Block 2 - Sing Me A Song

So that we did not run into the problem of not having enough fabric, Esther posted blocks 2 and 3 together with a small border and posts block on the same day.

The image of a small bird perched on a vine growing around a circle with leaves and flower buds made us all gasp.  Add to that  3 blocks of a slightly different Block3 were required and 4 of the border and posts.

We were given 2 months to complete this task.

The question of how to successfully make that ring was discussed and many inventive ways were posted on the Yahoo site.  As I did not have a lot of my chosen fabric to cut into for my rings, I needed to use the least amount of fabric as possible, so decided on bias strips. My mini-tutorial for this is below.

My bird turned out a little bit different to the others, as the fabric I used gave him a rather "Steam-punk" appearance.  I also gave him some different legs and up-swept wings.  I must admit, I am rather pleased with him.

My Heart's Desire - Progress report

Detail - Block 1

My Heart's Desire is a free Mystery Block of the Month by the very talented and generous Esther Aliu.

Quilters from across the globe are enjoying the challenge of this Appliqué quilt.  For many of us, myself included, it is our first attempt at Appliqué, so the finer points of 'how to' are eagerly discussed on Esther's Yahoo forum.

We are learning together, sharing tips and tricks and forming friendships at the same time.

According to Esther:- "The theme of this quilt, is "Old Town Folk" style, a place where life is simple, time is plentiful and days are full of sewing and quilting.  This quilt is almost a still life of admiration; the design is purposefully full of understated opulence and richness in detail."

 We HAVE NO IDEA as to what this quilt is going to look like when it is finished.  We have been given the quantity for the backing fabric. And the information that Esther is using the Windham range of fabrics in rusty reds.

The first Challenge - Choose my fabric.
Having just completed a "Red Only" fabric challenge, I was not keen to work on reds again quite so soon, and still reeling from a family sadness, my thoughts were that My heart was 'blue'.  So Blue it is!
I am pleased to say that as I work on this project my blues are becoming more vibrant and fun.

Search for a Thimble

Today I found that my foray into the world of Appliqué can be painful!

The search for a Thimble has begun.  I have sent out a SOS to my friends on Esther's yahoo group and have had some interesting suggestions.

1.    Japanese style thimble
2.    Longer appliqué needles
3.    Tape -of the Electrical variety in your choice of colour
4.    Leather fingertips with metal disc



I have also sought and found my Grandmother's thimble.  As you can see it is very old, I estimate about 100 years.  It is made from silver and there are worn hallmarks.
There are also some very inconvenient holes where her needles have punctured the soft metal.  She was not a quilter, so I can only assume that it was used for embroidery.