Yesterday's work

I ordered the CD Bugs in Jars after seeing a quilt made from these blocks on MQR.....i couldn't not do it. it was just adorable. so, naturally, i had to stop what i was doing and try one of them.

I did the smallest one first...and it took an hour. actually it is not a bug...but a fish. but the rest are bugs. but you get the idea. the 'jar'...in this case a bowl....is vinyl....which is appliqued on after the design is stitched.

On, my goodness....these are just so cute and adorable. just wait till you see the rest of the bugs in jars. they are actually jars with lids. and the expressions on the bugs faces are just priceless. i'll be working on another one of these today....right after i finish Carole's quilt that has been on the frame way, way too long for how small it is.

Also i got a couple more of the hand applique safari animals done. they are wool felt on a cotton paisley print. there are all different sizes of blocks. i had fun designing the top to fit them all in.

The color for the background fabric is actually somewhere between these 2 blocks. my camera and i don't always communicate properly. LOL

I also finished a bunch of small bug blocks....show you

Later

Newest hand applique project -- Safari

My newest hand applique project was conceived to use up some of my neutral wool felt pieces...black, grays, browns, tans.

This is called Safari. there are 40 animals....i have a ways to go. LOL

First i did a large cat...of some kind

And i have a camel

And this upset looking gorilla

And this thing. i won't even have you guess what it is...you'll never guess.  it's called a Falanouc....see? It lives in Madagascar and is shy and lives in the rainforest. a mongoose-like mammal.

The bottom of that last pic didn't turn out properly but i got tired of trying to get it to load correctly. Blogger is having picture loading problems. but you get the idea. the part missing is part of his tail.

This is my evenings entertainment these days. only 36 more to go. will show you more as i do them..

Later

My Tweets....block 7

Remember these....i've been a little remiss in keeping up with this project but do want to get these all finished up. i believe this is block 7.

They are hand appliqued. applique pieces are wool felt. background is flannel.

They go rather quickly if i just sit down and do them.

I have the pieces for 2 more blocks cut out so i can take them to the Duck with me on Thursday. maybe i'll get both of them done before i come back home. i think i am closing in on the end of this project.

I'm ready to get it quilted up and on to the next hand applique project.

Later

My Tweets blocks

I have finished 2 blocks so far (along with the middle section) of the My Tweets hand applique quilt. i am loving this pattern. by the time i am finished i will probably have appliqued hundreds of leaves. and dozens of tail feathers. LOL

This is block 1

Love those birds

This is block 2.  i am changing up the placement and shades of tail feathers. just because i can

Cute little tulip flowers

All the blocks are different so it keeps it from being boring.

Stay tuned for more blocks..

Later

Miss Kelly is done

I finished the center block of My Tweets....my current hand applique project. it is done in wool felt and hand appliqued with 2 strands embroidery floss.

It is done on a pale green flannel background.

This center piece is 26" square. it will have a border on it with prairie points.

The other 12 surrounding blocks are 14" square. this will be one brightly colored quilt.

It will be queen size and i will keep it for my bed. this will be probably #8 or 9 that i have for my bed. they all reside in a glass fronted cabinet in the bedroom. the idea was to change the quilt on the bed every month. have i done that? .... nooo....LOL   the same quilt has been on the bed about 4 or 5 months. so i either need to start changing or decide that the other quilts are simply room decorations.

I have started the first block last night but haven't gotten too far. but i have all the pieces cut out. and one large flower appliqued onto the base. but the flower has 4 layers....so can i count that as 4 pieces done?

In the original pattern the birds are the same color but i decided to make one darker purple and one lighter. my reasoning is that one is the male...and one the female. makes sense to me. i will have to get more purple felt possibly....not sure i have enough for 12 blocks. but i have discovered that i can use the freezer paper templates more than once. i used the larger pieces from this block to cut for the smaller block and they stick just fine.

Hopefully by the end of the month i can show you the first block....and not much

Later

Home and Harvest finished

My first hand applique project for 2012 is finished. this pattern was in Quiltmaker magazine in 2005

This is called Home and Harvest and is 40" square. i worked on it mostly in the evenings when i was working at the Duck.

I used wool felt for the applique pieces and the background.

I put 2 battings so the applique would be poofy.

I used a dark gray thread to go around all the applique pieces and then a black thread for the background echoing.

There were lots of tiny pieces in this quilt but i like it a lot. when i quilted around the vines in the border i stayed about 1/8" away from the vine. you can't see it in the pics but i like the quilting lines that are on either side of the vine.

Here is a shot of it laying on the table... i was trying to show you how poofy the pieces are.

The back has a bright floral. the binding is a dark gray. it will have a place of honor hanging in the studio.

Now i am working on my next applique project....a queen size quilt....hand applique with wool felt on flannel background. i am doing My Tweets.....a BOM project that was online in 2011.

Now i have all my February to-dos done. actually, this one was on the March list. LOL  i'm going to quit for the day....go back to the house and chill out for a while. there is a creamsicle in the freezer calling my name.

To see what else i might find to do...check with me

Later

Catching you up

Sheesh....it's been a week....honestly, i don't know where the time goes. i am busier than a one armed paperhanger but can't tell you what i've done.

I do know i have stacked a lot of wood...we have had snow a couple times. but nothing serious...thank God...just a few inches at a time. now there is a lot of mud.

But i have been stitching. i now have 2 of my hand applique baskets done....ta da!!

Oops....that last block needs another embroidery tendril...i'll get back to that. LOL  i have decided it is do-able but still not my favorite type of applique. i still struggle a lot. but i do get in a lot of HGTV while doing it. i have 2 more blocks to go.

I also finished these 2 blocks last night...homework from the afternoon's class.

My friend, Brenda, asked me to do a selvage presentation at her guild next month. so i have been pulling out the selvage tops and getting them quilted up. i'm sure the guild members would rather see quilts than tops.

This one was made with black and red selvages. it's sort of a wonky log cabin style. i tried to keep the 'center' squares off center ... sometimes it makes your eyes cross. LOL 

Here's a bit of a closeup. i quilted it with black thread on the top and gray on the bottom. and put a panto on it. nothing shows anyway.

Here's a bit of the back. the red backing came from Haik's when they were at the Kansas City show. i like their backings.

And i have added to the blocks for this quilt on the design wall. it will be king size and now no longer fits on the wall. i'm thinking i'll just keep making blocks and then figure out later how to lay it all out and then get it back together the right way. i have nowhere to lay this all out. not sure the floor will help me. any ideas for me???

I have about half of the blocks made.

Now i have to see how far i can get on the quilt on my frame....another selvage quilt....this time in neutrals and i did it a bit different....stay tune for pictures soon.

If the weather cooperates i may go out to the Duck this weekend and do a bit of work. i am anxious to order my front door and get it installed. the Duck needs a little love.

Take care and try to thing Spring!