Progress on some hand-stitching

Since Grand Rapids AQS, I've been sewing like crazy.  There are so many nuts in the air that even I'M feeling a little overwhelmed!!  What IS this creative flurry!!  So grab a cup of coffee, and sit down for a spell, you needed a break anyway.

I pulled out two UFO's, a large floral project from a workshop with Melinda Bula started last summer, and a photo-to-quilt project started with David Taylor in 2012.  I'd been dreaming of sitting and hand-appliqueing that photo quilt, since I am really enjoying handwork now.  It's great when Mike and I are sitting watching TV together in the evening, as well as other times.

The Melinda Bula is a Hibiscus, and there are still LOTS of little parts to cut out.  Her work is fabulous, if you're not familiar, go to her page (I linked it above) & look at some of her prize-winning quilts.  BUT.  The thing I don't like about my kit is:   A. the fusible web.  I'm not opposed & often love using fusible.  But this much is a LOT.  I have to clean off my scissors with rubbing alcohol every so often.  And B.  the long skinny pieces, with teeny turns and knobs.  Is that really necessary??  You can admire & enjoy someone's work, try their technique, but know it's not for you.  I do want to finish it though.

HIBISCUS STATUS:    Still cutting!

My David Taylor project, the 'coffee cup', started in 2012 at a 3-day workshop, is a still-life in blues & greens.  Brought it home, worked on it a little, then put it in a pretty basket, and it sat.

Spring of 2015, I took a 2nd class with David, a short-one-day, so I could refresh myself on how he creates his pieces & his applique.  Came out, got the project out, finished prepping the rest of the pieces (a good amount had been done in the workshop)

A pattern had been created from a blown up photograph in class, and the way he does this is fascinating!  Let me tell you, that class scared the beejeezus out of me----got in there the first day and thought, oh man, this is so over my head!  What am I doing here???  But it feels good as you get going to stretch yourself, even if it's scary at first.

His pattern shapes are often ying-yang, tear drops, that interlock.  Let the fabric do the work, he says.  Maybe half of my pieces were ready during the workshop, so the rest I did last summer, intending it to be ready for applique September 2015.  Got it back out two weeks ago, pieced my background, and started laying out the pieces.  You put the translucent pattern over the top to help you lay out the pieces where they belong, like so:

Cool, huh??????

So I was right about September target date, just got the year wrong, LOL.  It will be all appliqued September 2016, ready for quilting!

COFFEE CUP STATUS:  Getting hand-appliqued in the evenings.  Probably 50% stitched.

My English Paper Piecing project started last October has all blocks and handwork DONE.   All 16 blocks have been paper-pieced & hand appliqued down onto their backgrounds.   Those little 4-petal flowers that go between the blocks (see pic below) are all ready too.  I thought of this as a long-term project (several years?) but am very pleased it has moved along so quickly.

Here are my blocks on the design wall, with one sample petal-cluster pinned to the wall.  I haven't figured out yet if I can whip stitch the 4 together first, then applique down to the completed top, or if they need to be attached separately. Thoughts????

Pardon the wrinkles, but as much as you smooth the blocks to the flannel design wall, it's still not very smooth & the camera can be very unforgiving.  They are lovely, and the soft grey backgrounds look very nice.

Well I WAS going to tell you about my new projects, but I sense you're getting a little twitchy, just sitting there, and need to go do something---probably sew!  So my new projects will wait til next post.  Til then, GO SEW!