From Small Things: Episode 30: Appliqué

Welcome back! I've been very busy over the past week, but just have a little to share. Everything I've been working on has been hand sewing, and so a little progress takes a long time. I got my surprise Dresden Plate quilt basted, and that one will be third in line for hand quilting. I've also continued working on my Cathedral Windows and my twine rug... they continue to grow, slowly but surely! This week, I also started to work on a pillow for my friend Sue. She had gifted me some projects which her grandmother had started years and years ago. In return, she asked if I could make her a pillow from one of the Dresden Plates which her grandmother had started. This block was already appliquéd down to a background, but it didn't yet have a center; so I chose a fabric from my stash which I thought would work best, and finished the block. Also from her grandmother were six Dresden Plates pieced together but not sewn down to a background yet. I started working on these, too; I think they will make a large wall hanging, or a small couch quilt. I used the basting stitch on my sewing machine to fix them to a white background fabric, and then began to hand appliqué around the edges. I'll show you how I am doing this, as the blades have irregularities which require some improvising. I also chose some colors from my stash for the centers of these. Since I don't have a finished quilt this week, I chose to share a very old one I made which my kids helped decorate. This is a muslin background with hearts appliquéd on it, and lots of little charms and buttons and embroidery work on each heart. It is a great memory quilt that I will keep forever. I hope you are staying busy in your sewing rooms, thanks for joining me in mine!