Applique Tuesday

A process I'd like to share with you -and it does involve applique:

 I did finish that block you saw in the previous post.  It is a block from a BOM from a 2010 blog hop.  I had no choice in the fabric selections, though I love the collection they used.  You got the blocks as kits.  This paper piecing one I have been putting off for a long time.

 Above you see the finished and joined 4 units.  Phew, that took me a while to do!  I then pulled off the paper at the seams I pressed open and the seam paper allowance around the outside of the circle formed by the units.

 Next, with a dry iron, I ironed over the seam allowance onto the paper.  This was to make it easier to starch the seam allowance in the next step.  The copy paper was stiff enough that I could use it for the freezer paper in the starch method.

 Next I got out my spray starch, spritzed a little in a dish and with a brush proceeded to starch/press down the seam allowance on the outer edge.  Above is what it looks like once starched in place.  I then took out all the paper, turned it to the front and pressed one more time to get the seam allowance to lay flat again.

I then placed it on the black background and sewed it between the black fabric and the ground (black with green dots).  Then I added the river and sky.  It is now ready to hand applique around my half circle.  Think I now have 22 blocks of this series done.  Maybe 2 or 8 more to do.  Can't remember how many of these 8" blocks are left.

So not an applique block per say, but one in which I incorporated applique because I either lost or never got the template for the black piece to put these two parts together in the normal way - sewing a seam.

What are you up to?  I'd love to see your eye candy!  Leave me a comment and I'll come and visit to take a peek.  I'm linking to Connie's Linky Tuesday Party.  Blessings to all.

Sunday, Sunday

Still sorting through boxes and found this project.  It;s from way back in early 2000s when Sally Robbins released Spring Mix at P & B Textiles.  I only had the very center done and some yardage of the stripe.  I was going to just add the stripe, however it was overwhelming yellow that way, so I knew it needed something.  Going through the stash found one of the greens used in the colorways and used that for an inner border.  I wanted to miter the corners but didn't have sufficient stripe fabric for that so I did the partial seam sew around thingy.  Was just enough.  Another UFO from the boxes done!  Now I need to sandwich and quilt. How would you quilt it?

I'll be using a yard and a half from the stash for the back. That's my stash report for this week.  Numbers on the right sidebar.  Oh yes, filled a box with fabric for the Lutheran Church sewing group and a box for the guild - about 20 yards there.
And on my design wall is a block from a BOM from 2010.  It's paper piecing block.  It took me almost three hours to do just this little bit!  Most of that time was doing the first section.  I've learned I need to cut the pieces with at least a half inch seam allowance around the sides to get it right the first time.  I want to thank Karen of Faeries and Fibres for her excellent instructions on how to paper piece.  Couldn't have done it without her.  Now to do the other two sections. This plus that other half will make up most of an 8 inch (finished) block. The easy part will be appliqueing it to a dark piece and then adding strips to come up to size.

I'm linking to Judy's Stash Report and Lyn's BOMs Away.  See you there.

Hexie Weekend 8/8/14

No hand work for me yet - maybe I'm in a hexie funk, I don't know.  Still going through boxes.  I'm happy to report, I have three boxes of stuff to go away.  So I'm down to 16 boxes, geesh!  In going through those boxes, I found projects I definitely know I don't want to work on.  So , I put the fabric back in the stash and added the sample blocks to my orphan block pile. It felt kind of good to make 3 PIGs (projects in grocery sacks) disappear.  Very liberating.  What I did find is this stack of hexie like shapes- or diamonds if you wish.

Haven't a clue as to how they go together.  I was trying out something, I guess.  Any suggestions?

Here's a close-up of the fabric.  Betty, did you give these to me?  A real puzzle.  What has you puzzled?
Linky below - you can link any kind of eye candy - not limited to hexies or quilting.  My plan for this week is to actually DO some hexie work during hexie weekend.  I've been telling myself to do it ahead of time in the days  before and then POST my hexies, but that isn't working. So will now try the reverse.  Wish me luck.

An InLinkz Link-up