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Appliqué progress

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The fabric had dried so yesterday afternoon, I set the light box and traced the pattern for the Birth Month block.  With the way the pattern is printed, it was easier to work with the block upside down to me so that I didn't have to reach over the legend and notes.  


One of the suggestions was to mark the edge that doesnt turn under so that the line would show through.  Unfortunately, the colours were too dark so while the pattern was on the light box, I put the bits onto the pattern and used a white marking pen to the line for the overlap.  Then stacked all the pieces up.  

All ready for the next pieces to be pinned into place.  
Today at Monday sewing, I focused on the Christmas A-Z blocks.  I finished the applique for V is for Vixen and started on the Zeds in Bed for the XYZ block.  Yesterday I also finished tracing the W for Wreath block so its ready for prepping.  

At the rate I'm going, I think the applique for Christmas A-Z will be done this month.  Then next month I c…
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Guild workshop with Kathy K Wylie

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Yesterday I went to the guild workshop with Kathy K Wylie.  We each worked on a flower from her Birth Flowers collection.  We each picked which month we wanted to work on.  I'm working on December.  While the instructions are written to start at piece 1 which is on the outer wreath in my case, for the class all focused on the center flower.  My centre will be a red poinsettia I haven't decided if the other four will be yellow or pink or a combination.  Probably two of each.

Several years ago I purchased the apliquick tools she uses and recommends but hadn't done much with them.  It was good to watch her use them during the demo then practice on the centre flower.  All the pieces are prepared.  I started to stitch the centre blossom.  In looking at it afterwards I wasn't really happy with the tracing so this morning I spritzed the block and removed the markings.  I'll re-trace and keep on working on this block. 



If the block dries in time, I'll retrace it this …
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November Goal Christmas A-Z

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When October ended, this is where the T block was.  I'm not sure if you can see those tiny applique pins through the top layer of the tree.  There are 4 of them and the long needle I use to stitch should be just above.  On the weekend I went to a 3 day silent retreat at Loyal House in Guelph.  (Wonderful experience).  One afternoon, I decided to do a bit of stitching in the lounge.  I sat in one of the big wing chairs near the fireplace.  I counted 4 little pins and started to stitch.  Part way around, I dropped one of the pins, stood up and there it was on the seat cushion.  No Problem.  When I was stitching the top layer of the tree on -- just before the star, I dropped the long needle for stitching.  I stood up and no needle on the seat cushion.  It took what seemed like ages but was probably 15 or 20 minutes to find it and involved crawling on my hands and knees a few times and shaking the seat custhion.  It eventually turned up on the floor under the chair where I'm sure…
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October Goal progress

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My goal for October was to finish the applique for blocks P, R and S.  I've completed those three and started in on T for Tree.  There is embroidery to complete on all these blocks later on but I want to finish the applique first.   My sister suggested using one of the left over yo-yos from the Christmas Heartlights quilt for Rudolph's nose.  Seemed like a good plan so one of the extras is now has a home.  
Linking up with Patty's One Monthly Goal
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Christmas Heart Lights

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In January 2011, I started working of Christmas Heart Lights by Susie M. Robbins as a $10 quilt class out at Hobby Horse.  The top did get finished that year in time for the reveal as far as I remember -- There aren't many postings about the quilt that year.  In September I took the top to Whirls n Swirls and quilted it.  This time I did it free motion from the front of the machine as I wanted to control the quilting which the usual pantographs wouldn't allow me to do.



I quilted five pointed stars in the background and looping lines (to mimic a string of lights) over the tree.  I was pleased with how it turned out.  
When I got home and trimmed the quilt, I opened the storage box to get the binding and yo-yos that I needed to finish it.  No binding and no yo-yos.  What I did find was the pattern, some leftover blocks and some fabric that I could use for binding.  I've looked through the sewing room but haven't been able to find the yo-yos.  So I got out the tool and s…
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October goal: Christmas “A-Z”

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A different quilt for my goal this month.  The Common Bride top is completed and I'm still considering how to quilt it.  I found the pictures from the Hamilton show in 2014 and have looked at how that group of ladies each quilted their's and am still debating hand vs machine and what designs.  I'll let that bubble for a bit longer.
This month its back to Christmas "A-Z" which has also been underway for a long time (sometime pre 2012 according to this post).  Blocks A - J are completed except the lettering in A and D and trimming them.  Blocks K to Q need embroidery and P is still in progress.  My goal for October is to complete the applique for P, R and S.  I have the other two blocks traced and the letters are done.  R is Rudolph and S is a stocking.  Both should be easier than P which is plum pudding.  The embroidery will wait until the remaining blocks are done and I'll do all the lettering at once.  Not many blocks have lettering but I do want it to be r…
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Common Bride top Completed!

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After 5 years of working off and on, I completed my Common Bride quilt top yesterday.  I finally started at a Sit 'n Sew at Elaine's back when she was doing fund raising for bike rides and would press and rip for us during the day.  That was the end of November 2014.  When I search the blog for Common Bride, I see reference to wanting to start it for two years before that.  
Here's the completed top



and a look at the final border that was my goal for this month.  I'd wanted to atleast get the the borders completed.  They went together very easily at a Sit 'n Sew last week and over the weekend I was able to add 3 of them to the top.  Yesterday morning at a Monday Sewing group, I made the corner blocks then added the 4th border and the 4 corners.  There may have been a small happy dance after I put the top down to show it to the ladies.

These are the little sections that needed to be joined to make the borders.  Once they were joined, a dark triangle was removed fro…
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