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

[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!

[Lynn K.]

Wonderful ! Great color. I love how your design. Everything flows together so naturally.

[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!

[Helen W.]

Got my butterflies on the log cabin blocks. Tons of stitching to do. Also a pic of my version of Alex's
Magic Garden Gnome live stitch along. HelenW

CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE

[LORI M.]

I’m working on the 2 sides. I decided to make up my own flowers. I’m using wool applique with Steam A Seam, and also turned under applique using AppliQuick (sp?). I love using that! The stitching is a straight stitch really close to the edge with matching thread.

[Lynn K.]

I am with you ! I think the bolder flowers work very well with your quilt. I may do something similar for mine as I have been “ stuck”

[KayeT]

Caught up with month 5 appliqué, now to finish the other neutral blocks. This is a fun project.

[Annette M.]

Top finished! I decided to do all embroidery (no applique) in the neutral log cabins. The flowers are all local to my region. I printed line drawings on Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy sheets (sticky-back water-soluble stabilizer). Placed the drawings where I wanted them, embroidered on top and then rinsed the Fabri-Solvy away. I kept with the scrappy theme (but monochromatic) for the top/bottom extenders and the sides. Yay! Onwards to the back and quilting.

[Helen W.]

Annette, Absolutely beautiful. The hand embroidery looks great. You should send a picture to Alex Anderson. She is teaching some hand embroidery on her Magic Garden Gnome project. She is
always showing BOM's with a twist of creativity ideas in them. Barbara is going to have to put the
Finished Tops forum topic up early this year. HelenW

[Janet]

Your quilt is stunning! The darker pieced blocks beautifully frame the embroidered flowers.

[Lynn K.]

Very pretty idea. Just like looking through a window

[Laurie F.]

I love your blues and the embroidered flowers! Lovely, just lovely!!!