Applique Month Apparently

This seems to have been an applique month.  I finished the geisha block from the previous post --- her hands were in the bag with the pattern.

The water brush worked really well.  So now that brush will live with my applique. 

Several years ago, I started a Christmas A to Z quilt by Old Farmhouse Quilts.  A - D were done and E was waiting.  For some reason all the little pieces were bothering me.  So when I saw the geisha block, I decided to do a similar prepare method -- the Elf was prepared with glue and starch and just freezer paper on top depending on the piece.  It spent a bit of time in my purse and pocket and is now complete.  For some reason I hadn't taken photos of the other blocks.  Most of them need embellishments yet (faces, lettering, strings of lights).  Some will get done before quilting, some will wait until afterwards.  So here are all five blocks (on top of this years $10 quilt)

Finally this years $10 quilt.  I've started to applique the poinsettias onto the outside corners.  Found an awesome print from Kaufmans of individual flowers so I've cut them out and am appliqueing them on. 

 

 

 There are two more flowers to go in each corner.  They are now prepared but can't go on until I do some assembly as they will overlap seams.

On Friday at Elaine's sit and sew, I got the red sections for the borders stitched and a start on the half courthouse steps.  I'm working ahead a bit again but I want to have a lot done before mid November.  Time could be an issue afterwards so I'd like to be prepared for the December reveal.  Also on Friday we looked at colours for my 2007 $10 quilt inner border.  Decided a medium purple would work well.  One of the other ladies had a good colour that worked so I went looking yesterday for similar colours.  I think I found it.  I'll have to put the quilt up and try what I got.