Applique Thursday

Hello, I'm almost late in posting this but have been working on that first Anna's Block

Added the dreaded circles and stitched down pink flower, main flower, basket and a few greens. Phew!

What I did with this block was cut out freezer paper templates that I placed the dull side of the freezer paper on the wrong side of the fabric and ironed the seam allowance onto the shiny side. Once stitched in place you cut out the background and remove the paper. I did that for the big pieces, but for the small ones (the stems) I took out the freezer paper and lightly glued down the seam allowance. Then I pressed the pieces in place to then applique down or pin.


So far I'm not liking this method as much as I like back basting for placement. Look at that basket -  it looks kind of wonky.  Maybe some of the illusion will go away when I square the block to the 7 1/2" square - hope, hope, hope.
 
There is a winner for the 5" batick charm!  Win one by leaving comment or link or both (for two chances). Last week's winner was Rosa - all the way in Spain.  Congrats, Rosa!

--Would love to see your eye candy!

WIP Wednesday 7/4/12

Happy 4th!  At mass today we prayed for our nation and its leaders and citizens, for those who defend her and those who uphold her.  In God we Trust.

We had our barbeque Sunday at my daughter's house. So today all we're doing is hanging out and then watching our city's fireworks' display from our back yard.  They set them off not far from us as we live on the south slope of the mountain used for this entertainment.  This is a blessing and a curse.  It's a blessing because it's like having front row seats for this and we don't have to drive anywhere. It's a curse because every year they manage to start a fire on the mountain from some too low bursting firework and then the SHOW really begins.  Fortunately, in the 43 years we've been here only once did they tell us to get ready to evacuate. And then we really didn't have to. Phew!

I found my next NewFo.  I was sorting through this box:

Those are strips of various sizes mostly of one fabric collection.  I've made several charity quilts from this box.  Yet it seems never ending! So as I rummaged I was able to find enough strips to make 24 more of these:



So I bundled strips into 24 sets. I only need 2 strips wof and the red square to make this block.  The strips can be any width more than 1 1/2" wide.  That's the beauty of the trim tool - you don't have to cut all those rectangles for a log cabin block.  Saves a ton of time.  If I get it done on time, hope to have a silent auction at our church's Christmas boutique to buy batting for St. Anne's Sewdality quilts. We make baby quilts for low income first time mothers.

Now that I've gotten this far, I'll have to lay it aside because I have to make 2 baby quilts for a set of twin girls.  This is for a family friend we've know since she was a baby.  And the shower is at the end of July.
Off to assemble the top of one.  I'll show you pics later after the shower.

I'm linking to Esther's WOW linky.  Do go over and see what other quilters are doing.

Fabric Tuesday Story

If you saw my design wall yesterday, you know I wasn't too keen on the big block I put on it.  Then I read about Bonnie Hunter's new book, String Fling , and fell in love with one of her quilts.  There's one perfect for my strings and a big block!  So while I wait for the book to come, I've been playing with the block to see if I can figure out how she did it. She is so clever - it never seems to be what you think.  I'm going to be haunting the mailbox until it comes to see if I'm right.  Here's what my block looks like now.

It's not sewn together and I can see that the big strips won't work with this one -but, oh this will use up a lot of those tiny strips and give me applique space.  Woohoo!

I'm linking to Connie's Linky Party Tuesday and Fabric Tuesday by Quilt Story - go see what others are playing with.