As promised last week, the Snowy Owl pattern is now available for purchase on my website!  You have the option of purchasing the paper pattern or a digital pattern.  Either way, you will get 6 pages of templates already traced.  That means you can start prepping right away:)

Our grandson, Spencer Chad Nevin Counter Hatton (whew!), arrived right in time for Thanksgiving:)  How exciting!  Here he is just less than an hour old.

In my last blog post, I showed you how to prep the irises for the Snowy Owl block.  Did you know that the Snowy Owl is the provincial bird for the province of Quebec?  True story:)

So I started with the partial head, the gray detail and the eye.  I just couldn’t wait to see those eyes.

Do you get the feeling that someone is watching you?

This small gray piece is the next one to be glued in place.

Then this dark gray one…

The large white body/leg section is the next piece to add.

And then this light gray piece.  Notice how everything is lining up nicely?  Even I am impressed lol

The next gray piece to be added is actually an extension of the gray piece already in place.  I thought it would be easier to cut this large section in 2 smaller sections and try to make the join as inconspicuous as possible.

As I add each section, I am making sure that everything lines up to the traced image on the background.  I use a pin and stab through the both layers to make sure it all lines up.  Better to be safe than sorry!

Wow!  It’s actually starting to look like something!

Til next time…

Kerry

For a while now, I have been getting requests for my patterns to be available in digital format.  The patterns for my quilt, To Everything There Is A Season, has been available in both digital and paper patterns.  You can order single blocks, or, if you are feeling ambitious, you can order the whole set:)

So my next project over the next couple of months or so, is to add all my other patterns as digital patterns.  I have started with The Hummingbird in Flight, and The Chickadee and Purple Violet patterns.  When you purchase these patterns, you will receive the file, which you will then download to your computer, and then print out at home, or take to your favourite copy place and they can print it out for you.  You will also receive a colour picture of the project, a list of fabric requirements, a list of supplies needed, general instructions, and, most importantly, a copy of the templates, which you can photocopy onto freezer paper.  In other words, you will receive everything you would if you ordered the paper pattern. (The templates have been created for Prepared Edge Applique.) 

Speaking of the Chickadee and Purple Violet pattern, I recently did a tutorial on my blog, which shows the construction of this block, from start to finish.  I even showed you how I make a caterpillar:)  The tutorial is actually spread out over 4 or 5 blog posts.  Everything in that tutorial can be applied to constructing any applique block using the Prepared Edge Applique method.  Did you know that the Chickadee And Purple Violet is Block 1 of a series of 13 blocks called “Glorious and Free” that I am creating to celebrate the provincial birds and flowers of Canada?  It’s true!

A few months ago, I started working on Block 2 of this series, The Snowy Owl and Blue Flag Iris, but I got a little side tracked with other stuff (that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!).

And those eyes!  This pattern will be available on my website as a paper pattern and a digital pattern next week after I double check the freezer paper templates.

I started with the irises because I thought they were the easiest place to start.  I traced the pattern onto my background with a Clover water soluble marker.  I like to use the thick marker, but the thin works just as well.  I use Roxanne’s glue to glue all of my pieces onto the background.

In my next blog post I’ll show you how I constructed the owl:)

Til next time….

Kerry

Recently, I have taught The Hummingbird numerous times as a workshop in local shops, and for local guilds.  It is a good teaching block, it covers almost everything you need to know about Prepared Edge Applique.  In the class, most students get the leaves, stems and flowers prepped and glued onto the background.  At the end of the class I describe how the hummingbird is put together, but I think a visual guide will help those who have taken the class.  I think it is also a good tutorial for anyone looking for a few hints about how to put a rather complex design together.  Hint:  It only looks complex 🙂  The Hummingbird pattern is available on my website.  The pattern includes the freezer paper templates already traced, just to make your life easier:)

So here is the block with the leaves, stems and flowers in place.

The first piece to be glued in place is the “back” wing.

Now, the row of small wings can be placed on the background, starting at the bottom and working towards the top.

Next, we can add the remaining feathers, the gray head and white detail.

We are going to add the gray body next, but only apply glue to the seam allowance as shown.

Glue in place, but leave the bottom section open (that is why we aren’t putting glue on that section).

Add the large wing, paying attention to where the seam allowances are lining up shown in the circle (very important!).

The pink underbelly can now be glued in place.  It is starting to look like something, isn’t it?

So now this is the tricky part.  Lift the gray body up and pin it to stay in place.  I just put my stiletto on top of it.  That works too:)  Now we can start to put the tail feathers in place, starting with the tail feather on the right and working to the left.

As you can see, the last tail feather goes on top of the pink underbelly, and the large turquoise feather.  Then the gray body (the part with no glue on it) goes on top of the tail feathers.

Add  a few dabs of glue and put the gray body in place.

Next we can add the beak and the eye.  The point at the end of the beak is tucked underneath the purple flower.  Easy Peasy!

Til next time….

Kerry