Now that I am (almost) finished stitching all 9 blocks, I am getting ready to stitch the blocks together. I am excited! I am adding a few touches of hand embroidery to the blocks, which I am rather enjoying.
I am making sure all of the blocks are washed before I trim them to the proper size. First, I fill the sink with very hot water and I add a squirt of liquid hand soap. Then I toss the block in. It’s not neatly as heart wrenching as you would imagine. Trust me:)
I usually let it soak for half an hour or so to get the starch and glue out of the block.
When its finished soaking, I rinse it under water to make sure all the soap is gone.
I gently squeeze the excess water out and lay it out on a thick towel to air dry. That’s all there is to it!
I have started working on the paper-pieced stars that make up the cornerstones in this setting. I had forgotten how much I love paper-piecing. It is so precise and you are practically guaranteed perfect results. What is not to love about that?
Paper-piecing is really not difficult as long as you do not have a cat on your lap.
Remember that you have until July 1 to sign up for Bed of Roses, a Block of the Month I recently completed. Here are some photos, just to tempt you! Details are on the website Simple Bird Studio.
Til next time…..
Kerry
Simple Bird Applique 
Thank you for sharing your progress and tips while making this absolutely stunning quilt!
It is exciting when it is time to stitch blocks together. Embroidery is a lovely touch. Lol on piecing with a feline trying to assist.
What wonderful, useful and practical information. Results are swoon-worthy. Thank you for sharing. Question: if you applique a much lighter fabric (white perhaps ) to a darker background (blue,prhaps), do you line the white and if so, what do you use for lining fabric ? A devoted fan😊
Hi Toni: If I am going to line a white fabric, I use a solid white (with no pattern). In one of the blocks I taught at the Academy, I didn’t line the white vase, and I wish I had lined it. So it was a good teaching moment:)
Oh wow, Kerry — I didn’t think you could do that with blocks in the middle of the process! I thought there were only two times you could wash or shrink fabrics — before you started cutting, or when you laundered the finished quilt. I do have some completed applique blocks that I never set because I realized one of the red batiks was a bleeder when my iron leaked on that fabric. I suppose it’s worth a try to soak the blocks and see if I can get all the extra dye out without having pink backgrounds. Is the squirt of dish soap better than Synthrapol for that purpose, or is the dish soap just for removing starch and glue?
Hi Rebecca: If you are trying to remove some color that has bled, I would use Synthrapol, rather than dish soap.
Kerry, Do you have any plans to release the Bed of Roses just as a pattern? I have way too much fabric, I certainly don’t need any more. Thanks so much.
Hi Patti: Yes I am going to add the pattern set back on the website. Btw, I can relate to having way too much fabric:)
Tried to leave a comment earlier, looks like it didn’t work. Just wanted to compliment you on the work you do – it’s beautiful and so much care has been put into every piece. Getting ready for July 1. 1……2…..3 ready when I get the supplies 🙂
Thanks, Ruth. I will make sure you have your fabric and patterns and are ready to go!