I have decided that Little Brown Bird by Margart Docherty will be my next applique project.

After my magazine review podcast I heard from Errin telling me all about this pattern and where I can buy the CD.  I immediately ordered it, but when it came it, I knew that I would need more than just the printout of the pattern to complete such a difficult quilt.

The book is currently out of print – but a used copy was finally affordable on amazon.  Look what came in this week!

I am super excited to get started.  But you know me – I don’t stash – I am I going to need about 50 fat quarters to complete this one.  Plus background and border fabrics.  For now, I am slowly collecting everything that I need.  I guess in the meantime I will try to finish all my other hand projects I started that are sitting around.

These are my first three blocks from my Hot Ribbon Block of the Month I am doing at the local quilt shop.  The pattern is from the Dutch Quilter and it is a no-sew applique.  The shading is done using fabric markers.  The snowdrops were my first and the daffodill was my last; you can see how I am getting better at that shading.

I will talk about the process of doing Hot Ribbon on the next podcast.

Here are some close ups.

I finish the prep work for my last block for Frolic. Yeah!!!  It is only 56 pieces, but all the pieces are pretty big, so it is a big pile of fabric. I did start stitching it last night and used a new product I picked up at the quilt shop.

It is called “Glue Baste-it”.  It is a temporary glue to hold your pieces in place while you are stitching on your applique.  This tiny bottle was $5, but is should last pretty long; you don’t use much.  To use it you put several small daps on the the fabric and place your piece; try not to put glue where you are going to stitch.  It does wash away with water and is not permanent.

I don’t know if I like it yet – over pins.  The good part is I can place a lot of pieces at once without the worry of sticking myself with a bunch of pins while I hand stitch.  The bad part is: nothing is holding my freezer paper on (see my applique technique post for how I needle turn).   Plus, the glue goes through the fabric, even through I am using  just a small dot.

First, thank you to everyone who has been leaving comments and sending pictures!!!  This week, I shared Corrine’s recent project.  Check it out – don’t you love the fabric?!?!  Until I posted this picture, I did not realize she embroidered a “K” in the center.  Leave a comment for Corrine – let her know what you think.

Question of the Week – Bernina won out! – I still want one.  I am trying to come up with creative ways to save up the money for one.

On to the Applique! – Please listen to the podcast while browsing these pictures.  Hopefully, I posted them all in the same order I talked about them.

Freezer Paper - find it in your grocery store near the foil

Trace your pattern onto the freezer paper - separate the pieces and account for the overlap of the design

Trace the design onto the background fabric using a water soluble marker

Close up picture of the design on the background

Cut out the freezer paper pieces and place them on the corresponding fabrics

Make sure all the pieces are numbered

Iron them onto the fabric, leaving a 1/2" space in between each. Don't cut them out until you are ready to sew

Cut out the piece with a scant 1/4 seam allowance, pin into place on background. I use small applique pins.

When pinning in place, line the freezer paper up with the outline on the background.

Fold under the edge of the fabric so it is even with the freezer paper. Slide your needle, with a knot on the end, under the fold and begin stitching.

Only grab a few threads of background fabric and a few threads of applique fabric for each stitch.

About 1/2" before the corner, fold the top of the corner under bluntly.

Use your needle the fold the fabric under, even with the freezer paper. For curves, sweep the needle in both directions until the curve is smooth.

Stitch to the point of the corner, adding an extra stitch on the point.Use your needle to fold the fabric under on the left side of the corner. Push tightly to the stitches on the point.Fold down the rest of the side past the corner and continue to stitch.Leave the freezer paper on until all the stitching is done.

The finished piece - front view

The back after stitching around the applique piece.

Pinch the backing fabric away from the applique fabric.Use small scissors to snip away the backing fabric, leaving a scant 1/4" seam allowance.Backing fabric cut away from applique piece.

Back after several pieces are sewn on and backing is cut away.

Sorry, Guys.  I could not post a podcast this week.  Don’t worry, I am not a podfader.  I can list a ton of excuses, but I will explain fully during next week’s podcast.

In the meantime……

I finished another applique block for my Frolic quilt.  They are supposed to be snowshoes, but I think they look like maracas.  lol.  It is not my fault, it is the pattern.  When you look at them out of context, they just don’t look like snowshoes, but next to the other snow people, snow flakes, and holly branches they look more in place.

Things I learned during this block:

• Layering is great and it does save time – I didn’t stitch the parts that would have other pieces placed on top of it.
• Pinning helps keep everything in place when you insist on not using fusable or glue.
• Especially pin the larger pieces
• Cotton thread is great, but shreads after a while – only use 12-18 inch pieces and watch out for the shreading of the thread.  Tie off before the thread breaks.

I think my daughter’s favorite medium is Paper – she loves paper crafts and is always raiding my scapbooking supply.  Look what she made for Easter.  We don’t decorate eggs at my house, but she wanted to and figured out a way how.  During Easter Linner (lunch/dinner) she gave everyone an Easter egg.

Sorry, folks.  I recorded my podcast this morning and all was going well.  I finished and click stop on the recorded and BOOM!!  The computer shut the program down and nothing was saved.  I searched for a recovery for 30 minutes; by that time it was too late to re-record because the baby girl would be awake soon.

I am working from home tomorrow – so I will try again.  Luckily I use notes and can remember most of what I talked about.  If all goes well, I will have a new show for you tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, I finished another block of my hand appliques project “Frolic” and I started on the forth block.