattern templates all traced and cut out. By the time I finished I could have used a trip to the appliqué clinic for a neck and hand treatment.

This is the center saw tooth template ironed onto the wrong side of the fabric.  I forgot to take any pictures of it after the edges were turned.

 Here it is under the huge overlay all pined in place.  Hindsight tells me I should have placed the center piece before this one so it could have been stitched first, but no way  am I starting over.

Finally it's all glued down and ready to stitch.  I need to buy stock in Roxanne's glue.
Once again I had thought about using invisible machine appliqué to stitch this quilt but have decide to go ahead and do it by hand. I am just not all that good at machine applique'.  I will just have to see how good I am at holding all this fabric in my hand while stitching.
Happy stitching,
Nancy

Google Reader's Demise

I have not been posting, reading or commenting on blogs for a while due to lots of different family issues but I just wanted to take a moment and post a reminder about Google Reader.

On July 1, Google Reader will be gone forever I have no clue why Google Reader is soon to be gone.  But, I have made the transition to Bloglovin to read up on the blogs I follow.  It was actually super simple and took just a few minutes.
I put a button in my sidebar if you wish to use Bloglovin to follow my blog.  The other option is to receive blog posts via email or you may have already chosen another blog feed system.

Karen from "Sew Many Ways" has an excellent post today about setting up your account on Bloglovin.  If you would like to read it go here.

I know there will always be change in the world, especially change with the computers and systems constantly upgrading.  I am not a big fan of change but it keeps happening so I guess we just have to learn to go with it.  I do hope we don't lose all the little pictures of our followers under Google Friend Connect.
Here's hoping  you will continue to follow my blog on whatever feed you choose.
Happy Stitching,
Nancy

Chester County Criswell Block 11

 William Criswell's block 

Jane Criswell's block

I made two versions of this block.  I must admit the history behind the names on this quilt is starting to get a little confusing to me even tho Sharon is doing a great job.  There is an excellent post here about the family tree.  I am just happy that Sharon is able to keep it all straight.  I really think she should write a book about this quilt.
I have just about run out of reds and greens and may repeat some but not too many.  Does anyone have any they could suggest.

Happy Sunday.
Nancy

A Quilt for Evelyn

Evelyn is almost a year old and I am just starting to work on her quilt.  I made a quilt for Lillian (here) to hang on her wall when she was about this age so Evelyn needs one too.
This is really a work in progress and I don't  have any idea which direction it will take.
I can see it needs more brown and maybe a little less green.
I enjoy working with liberated letters and continue to be inspired by designers like Tonya at Lazy Gal and Gwen Marston  along with Mary Lou Weidman.  Their work is so creative and original.

So she would not feel left out I stitched up two little dresses for Lillian.

Happy stitching,
Nancy