Canada Day is always a busy weekend for us because it is also our wedding anniversary. So, there is always lots to celebrate….and lots of cake and Canadian ice cream!
Even though it was a busy weekend, I still found some time to do a bit of stitching. When I finished the second border of Friends of Baltimore, I decided to take a bit of time and do some catch-up on a few projects. This is my second block of the Value Proposition Quilt Along, which you can find on a wonderful blog called Faeries and Fibres. Just click on the button at the top of the page called Quilt Alongs by Karen H. Concentrating on value (rather than colour) is more challenging than you might think!
I also took the time to stitch the first two rows of my hexagons together. I really am loving this whole hexie thing…can you tell??
So next, I decided to tackle the corner squares of Friends of Baltimore. To account for shrinkage, (which does occur) the four borders on this quilt are all cut the same length….
…..which means a corner block is needed. Some of the applique on the borders flows onto the corner square and cannot be stitched until the corner block is stitched to the border. This will make more sense as we go along. Trust me!
Now onto the corner block! I always like to start with the vase or the basket. I think it sets the tone of the block. When I bought this gold fabric, I thought it would make a great vase.
It also made a great butterfly on my Civil War Bride quilt!
Now, I am just filling the vase with flowers. Sweet!
Til next time…
Kerry
Simple Bird Applique 
love your Canadian ice cream! Your applique is beautiful 🙂
Wishing you Happy Canada Day & celebrating your anniversary. We will be traveling through Canada on our way to Alaska soon – we always feel the shortbread cookies & chocolate bars taste better in Canada – bet that holds true for ice cream too!
Perfect fabric for you vase & butterfly – watching your borders grow is so enjoyable. As a beginner at applique, choosing the perfect fabric is a challenge for me & totally different than when piecing a block. I look at fabrics in a whole new light.
Its the Chapman’s ice cream. Pick it up at any Sobeys grocery store. You won’t be sorry!
Have a wonderful time in Canada! Definitely try the ice cream! Yes, choosing fabrics is quite different for applique. I tend to look for tone-on-tones with a subtle pattern to it. I usually stay away from bigger prints, except if I am fussy cutting!
Ooh, Kerry, your Baltimore applique is breathtaking! It looks like you draw the applique design directly onto your background fabric with blue marker for placement rather that using a lightbox, vinyl overlay, or the other methods I’ve read about for placing one applique shape at a time. Is that an air erasable marker or does it wash away when the quilt is completed? Can you tell me why you prefer this method over the others? I have been tempted to draw the placement lines on the right side of my block with pencil because I like to work on applique on the go it would be easier to position new applique shapes in the carpool line, doctor’s waiting room, et cetera if I didn’t need a lightbox of a big plastic overlay for that step. Oh, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! 🙂
Hi Rebecca: Thanks so much for your comment! Yes I trace the design onto my background fabric with a Clover water soluble thick marker and a lightbox. I wash each block after it is completed (before all the blocks are stitched together) and so the marker washes out, along with the starch and glue. I love this method because it is portable. It is very accurate as far as placement is concerned as opposed to a vinyl overlay, a method I have tried and don’t care for! I just don’t find it accurate at all for small pieces, although I took a class with Sandra Leichner at the Applique Academy this past year and she has great success with this method. I think it’s best to try all of the methods and decide which one is right for you.
Kerry, your applique is stunning. I love the fabric in the vase and have some in my stash! It is an oldie! Thanks for mentioning my blog and the QAL; your Value Proposition block looks wonderful!
I may have to cross the border to Windsor to try that ice cream. I appreciate your sharing on how you accomplish the corner blocks as I have just begun to attempt to design an applique border. However, first I need to make the main body of quilt which will be pieced. Lol. Happy anniversary and a belated Canada Day.
Thanks! Wow! Good luck with designing your border. Hopefully, you will find something of interest about turning the corner.
The vase fabric is so very interesting. Good choice.
Thanks! It is a really old fabric. Thank goodness for our stashes!
Hope you had a great day on your Anniversary and Canada Day.
Your vase is beautiful!
Thanks!
A belated Happy Canada Day and Happy Anniversary as well from AB! I have to ask, do you still use the 2 layers of FP and starch or have you ever used that fusible stabilizer that dissolves mostly when washed. Normally I needleturn but I am intrigued by your prep and would like to try it until I master that way too. You are very inspiring, you kmow.
Thanks Annette! Yes I still use 3 layers of FP and starch. I haven’t used the stabilizer, but I noticed at the Applique Academy, one of the teachers was using it in the classroom. It does look really interesting. I used to do needleturn, until I saw Pearl of P3 Designs demo-ing this method. I love it and wouldn’t go back to needleturn. It is definitely worth trying!
Happy Anniversary, Kerry. I’m sure it was a good one – it sure looked yummy. I’m finding as I do more applique that I have to think about fabric purchases differently. Or maybe I need a new mindset. I usually just buy what I like, but maybe I should be looking at it differently. Would you share a post about how you buy fabric? Just a thought. Your corner block is looking great already.
Hi Angie: Thanks! Yes, you do need to look at fabric much differently that if you were piecing. I find I use a lot of tone-on-tones, something with a subtle pattern in it. It’s a really good idea for a future post:)