one down, three to go

Update: The Applique Project of the Decade

First border done! This project is taking me so long it feels like a big banner headline and shouts of "Extra! Extra! Read all about it!" are appropriate to announce progress - haha!

I'm actually a bit ahead of schedule here since this border has taken me less than a year to finish ;-) I posted about finishing the center panel here on May 29, 2012. So if I keep up this pace I could be finished in 2017 - allowing one year for each of the three remaining borders, and one year to piece it together and send it out for quilting. (You can hear my sarcasm, can't you?) The great news is that I still love it and plan to keep going...

Obviously I'm not working on this project daily - I am a slow hand-sewer, but not that slow. I pick it up every now and then when the mood strikes and there is no other hand-sewing needing to be done. Sometimes I take it to group sewing get-togethers so I don't have to haul a machine around.

This bottom border is all Kaffe fabrics. To make the center wavy line easier to applique, I made bias-cut tubes of fabric that finished at 3/8" wide. A little washable tacky glue held them in place while I sewed to prevent stretching.

The two side borders will consist of lots of swirly branches much like those found in the center panel, with a few leaves and flowers tossed in. The top border is supposed to say "Live well and be happy", and while I completely agree with that philosophy I don't want it appliqued on my quilt. I'm considering some other phrases, but I've got a couple of years left before I need to commit!

You can find the pattern in this book from Piece O'Cake Designs if you find yourself in need of a long-term hand-sewing project commitment.

Happy stitching!

I'm back!

What a whirlwind of a month it's been! Two major household remodeling projects began at the very tail end of April and just finished on Friday, May 25 at 7:30pm. Then at noon on Saturday, May 26 (that's right, just about 18 hours later) Thing 1 graduated from high school and we had 50+ well-wishers here at the house for a celebration! Whew!

In the midst of all that activity and party preparation I did manage to get a little sewing done. The middle panel of my Tree of Life applique quilt is complete!

It's all needle-turned, so progress is slow; this center panel measures about 36" x 43" and took me 27 months to complete. Notice I stated that time frame the same way you do when you've had a baby and people ask you her age? You get so used to replying, "two months, eleven months, fifteen months" that by the time two years rolls around, you're still stating her age in months. What does that say about this quilt? No idea. I just think it's an interesting observation...

It obviously needs to be pressed and the blue wash-out marker lines need to be washed out, but I'm just so gosh-darn happy to say this section is complete! Four borders to go - hopefully that won't take another 27 months!

Here are a few close-ups of the individual branch segments...

This one is my favorite. I love the little purple worm and the dotted pot - both Kaffe fabrics. In fact, there are quite a few Kaffe fabrics in these little bits of applique. One of the reasons I love it so much and I've stuck with it for over two years!

In closing, here's a photo of my family with the new grad, Thing 1, in the center. It was a marvelous day with fabulous weather enjoyed in the company of many great friends and almost all our loving family members. It simply could not have been better :)

won't you be my neighbor?

There's a new Block of the Month starting at Quilt in Joy soon, and it's all about the neighborhood! Lorrie and I are making the sample, and we'll be taking turns teaching the monthly demos as well. We spent several hours yesterday cutting and piecing these 12" house blocks. The top row shows my blocks, and Lorrie's are in the bottom row.

Here is what the quilt will look like when it's completed. Lots of paper-pieced trees, log cabin flowers, grass, picket fence, and perfect blue skies to accent all the cute houses!

This pink house and yellow house use the same pattern, but some of the pieces are reversed to give you a mirror image. The little square over the door had some conflicting directions in the pattern, so the yellow house has some extra "trim". How do you like the zigzag shutters and door? We are using lots of polka dots and "dot-like" fabrics since our shop carries a big variety, but I just had to sneak in those stripes!

Lorrie's teal and red houses are also mirror images.

The finished size will be around 60" square, so you can imagine how small some of those pieces are! I've really been drawn to house blocks lately, so this project is a perfect fit for me right now. I love the precision required to make these blocks, but I'm also drawn to appliqued and wonky houses. Today I discovered this pattern by Piece O' Cake designs - I've never seen it before - and now I'm pretty sure I need it :) LOVE those trees and the red background!

Have you made any house quilts or blocks? Traditional or wonky?