Slow Stitching Sunday

Posted in Friends of Baltimore, Grandmother's Flower Garden, Hand-Piecing, Hand-Quilting Techniques, Hexagons, Inklingo, Slow Stitching Sunday, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

This past week I have been busy with non-quilting activities, but I still managed to find the time to work away on the last corner block in the border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. And, as usual, I started with the vase. This just might be my favourite vase!

Slowly, I filled the vase….first with some stems and leaves. You can see that some of the leaves and flowers cover the seam line and flow from the block onto the border.

So now I have prepped as far as I can. I am going to stitch everything…well, maybe not everything!… in place this afternoon at my Sunday Afternoon Applique Group. Once all of the stitching is done, I will attach this border to the rest of the quilt, and then fill in the missing pieces. I am linking up to Slow Stitching Sunday. Check it out and see what some fine quilters are up to today!

My hexies are taking on a life of their own. I am not exactly sure where this quilt is heading. I am just making it up as I go! Have you tried Inklingo yet? All of these hexies were made using Inklingo. Inklingo is fast, efficient, super-simple and extremely addictive! Betcha can’t make just one!!

And, finally, a couple of people asked me if I would show the back of my hexie stitching once it has been pressed. It’s all about spiralling the seams!

Til next time….

Kerry

2May2014

To Everything There Is A Season…Block 2

Posted in "To Everything There is a Season", Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Wow! Time flies, doesn’t it?

Last month I presented the first block of “To Everything There Is A Season”, a quilt designed exclusively for Simple Bird Studio by MT Designs. You can see that block here, along with some BOM details.

It is time to present Block 2, The Hummingbird. The pattern is available for purchase on my website.

My Sunday Afternoon Applique Group is graciously testing these blocks for me. Here is Kathy F.’s version of the hummingbird. Stunning!

Til next time….

Kerry

29Apr2014

Obsession….

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Hexagons, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Obsession is defined as the act of letting a thought or action rule your thoughts or actions. Ok, then, call me obsessed! I have been spending my time making hexies….every waking moment.

I have even graduated to Six Pointed Stars. Yikes! What next?

My Sunday Afternoon Applique met on Sunday and we had some awesome Show and Tell. Kathy F. stitched this gorgeous quilt, depicting a gazebo and some beautiful spring and summer flowers.

Take a close look at the back. Kathy F. in am impeccable stitcher!

Next, is Dolores’s quilt made of Civil War fabrics. Once it is quilted, it will hang in her front hall. Wouldn’t that be a treat to see every time you walked in your front door?

Helene’s block is beautiful! The quilt Helene is making has 16 of this same block. Can’t wait to see it finished! Check out the background. Spiffy!

And finally, I showed the group my finished Civil War Bride.

Til next time…

Kerry

17Mar2014

Surrounded by talent!

Posted in Bruin, Friends of Baltimore, Hand-Quilting Tools, Sue Garman Pattern, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Our Sunday Afternoon Applique Group met yesterday and wait til you see the Show and Tell! This is Christie’s version of Aunt Millie’s Garden. Spectacular! This materpiece was machine quilted by Carl of Lilac Lanes in Alliston. This is the fourth (!) Aunt Millie’s Garden to come out of this group…and we are patiently waithing for one more…stitch, Kathy, stitch!!

Next, we have Lynn’s “Woodland Creatures” a quilt designed by Rosemary Makhan, who sadly passed away recently. The more we looked at the quilt, the more detail we found! This masterpiece was machine quilted by Ruth at Stitching Impressions.

I spent most of Saturday working on my border of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”.

Before I know it I will be finished!!

Til next time…

Kerry

9Dec2013

Show and Tell

Posted in Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

My Sunday Afternoon Applique Group met yesterday and we were (once again!) delighted with some pretty awesome Show and Tell!

First, Kathy (with a K) showed her Kim McLean quilt that she started two years ago. Kathy chose to use solids for her backgrounds and a variety of black and whites for the appliques. Kathy brings new meaning to the word “creative”. So impressive!

Check out the sashing Kathy chose. It has colorful pins on a black background!

This is Helene’s version of Jo Morton’s “Prairie Flowers Encore”. Stunning!

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

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

4Jun2013

Inspiration….gotta love it!!

Posted in Civil War Bride Quilt, Grandmothers Choice, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Last Sunday, my Sunday Afternoon Applique Group met to chat, stitch and eat. The best part about getting together with other appliquers is that we feed off each others creativity and, best of all, we inspire each other. This month we were super- inspired by Lynne. Lynne started “Flower Garden” by Kim McLean last September and brought it this month for Show and Tell. Awesome!

Since my sewing machine was out (and I had already taken over the dining room table!) I thought it would be a good idea to do a few more blocks of Barbara Brackman’s Grandmother’s Choice. This block of the week is a great stash-buster! I am starting to think about which settings I will use to put the blocks together. So many choices! Even if you aren’t making the blocks, I recommend reading the stories that accompany each block. You will realize how far we have come, baby!

This block is called Nonsense.

This is called Endless Stairs.

This is called Art Square.

And, this is called Nameless Star.

Moving right along, I started to work on the next block of Civil War Bride. This block has the peacock in it and I wanted it to stand out in a very regal way! I went searching in my stash and just couldn’t find anything that said “peacock” to me. I went searching in my friends’ stash and this is what I found! Oh…the possibilities!

First I started with the body.

Then I added the tail section.

And now comes the fun part! I love fabrics that beg to be fussy cut! I thought these medallions would make awesome feather details.

I used Perfect Circles by Karen Kay Buckley to make the circles. You can read more about Perfect Circles here.

So I stitched on a few circles and liked the effect…

…so I added some more!

Next, I added some legs and a place for the peacock to stand!

Til next time…

Kerry

24Jan2013

The Tale of a Squirrel

Posted in Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

Last week we had some very mild temperatures which seemed to bring a few squirrels out of hibernation. Who could blame them? It was 10 degrees…in January!

I wanted to include a squirrel block in the quilt I am designing for my Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, so I spent a bit of time studying the little creatures. I came up with some surprising tidbits. (tidbit: A small and particularly interesting item of gossip or information).

Squirrels always seem to know where to find their next meal, even if it means the birds go hungry!

Squirrels seem to know who the enemy is…in this case, Bruin!

They have crazy families like the rest of us!

This is a sneak peek of part of the pattern I designed for the group…

…and I found the perfect squirrel fabric…of all places…in my stash!

This is a quilt I was working on about 5 years ago. I put it away for a while, and I must admit, I forgot about it. That is until I read Audrey’s post on her blog “Quilty Folk”.

I love words appliqued on quilts. My original plan was to applique words on 3 borders (the top and sides) and applique the year on the bottom. My issue/challenge/dilemna is this: When I found the quilt in the closet, I didn’t find any of the border pieces or any of the green fabric I used for the word “Family”. I would really like to say that I remember where I put them, but I think we all know the answer! So it’s time to put my thinking cap on and figure out how I will finish this quilt!

Til next time…

Kerry

3Jan2013

Itching to stitch!

Posted in Friends of Baltimore, Grandmothers Choice, Hand-Applique Techniques, Sue Garman Pattern, Sunday Afternoon Applique Group, Uncategorized by Simple Bird Applique

I love New Year’s Day! The tree is down. The decorations have been packed away for another year. And now it’s time to get the sewing machine out of hiding! I spent most of New Year’s Day cutting out blocks from Barbara Brackman’s Grandmother’s Choice.

Here is #18.

And here is #15.

And, finally, #11.

I finished stitching the first block of a quilt I am designing for my Sunday Afternoon Applique Group.

Here is the paper pattern. Bruin likes to chew on my paper patterns. See him in action here. (Actually, seeing that post made me realize I have a few UFO’s that need to be finished this year!! Yikes!!) My thoughts are still percolating over the curvy inner border…and which setting I will use…and how many blocks to make…and how big will the quilt be…and so on and so on! Designing a quilt is definitely about the journey!

I have been just itching to start the next block of Sue Garman’s “Friends of Baltimore”. I decided the vase would be a perfect place to start.

First I stitched down the light blue section.

Next I stitched the dark blue section on top. You can see that the light blue section is just a skinny edging, but I used a full piece of fabric to give it more stability.