Secret Garden and Applique

Happy Friday!  Here's the new applique' project that I've been working on. 

I keep changing my mind about this project, which is totally okay.
My center block started like this~

It looked a bit too sparse to me and off balance.  I added 5 leaves to fill in a bit.  I also shortened the berry sprig. 

I found all sort of bits of UFOs and orphan and block swaps to use. 

 I changed my mind from the flying geese border to a 4 patch border.  OOOPS now I have to remove and re-attach a new border that is divisible by 2"

 I'm taking these old block apart and re-purposing them.

 I've got block on every surface of my sewing room.

I think I'll be happy to have the little patches first.

 

Yesterday coco and I visited this garden in Clinton again.  

This time I walked around the outside border and was delighted to discover this Charming Fairy Garden!
Here is a little tour for you.

Tiny house in an old grist mill stone.

Here is my favorite.  I'd happily live here.

 

Here is a photo for scale.  Coco looks like a giant!  No wonder I missed this on previous visits.

 I hope this cheered your day!
stay well
xo

First Round (ding)

Ta-Da!  Here is the first round border on my Medallion project.  I was keeping it under wraps so I wouldn't influence the sew along, but now that they have a star border theme, I can share mine.

Here it is in the planning stage.  I tell you it took many, many calculations to get that accommodating strip the right size to fit the already pieced stars.

I had this one awkward area that kept bugging me.  Can you spot it in the photo above?

Here it is

So I un-stitched it.  Painful when it is hand sewn.

and here it is - so much better to me.  What do you think?  Would you have changed it?

Whew - that was a close one.  I always say to students "if you don't like it now, you won't like it later."

I just finished this book and I literally could not put it down!

In in, Anderson mentions a "room of quilts" that his mother created at their NYC home.  I found these photos on-line.  Incredible!

There are quilts on the ceiling and floor~   amazing!

I have stepped up my hand quilting to complete my Alice Payne quilt.  Woohoo - on to the borders.

I really do love this fan in the corner to honor Alice's fan border quilting.

xo

I'm A Yankee Clipper...Are you?

Not this kind.....

this kind......

I've just started clipping out as I go on my applique' piece.  If I decide to quilt it by hand, I'll be more than glad that I did.

This allows me to go in and quit details in those areas easier.  

Thank you for all your nice comments on this center block.  I haven't shown more because there is a quilt along with a similar style and I'm not participating in that one, so don't want to muddle up with their themes with mine.

I have already decided on my next leftover border and I'm prepping the 3 border now.  I am so enjoying this project.

We have a new bird family at our house.  May I introduce the sweet little Carolina Wren.

 this little couple was very busy making a home in a Williamsburg Bird Bottle.

They have a lovely call and very busy building with moss, pine needles, leaves and grass.

Speaking of birds; here is a neat bird vinyl wall applique' that I put up recently in my sewing room.

I got this at Ikea and I think it is just plain fun.

If you are still reading, I'll be announcing the 2016 Fun With Barb Block Swap on August 15.  Woo hoo!!  There will be a new block with visual tutorial and I will host both a modern and reproduction group.

xo

A Very Birdy Post

Last Friday I started a new quilt!  This is the center and is 30 inches square.  The background is a piece of muslin that I tea dyed.
Here it is pinned to my design wall.

This will be the center of a medallion style quilt with various styles and techniques.  All the pieces are leftovers except the pot.  The tiny berries are 20 years old!

Working Titles include but are not limited to:
No Berry Left Behind
Cast offs and Rejects
Also Rans
This and That

Mr. Fun and I pulled the piece off the design wall without losing a single pin.  I've decided to machine baste the pieces for needle turn applique'.

I tried several things, but a long straight stitch for the stems and a wide zigzag for the leaves seems to be working the best.

It will be such a pleasure to have everything basted so I can sit and stitch.  The super skinny (thanks Susan) stems required slow stitching.

OMG look at the disaster of my sewing room!

There wasn't a clean surface anywhere!  I did, however, hang my lollipop garden quilt this week for spring.

 Goodness!  Designing a quilt is messy messy messy.

One bright spot - I organized the lights and shirtings.  Now about half of my fabric has been reviewed and restacked.

I'm excited to plant morning glories this year.  It has been a few years without them.   They get a better start if you soak the seeds  first.

Big News on the Bird front.    I think the Bluebirds have a family!
Here is the hard working mom loading up her beak before flying off.

They are working together to break up the mealworms to carry away.  Here is the proud Dad.

I'm a little bummed because I don't know where they are nesting.  They fly around the house to the woods.  With the cold snap they are feeding A LOT.   I ordered the food on Amazon.  It looks like this and I put them in a cereal shaker.  I actually think they have a nice earthy odor - not bad at all.

Here is a photo of a pretty Goldfinch.   The boys are really showing off their bright yellow color for the ladies.  He has a lovely song too.

And here is a female Red Bellied Woodpecker.

Mr. Cardinal would not cooperate with me.  He kept hiding on the wrong side of the feeder the little stinker.

I just love Pansies.  They are my favorite spring flower.  

 Here is 'you know who' to see what I'm doing outside in my PJs.

I'm going to the Northern Star Quilt Show on Sunday.  I'll share some photos next week.
Well that's all folks.
xo