Filling the Fruit Bowl

Posted in Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Jenny and Bruin, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Piece by piece, I am filling the bowl with yummy fruit! First I added a pear, some grapes, an apple and what I believe is to be a tomato. Next I added some peaches (or apricots…your choice!) I absolutely love the fabric that the peaches are made from. It is one of those fabrics that go from light to dark across the width. These fabrics are perfect for shading flowers (or fruit!). Grab them when you see them!

I was a little worried that there was not enough contrast between the peaches and the pear, so I took the block to the window to see it in natural sunlight. I think its just fine. Bruin is still a little unsure.

Next, I added another leaf, a pear, another tomato, some stems and a few more grapes. Peachy!

Til next time…

Kerry

18Nov2013

OK…where was I?

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Applique Techniques, Ladies of the Sea, Sue Garman Pattern, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Now that I have finished Civil War Bride, I have some spare time on my hands. What will I do? Will I work on finishing some neglected UFO’s or start something totally brand new? Well…since I like to work on a number of projects at once, the answer is…both! I am going to work on finishing up Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore” and I am going to start Sue Garman’s “Ladies of the Sea” tomorrow. I have been wanting to start this quilt for a while now. I showed the pattern to my son a couple of years ago and told him I would like to make it for him. He said “Sweet”. A couple of months ago, he actually asked me if I had started it yet. I said I hadn’t. Last week he asked me again if I had started it and I told him I was getting ready organizing my fabrics and I would start it soon. He said “Sweet. Make sure you make it long enough to cover me”.
(He is 6′ 5″.) I was torn between mortified and ecstatic. Mortified because he wants to use the quilt. Ecstatic because he wants to use the quilt!

I try to keep all of my unfinished projects organized in clear containers. That way, when I am ready to pick up where I left off, I know exactly where everything is. How is that for organized? This is “Friends of Baltimore”. I have just 2 blocks left, then I can start the borders. (Have you seen the borders? Yikes!)

So, the fern block is finished, but still needed a bath. You can read more about “Washing My Blocks” here.

While that block was soaking, I started the next block, the fruit bowl. First, I traced the pattern on to my background with a Clover water soluble marker. I used my light box to do all of my tracing.

I started with the base of the bowl. All I can think about is how nice it would be to go whale watching right about now!

Next, I added some circles.

Now I was ready to add some leaves. I have been thinking about leaves lately. Probably because we have been raking them up before the snow falls. Leaves come in more colours than just shades of green.

I have been keeping my eyes open for some really different leaf fabrics to add to my stash of applique fabrics. Check these out! I especially like the second one from the left and decided to use that one in this block.

Here it is….

Til next time…

Kerry

11Nov2013

Finished!!

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

It was a busy weekend, but I made sure I took the time to add the final border to my Civil War Bride Quilt. Voila!! Of course, I am very excited to have finished this rather ambitious quilt. Also, a little sad to see the entire process come to an end. Looking back on my blog posts, I see I started stitching this quilt on July 1, 2012, and finished stitching it on Nov. 11, 2013. Time really does fly!!

Til next time…

Kerry

7Nov2013

Points….and a new label for an old quilt!

Posted in Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Have you ever wondered how I tackle those pesky points that stick out of my prepped pieces? Well, go make a cup of tea or coffee because there are lots (I mean lots!) of photos. Hopefully you can stay awake! Oh! Before, I forget, almost all of the products I use are available for purchase on my website!

I am going to start right at the beginning. I use two layers of freezer paper to make my templates. I iron the template on to the wrong side of the fabric and cut the template out, leaving 1/4″ seam allowance. Next, I use starch and a paintbrush to apply starch to the seam allowance.

Then I use my Petite Press Mini Iron and my Stiletto and press the seam allowance over the freezer paper. Once the whole shape is prepped, I pop the freezer paper out.

These are the pesky points I am talking about!

Next, I use just a few dots of Roxanne’s Glue and place the prepped piece on the background that I have marked with a Clover Water Soluble Marker. Sometimes, I place all the pieces on the background and then start stitching. Other times I just place a few and stitch. If it is a really complicated design with lots of layered pieces, I just do a few at a time.

I thread my applique needle with matching thread. I use 60 weight Mettler thread. It is the one with the green lettering on the spool.

Still awake? Good! Ok, next I scrunch the background in my left hand and start stitching. The very first stitch I take is in the very tip of the point. Notice the pesky point is at the bottom, and I am stitching on top of the piece.

I start stitching, from right to left, until I get to the other point. I take my last stitch in the very tip of that point.

So now we are going to trim that point a little. I hold my scissors parallel to the folded edge and trim off just a tiny bit. Keep your thread out of the way!

Then I turn the angle of my scissors and trim off that other little point. The tip of the scissors should be underneath the piece.

It should look something like this!

Next, I take my Perfect Scissors and tuck the trimmed point under the piece. These scissors work perfectly for this because they are blunt at the end.

So, I just continue on my merry way, until I get to the point at the other end.

I trim the point and tuck the point under in the same way as before.

Finally, I just stitch to the end. Voila!

Today is my daughters 27th birthday. Yikes! Where did the time go? I made this quilt for her and gave it to her on her 10th birthday. The inspiration for the appliqued circles on the border came from the opening credits of my favorite TV show, “3rd Rock from the Sun”!

For some reason, I still have the quilt, but I think it’s time to give it back to her. I noticed the writing on the old label has faded over time.

So, I had a new label made for the back of the quilt. Happy Birthday, Kelly!

Til next time…

Kerry

5Nov2013

Prepare to be Dazzled!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group by Simple Bird Applique

Last Sunday, our Sunday Afternoon Applique Group met (and once again!) Lynn dazzled and inspired us with her Aunt Millie’s Garden. Ruth Quinn from Stitching Impressions did an awesome job of machine quilting this masterpiece. You can see more of Lynn’s quilt here. Take a look!

I have been hand-quilting “Circle of Tulips” in my frame and beginning to get the hang of it. I am using two different stencils for the wreaths.

I am using the smaller stencil in the centre of the wreath of tulips……

..and the larger stencil where the secondary design magically appears.

Don’t know if you noticed, but I tilted the larger stencil on a 45 degree angle. I did this so I would not have to stitch parallel to the seam lines. So far I am liking it!

This is the stencil I have chosen for the outer border. I have my heart set on this quilt having a scalloped border. I may have to do a little bit of math to get the stencil to work out. I will worry about that when the time comes!

I love when stuff like this happens. Makes me feel really humble! I was stitching along and noticed the bias strip look a little….well…..weird. I glued it in the right place, just upside down! Oops!

Once I stopped giggling, I took it off…..

flipped it over….and now we are good!!

Til next time….

Kerry

3Nov2013

Hey It’s Good To Be Back Home Again!

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Applique Techniques, Jenny and Bruin, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Vacations are wonderful! Coming back home is wonderful, too. Don’t get me wrong…we had an amazing time in Florida. We swam, we lounged by the pool, we walked and we ate (boy did we eat!) Of course, the best part was the hot weather. When we left Barrie on Thursday the 24th, it was snowing! Fast forward a couple of hours and we were basking in the sunshine! I stitched when I could and managed to finish the bottom border of my Civil War Bride Quilt.

As soon as I came home, I washed my border in the bathroom sink. Then, I placed the wet border on a couple of towels to dry. I turned my back for a split second and saw that Jenny was making herself very comfortable.

Of course, Bruin had to get in on the action!

And now…on to the last border!

Til next time…

Kerry

22Oct2013

Life Is Good!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Applique Techniques, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

My Hubby and I are going on a little holiday. We are leaving for Florida on Thursday, and, of course, I am busy packing! But, I am even busier prepping the final borders of my Civil War Bride quilt. I like to take my stitching with me wherever I go. Heaven forbid I be on vacation with nothing to do!

So here is the bottom border.

Next I started on the top (and final!) border. First I glued all the bias stems in place.

Then I glued all the leaves in place. My bias strips were not long enough to do the whole vine, so I overlapped them and placed a leaf on top to hide the join.

Next I added the flowers, flower centers and a couple of love birds.

I wasn’t really happy with the leaves that covered the joins of the bias strips. I thought it looked like I was trying to cover something up…..hmmm….I was trying to cover something up! So I decided to add a couple of butterflies instead! Now I am ready for a vacation!

Believe it or not, I think I might just be getting the hang of hand-quilting on a frame. I no longer want to pick the frame up and heave it across the room! Life is good!

Til next time….

Kerry

14Oct2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I am determined to learn how to hand-quilt in a frame. I have watched many you-tube videos, emailed many questions to a couple of quilters who I know quilt in a frame and read a few books. Now, it’s time to do it! I spent Saturday morning putting my Q-snap frame together and put my Circle of Tulips quilt in it. I spent 2 or 3 hours just doing some cross-hatching. Even that feels really different than cross-hatching in a hoop. Next I tried figuring how to quilt away from myself. My first instinct is to pick up the frame and move it, but I don’t think that will work. I planned to spend today doing a bit more practicing, but I see it is nap time!

So,,,instead I starting prepping and stitching the bottom border of Civil War Bride. I chose not to include the owls. I tried different colours and different fabrics, but they just did not look like owls. So I just enlarged the love-birds in the top border and placed them on the branches. And, of course, I added a butterfly.

Then changed my mind and added a gold butterfly. Of all the fabrics I chose to fussy-cut my butterflies, I think this one is my favorite!

Til next time…

Kerry

11Oct2013

Again with the moping!

Posted in Circle of Tulips, Civil War Bride Quilt, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Hand-Quilting Tools, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I am getting ready to start the final borders of my Civil War Bride Quilt and it hit me…I am almost finished! That is very exciting, but, again, a little sad. But I remind myself that I have so many more quilts on my “To-Do List”. The more quilts I have in the works, the happier I am! So the borders are all marked and ready to go. I put everything out on the floor just to make sure that I wouldn’t have any unfortunate surprises when the time came to stitch the borders on. Everything is going to line up!

Our local shops had a “Shop-Hop” a couple of weeks ago and my “quilting partner-in-crime” and I went. So exciting to see 6 completely different quilt shops! Of course, I found something in each shop that I just could not live without! Even though I already had backing at home for “Circle of Tulips”, I found not one, but two backings that I thought I might like better. After auditioning all three, I chose the one I already had!

I love everything I bought, but I found this very intriguing. I have had so much fun playing.

Here it is a nutshell…Triangulations by Brenda Henning is a CD. You insert it into your computer,and the next thing you know, you are a Triangle Expert! First of all, I love when I don’t have to think! Just choose the finished size of the triangle you want to make. I chose to make some 2 1/2″ triangles. So I printed a few sheets just to try it out. Put two fabrics together, pin one of the patterns on, stitch on the dotted line…