APPLIQUE DIARY: Where I stand in March

This month I did not spend as much time as I would like on my applique projects since I was bound and determined to finish my Christmas quilt (which got mailed last week). I did manage to eek out a little time for these fun projects in the past four weeks.

FINISH: You’re My Sunshine

I was able to finish embrodiering this fun wall hanging. Normally I would do all the stitching freehand but this time I was not feeling confident so I drew my bee paths on here with a frixxon pen. I usually use black because it seems to iron out the best. Once I got started, it was a quick finish.

This is August of the Shabby Fabrics: Year in Words. LOL! That means that I started it last summer. This series takes a little longer because it involves piecing, fusing, appliquing, embrodiery, as well as quilting and binding.

I have really loved working with the pieced blocks. It sure opens up possbilities for table runners, placemats, and other small projects.

BINDING NEEDED

I was excited to free motion quilt these two wall hangings A Year in Words: Summer and Blooming Series: Daises both by Shabby Fabrics. I did mostly meander of some kind. Summer I tried to add in some swirls that would look like waves and Daisies I added some flowers and leaves mixed with the meander.

I trimmed both up as well as make their binding and hanging sleeves last week. They just need to be bound and they will be done. No embrodiery for either.

QUILTING NEEDED

Good news was there was four and now there is two! All that is needed for both of these is the bottom/table quilting which I have been doing some kind of straight line on both.

If you haven’t noticed, quilting wall hangings allow lots of practice with free motion quilting as well as binding. That’s how I feel I got good at binding in the beginning. Now I pick a style for each series and go with it. The Blooming Series is meander for top/background and straight line for bottom/table.

A trick I picked up recently is zigzaging the edge BEFORE I quilt. I used to do like an eighth inch basting all the around but still would struggle. I saw this on a video on You Tube (the ultimate How To place) and so far, I like it. Plus, it has been easier to zigzag then to stitch 1/8th inch.

STITCHING REQUIRED

I am not sure if you have noticed over the months how I tend to stitch out my applique? I put a color in the machine and stitch everything that is ready with the color in the machine. One machine has white and one has light teal in it at the moment. Therefore, this week I only stitched the blue stripe on the rainbow. I could use white on the light pink parts and may do that but at the time I was working on these last week, I was on the machine with the light teal thread. I have a binding to go before swapping out my thread on that one.

Pink will be next because I have some pink binding to do, then it will be lime green and red because that is the quilting I have to do. I just saw the light bulb go on.

FUSING REQUIRED

Let’s be honest. My focus has been on finishing up the four projects from last summer before jumping into my new projects. This one will not be too bad as there are not 3 or 4 parts per “flower” except for the lacy hearts.

Including Hearts above, I only March (daffodils), April (tulips), December (pointsettas), and January (snowflakes) left to make in the Blooming Series. I know it sounds like a lot, but really it isn’t.

Since I didn’t get Blooming Daffodils started by now, I put it back in the bucket to finish later.

POSSIBLE NEW STARTS

There is a week of March left so I opted to put back a start I had pulled last month (Blooming Daffodils) and replaced with May’s Flowers. A reason I usually do a bunch together is that you typically use the same thread colors on the applique. As you can see, Spring falls in with March Pot of Gold but the Flowers is like a totally different thread choices.

If I get the blocks pieced for these two this month, that will be awesome. The fact that this series is more complicated is why I only have a few finished – Sep (Autumn), Oct (Halloween), Nov (Give Thanks), Jan (Winter), and Aug (You’re My Sunshine).

Hmmm. I didn’t realize that I will be halfway done with I finish July’s Summer! That is exciting news. It just feels like I wasn’t as far as I am with Blooming Series.

WRAP UP

It wouldn’t be a fun post if I didn’t share a picture of my kittens. I can hardly believe they turned 1 on March 6th. When I thumb through my pictures, they were so little and cuddly and now they just pester me to no end whenever I am working on the computer or in the sewing room. They both absolutely love fabric and thread, especially when it is a quilt.

I came across a box with another applique series that I never finished – A Year with Bertie’s by Bonnie Sullivan that I will restart once I finish the Adoornaments.

I recently got myself re-organized after the flood four years ago now and started hanging all my wall hangings again starting at Christmas Time. I decided to do a video tour on my Instagram story each month showing that month’s wall hangings. I love 12 month series, but I do have a few “seasonal” pieces which usually get hung in my bathroom.

My first series was a very small series maybe 4 x 6 back in 2006 I think. I wasn’t good at dating my stuff then. Then I went on to do some Nancy Halvorsen series plus many others. Fun! Fun! Fun!

Thanks for stopping by again this week. I am sorry I forgot to post last week. You will get a second one this week on Thursday or Friday. I will also be throwing in a end of quarter one to look back on all the finishes for first quarter and possible new starts for second quarter for March 31st “ish”. Thanks again!

Peggy