This has to be my oldest UFO. I started this course in February 2005 and there were five sessions led by Julia Illman. It was all hand stitched needle turn applique. The pattern is from Alma Allen and Cherie Ralston's book Friendship's Garden, which you can still buy at Pickle Dish Store
I was happy enough doing the applique then, the scary bit was making a border of HSTs round each block! Then there was an appliqued border after that. It's funny to think that back then I just never pieced blocks and now I hardly ever applique.
A useful tip I learnt on this course was to use a very fine YLI silk thread to applique - I only have two colours which goes with most fabrics nos. 225(grey) and 242(beige) so you do not have to change threads and it makes your stitches hardly visible. Not that that's a problem for me now as even a huge hole in a needle is nigh on invisible unless I have great light and/or glasses.
Still it would be good to finish this off as the quilt on our bed that my mother made as a wedding present is needing some repair work.
Here are three of the nine block so far and I'm off to practice HSTs and get this one finished!
Nicky
I was happy enough doing the applique then, the scary bit was making a border of HSTs round each block! Then there was an appliqued border after that. It's funny to think that back then I just never pieced blocks and now I hardly ever applique.
A useful tip I learnt on this course was to use a very fine YLI silk thread to applique - I only have two colours which goes with most fabrics nos. 225(grey) and 242(beige) so you do not have to change threads and it makes your stitches hardly visible. Not that that's a problem for me now as even a huge hole in a needle is nigh on invisible unless I have great light and/or glasses.
Still it would be good to finish this off as the quilt on our bed that my mother made as a wedding present is needing some repair work.
Here are three of the nine block so far and I'm off to practice HSTs and get this one finished!
Nicky
I love the friendship garden block. What a huge project though. And I know what you mean about threading needles. Sometimes it seems to take me longer to thread the needle than do the actual sewing!
ReplyDeleteThat quilt is so pretty and worth finishing!!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty and definitely worth finishing....good tip to use silk thread! Silk is very strong!
ReplyDeleteIt does look like a nice quilt, and you are a third of the way there for the blocks, anyway.
ReplyDelete