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

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

8Oct2013

Second Border on Civil War Bride

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

I finished stitching the second border of Civil War Bride this morning. After I washed it, I trimmed it, just like the last border.

Here are some close-up pictures.

And here is the whole border!

Til next time….

Kerry

3Oct2013

Birds and Butterflies

Posted in Bouquet For a New Day, Hand-Applique Techniques, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I was very excited to begin the second side border of the Civil War Bride Quilt! When I start a border or a block, I never really have a clear picture in my mind of how it is going to look when it is finished. So I just start prepping pieces in colours that I think will work and audition them. Sometimes they work, and sometimes they don’t!

I love the bird….I love the butterflies. I just don’t love the way they look together. It just looks a little blah. I may change them, but I’ll wait until I add a few more pieces. Sometimes things have a way of growing on me once I add more pieces. I have a sneaking suspicion that because I used black and gray for the bird, the butterflies should be a bit more colorful.

So….I thought I would leave the butterflies alone for a while and audition some flowers to see if that helped…first a blue one…

…then a yellow one….

…and, finally a pink one.

I still wasn’t happy with the overall feel, so I made some new butterflies. Now, I love it!

Til next time….

Kerry

18Sep2013

Stunning!

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

I love getting together with my Sunday Afternoon Applique group! We stitch, we chat, we eat, but most of all, we inspire each other! This past Sunday was no exception. Brenda did more than her fair share of inspiring. She brought her “Aunt Millie’s Garden” in for us to drool over! Take a close look at the sashing. Brenda designed a different sashing than what the original pattern had. Awesome! This beautiful quilt was machine quilted by Elite Quilting

I have started working away on the border of Civil War Bride. First I made the bias stems and glued them in place.

I had so much fun making fussy-cut butterflies for the blocks, I decided to continue on the borders. Would you think this fabric would make a pretty cool butterfly?

Check out the butterfly on the left!

Next, I added a pretty blue bird and a purple posy. It’s a good start!

Some of you have contacted me asking about the pattern for the tulip quilt in my last blog post. The pattern is from an old “Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine”. There is a pattern for the block on my website that you can download. The best part is, it is a free download! Here is what you do…click on the button in the top right hand corner of my blog that says “Check out my new website.” Then, click on On-Line Store. Then, click on Part 1 and Part 2 of Circle of Tulips. Easy peasy! While you are there, you can also check out the first of my Hand- Applique Tutorials.

Til next time…

Kerry

11Sep2013

All that fuss!

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

Of course I was procrastinating! Three of the four ferns were prepped and stitched in place. I even distracted myself long enough to make some berries. I knew what I had to do….make another fern!