Block from hearts Desire by Esther Aliu her designs are incredible. All ways challenging, different, and beautiful.
My week has been more of buying fabrics, fixing sewing machines, buying sewing machine parts, hunting down good fine sewing machine needles for my machine appliqué than any physical sewing!!!! But I have made slow progress on my wee triangle blocks for part 7 of The Secret Garden quilt by Esther.
My first attempt, I felt the bias stems were to wide making them look heavy and I don’t have enough of this fabric for all 16 blocks.
I found a fabric that I had enough of for all 14 blocks and thought if I machine appliqué them it would be so much quicker and just hand the petals!!!!! so I did one but was disappointed with the look it was to flat and harsh it needs a much much finer edging and as I’m very new to machine appliqué it is back to hand appliquéing those stems down for now. I have to learn how to adjust my machine stiches so will spend some time looking at internet videos.
These stems are appliquéd down by hand a much soft look.
I also don’t have enough fabric of the two purples for all 14 blocks so decided to use two different other purples as well then played around and decided tow add two more shades of a different colour but in the same tones and lots more fun!!!!
these two blocks have different fabrics but are very close in value
Happy with the new colour I’m adding.
Plus my other purple block colours.
Slowlyyyyy getting there.
Where I’m up to this morning One little triangle on the right with its pieces almost all appliquéd on, just 6 wee yellow drops to do.
Love how the pieces of fabric pop and roll like real shapes when I pull the basting threads out after Iv’e appliquéd the shapes on.
My DGD and I made up a wee quilt for her to cuddle under while watching a movie or TV but she loves it so much she was trying to sleep under it at night time but her feet stuck out the other end but still she wanted to sleep under it right or wrong so last week she went home with one of my bed quilts she really likes now her feet dont stick out LOL
Quilt that went home with my DGD 4 1/2 last week. I’m so so happy she has it as it was one SHE wanted not one I just gave her.This friendship quilt swap was made with 32 other quilters in PNG
Centre of friendship quilt.
UP Date 12 midday
Iv’e been side tracked this morning!!!!!! machine appliquéing one of my Secret Garden blocks, a little frustrated as I can not shorten the bite in so not as happy with my appliqué as I would like to be.
This fern grows all around me it is a native fern and it influenced me when I made my leaves for block 3 of SG
Close up of the leaves
Here you can see those leaves in my SG block I’m machine appliquéing those leaves down today
Update 4pm
Just finished machine appliquéing all the leaves down, now need to finish the stems and the cat, will do the cats eyes and the flower heads by hand applique.
In the garden today it is wet and miserable.
Wet and miserable day! Glad I can stay inside and sew. 16C out side.
This is what it was like yesterday a picture perfect day 22C !
cuttings my DGD and I planted out two months ago!
Scraggly poinsettias we have jus thad to much rain for them this year.
I counted 7 different ferns on this stump all local self seeded ferns.
My quiet budda
How red is that?
Shhhhhh
Those bare branches belong to the fig tree in 2 days it will be covered in soft new leaves.
My fish pond but it is becoming the frog pond LOL Have spent the last week raking up leaves every day around it from the fig tree. Leaves can make the water sick for the fish if to many fall in to it.
Off to link up with others on Esther’s blog to day. Thanks for dropping in to say hello.
Cheers Glenda
Great blog Glenda, always enjoy the photos of your garden. wet and miserable here today as well but lovely for sewing. Your block with the bird of paradise is beautiful, so glad you have brought your HD out again, it is so lovely in your colours. Those little triangles are such fun to stitch, your purples look so rich and vibrant and those pink stems are perfect. Hugs Jenny
Hi Jenny I had my first free Wednesday for ages this week and it was wonderful to relax and visit lots of other quilters and enjoy seeing what they were doing plus write my own blog with out rushing it. I’m off down to Noosa for a whole 8 days to visit my DS2 and his beautiful partner that means a whole 6 days of just sewing!!!! thats what I call the perfect holiday LOL. Hugs Glenda
Dear Glenda
Your blocks look beautiful. Love that your granddaughter picked your quilt with all the friendship blocks. So much love and diversity to tickle the brain, everyone she looks at it, she will notice something new.
16C? We would love to get that on our coldest day…
Hi Maggie my first Wednesday home for weeks and I have missed dropping in to see others links and to answering my mail. My DGD and I use to play I can see with that quilt so she knows what each one is where it is and who made it. LOL It was a great learning quilt for her. Yesterday was a beautiful day picture perfect 23C and to day cold wet and miserable 16C LOL this changeable weather is driving us all nuts. This time of the year should be stable and perfect days for around 5 months!!!! Oh well we should not complain as many places are with out water and thats much worse. Spent the day machine appliquéing I don’t find it restful at all compered to hand applique looking forward to tonight where I can pick up my hand work. Hugs Glenda
looks like you got a bit done to me! yes it looks like a chilly day with that rain in your winter time – I’m sure it feels very damp
Hi Karen seem to have been in a groove and nothing real growing but today I managed to make good progress on my block 3 of The Secret garden so I’m happy. Needs lots of hand work now and I will take it on holiday with me next week and may be it will see it all most finished. Cheers Glenda
Glenda, That block with the birds and flowers and vase…absolutely stunning! Happy sewing! The views around your house are equally stunning…even if it is a little wet. Happy sewing! Andrea
Thank you Andrea, glad you like the block with the birds, that is one of the blocks from The Secret Garden of Esther Akiu’s 2017 BOM such a beautiful beautiful BOM. I’m on holiday at the moment and I’m appliqueing those wee birds on by hand now. We also live in a very beautiful part of Australia in the wet tropical rainforests. Cheers Glenda
Beautiful applique ! And I like the mix of the two purple shades. Your blooms are lovely and glad the granddaughter is happy with her quilt! I had to laugh at the feet sticking out story 🙂
Thank you so much Deb. You would of laughed a lot more if you could of seen her sound a sleep with the quilt pulled up to her chin and These stick legs hanging out the bottom LOL. Garden is full of colour this time of the year. Thanks for dropping in. Cheers Glenda