Auntie Green’s Wreath

I completed the wreath for Auntie Green’s Garden last night.  Please forgive the shadowing from underneath.  I was just too tried to take everything down before I took the picture.
Someone remarked that this was a big project  to undertake but I don’t think of it as a whole I  just worry about the part I am working on at the moment.  Then bit by bit you have a quilt top.
I wonder what part of the quilt we will stitch next month.
Happy stitching,
Nancy

Auntie Green’s Garden

This year I decided to purchase Auntie Green’s Garden by Irene Blanck as a block of the month from Homestead Hearth.

I have never made a block of the month quilt where you get all of the fabrics  picked out for you but I must  say I enjoy getting the little package of fabric every month.  I have added a couple of my stash fabrics for a little variety even tho it wasn’t necessary because they do send a nice selection.

                                                                                                                                                                                This is Decembers block all stitched and now I am working on the wreath of leaves that goes around this center pot of flowers. The packages come around the middle of each month so I have couple of weeks to get my January block finished before another one arrives.

Roberts Floral Garden

Four more blocks from Roberts Floral Garden are all prepped for stitching.

I really like this pattern.  I think it’s because the blocks are all different sizes.  It seems like lately everything I have been working on all the block are the same size just set in rows.

Some of the blocks are still missing their tiny circles.  I guess I will just have to spend a day and make little circles.

I may have to do something about those two little faces staring at me in this one although they are sort of comical.
Happy Stitching,
Nancy

Benjamin Biggs

My first block of the Benjamin Biggs quilt.  If it was a little smaller it would look just like a block from my Chester Criswell quilt.  Maybe I need to go in another direction with this one.
The reds are more maroon and have a little pink in them and I had planned on adding some dark pinks.  Oh dear what to do!
I think this one needs more thought.

Florabunda

I started Florabunda way back in May of 2010 and have just now put all the blocks together.  It was a free block of the month from Erin Russek of One Piece at a Time.
I first learned the freezer paper method of appliqué from Erin.
Erin has a wonderful site with lots of videos about this type of appliqué. She was one of the first if not the first  quilter to introduce this type of appliqué .
I made a little cutting mistake when cutting the background for the large center block and had to put a little border around it so it would fit.  Maybe after it’s all quilted it won’t be too noticeable.  I also put it together a little simpler than the original quilt but at least it is together and ready for quilting.
Happy stitching,
Nancy

Chester Criswell Quilt

Finally something to Post about.  I am all caught up with my Chester Criswell Blocks.

Block 13 Alice Criswell

I decided to just leave the horseshoe shapes off of block 13.  Too much stress involved in cutting those little things.  Anyway who will ever know the difference if they haven’t seen the pattern.

                                                    Block 14 Mary E Wilson

Block 15 Alice McClellan

I stitched two of blocks 14 and 15.  I believe there are three of block 14 and two of block 15 in the original quilt but two was enough for me.

 Block 16 Adaline Gibson

       Block 17 Criswell Gibson

This is block 14 all ready to press after soaking to remove all of the glue.  I always press my blocks when they are dry upside down on a clean white towel.  One other thing I try to remember to do is press with the straight of grain of the background fabric.  The straight of grain would be the direction of the selvedge or the direction without any stretch.
Try as hard as I may I always seem to find myself doing a little ironing instead of just pressing like you are supposed to.  If you go with the straight of grain there is less chance of stretching your blocks out of shape.
Hope everyone is well and back to stitching after the Holidays.
Nancy

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