So much applique

Just a pretty picture. :) (Papa's camera)
This has been a week of experiments for me--I did my first real, honest to goodness applique (on two separate blocks!), I pulled out my grandfather's beautiful Olympus camera to see how it worked for quilt pictures, fell in love with that, and learned to do paper piecing.



All of the blocks from the first group. (Papa's camera)
As you can see, I've finished the first grouping in its entirety. I'm really proud with how neat the blocks are, and how I was able to switch around my methods of creating the blocks.

Focus on the right. (Papa's camera)
For example, the shoo-fly block in the top left was made using the 'standard' HST creation method, with two squares sewn together and cut apart. Remember the first time I tried to do that?

Yeeeeaaaaah... (Digital)
:) I've gotten much better at it, as you can see. And at sewing in general. I made the starry block in the top right using my quick and dirty method, with strip piecing and careful cutting. I think both work well for their respective blocks, and I'll continue to switch between them as I deem fit.

Big square block.
 I'm debating whether or not to do some embroidery or something in those squares... It's tempting, but I'm none too confident about my ability to create something original or pretty. I'll keep thinking. I'll come up with something sooner or later.

One applique...

Two applique!
And yes, I played with applique. This project has been really helpful to me as a quilter if only because it's forcing me outside my comfort zone, and is making me learn how to do these advanced techniques. I'm getting better at hand-sewing too, something which was always a weakness.

Oh hai.
Baron has discovered that sewing means (as TC did when I first started quilting) I'm not going to move for quite some time, and that there's going to be hands in close proximity to heads and cheeks, and nearly undivided attention.

Brat.
He's sort of polite about it; he'll paw at my leg a couple times and then try to come up. If there's no room, no problem--he'll slither into my lap until I give in and make room.

In the interest of not letting this blog post drag on too much (I had so many nice pictures this week!), I'll just throw a few process pictures at you to wrap things up. I think if I have this many again by Wednesday I'll just do two blog posts. Won't that be exciting!

I tried my best to line things up from the beginning.

Look at those pretty little stiches. :)

The applique in progress.

All done! A little rough around the edges, but not too shabby
for a first try.

I'm rather pleased with it, all things considered.
On to paper piecing!

This was particularly fun, I loved how accurate the seams turned out.

Lining things up...

Faith-Ann powers through the paper like a pro!

What lovely stitches.

Perfect seam. :)

The aftermath. -_-
The result! You can see the paper pieced block on the right.
Very pleased with my progress so far, especially since I got a bit of a late start with waiting for my fabric and bobbins and the like. Everything has been pieced on Faith-Ann, and I'm really, really happy with how they're turning out. We're still working out our differences in regards to how she likes to be treated and what needles she will and won't use, but I'm willing to indulge her. It's just too much fun to sew on her, and realize that she's nearly as old as my father's cars, older than me, and older even than my grandmother, for whom she's named, and is still purring along like a kitten. It's a true marvel of engineering, and I just wish I knew what path she'd taken over the years--I know there's a story in there somewhere!

I'm going to go start dinner (yummy ziti), but I hope you enjoyed the blog and my latest offerings!

Comments

  1. Lovely blocks! You will be an experienced quilter by the time the quilt is done. Without a sewing machine, I am way behind schedule, but had a visit with Betsy today and got two of them done.

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  2. I love the red and white, can't go wrong there. Wonderful blocks!!

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