WIP...Friday?

Eh...we'll roll with it. I want to share what I've been working on =)

This is 1 of the 5 applique quilts on my list. 5 applique quilts doesn't sound all that daunting, except for the fact that I prefer the freezer paper method, and when one block requires 14 individual applique pieces and there are 15 applique blocks for the quilt...well that is A LOT of basting prep work! It takes me longer to baste a piece than it does to stitch it into place. But I still prefer it because then my applique looks prettier. One day this block will be part of a beautiful quilt looking like this (except maybe without the rickrack border).

The other tedious project I am currently working on is Swoon (what can I say, I like Thimble Blossom). These blocks are GINORMOUS!!! That, right there is a 24 inch block! It would make a lovely table topper for my dining room table. Thankfully there are only 9 of them. I worked on it last weekend, off and on throughout the day, and then really focused that evening. It took a few hours. =/

 A really cool thing though is what could have been waste from the flying geese blocks I was able to use and make these cute little blocks. So in the end I'll have a wall hanging, or maybe a baby quilt or even a pillow sham out of what would have been waste.

So a tip for the day. If you are doing flying geese or triangles that would have you just cut off and waste a bunch of fabric - sew the line you need, then turn it around a stitch again. I just sewed 1/4" away from my original stitch line then cut between - but that decreases your seam allowance which some people may not be all that keen on, but I'm a little crazy like that ;). I'll take a picture next time to show you what I did. 

But really besides appliqueing down 2 leaf/stems today (the other 2 are glue basted on) and binding those quilts earlier this week, I have not been sewing much at all. Which is odd. My husband is out of town and I had anticipated some MAJOR quilting going on with my free evenings. But nope. I veg and watch movies (btw Soul Surfer and The Help were both great shows!) Maybe next week will be more productive. This weekend I'll be sewing some Farmer's Wife blocks.

Happy weekend everybody!