MONTH 5 -- Show Your Progress Here

[Barbara B.]

Please use this TOPIC to share your progress.

[Helen W.]

Hoping to get all the applique done by the end of May. Here is what I have so far.
HelenW

[Alice]

Love the butterflies too. I can look at the photo many times and each time I’ll find something interesting and beautiful on the 4 butterflies! Can’t wait to see it when it’s done!

[Helen W.]

Thanks ladies for the compliments. The butterflies come from Catherine Redford's book Butterfly
Stitches. I just pulled scraps of fabric that would go with the blocks I have made. I only know
a few hand embroidery stitches, so I am hoping to learn a few new ones from Alex in her Magic
Garden Gnome wall hanging. Don't need another project to start, but figured I could do it with
left over flannel scraps from my Homeward Bound After Dark quilt from last year. The flannels
actually look a lot like wool. HelenW

[Paola B.]

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

[sewskeel]

Done

[Barbara B.]

Wow, you’re fast! What method did you use?

[sewskeel]

I used needle turn applique

[Susan C.]

sewskeel, beautiful! did you add a seam allowance to accommodate the needle turn appliqué?
Thanks for your help!

[brigitte.wieser]

I love to applique, and for this time I use needle turn applique by hand, using freezer paper for the templates.

[Sheridan D.]

Still a work in progress and enjoying the needle turn appliqué after many many years of not doing any.

[Sheridan D.]

Finished now. My needle turn is a bit rust but hopefully more practice will help. Any one got any tips for smoother edges around tight curves?

[Barbara B.]

A narrow seam allowance, like 1/8”, and close stitches.

[Helen W.]

Sheridan, Becky Goldsmith says it really helps if you finger press the stitching line all the way around
the shape before you start needle turn. HelenW

[Jo Anne]

Finished! I changed a few of the flowers and leaves. I used freezer paper, starch, and then machine appliquéd. I normally do applique by hand, but since I did machine quilting on the outer border pieces and the flower blocks from last month, I decided to keep the same method!

[Melanie H.]

I machine appliqued the flowers for month 5. They certainly liven up the log cabin blocks. I still have 4 month 3 blocks to finish. I continue working on the fan units. So glad you had us start on them, Barbara. They take awhile and it is nice to have them to work on at my pleasure. The blocks are not strategically on my design wall yet! Boy do the like colors show up in a picture!