Merry Christmas..................

Today I'm breaking my own rule and posting a non-CWBQ topic...............

...............to this wonderful group of women, I wish you peace, joy and happiness for this festive season. May you have a wonderful day however you celebrate, if you're dreaming of a white Christmas or like us a hot one - enjoy!

Merry Christmas and a safe and happy 2010.

I'll be back in the New year when all the festivities are over and I can once again concentrate on the 'Bride'.

Lizzie

XXX

Background

Dear friends, I Have looked in my stash and found a most wonderful background Portobello Market, creamy beige #3944 by 3 Sisters, bought about a year ago - well you guessed it short 1 yard and they have no more. If anyone has a hint please let me know, Love Princess Ei

CWB Meeting group

Hi it's just me Princess Ei writing to say how much I enjoy your site Lizzie, and going back to previous blogs, I found a wonderful one posted in October about your meeting with Lorraine, sharing ideas and blocks completed. I shall now recommend that to the four Princesses in our group who are awaiting the pattern and shall start in January. What a great idea to have a CWB Group fun meeting Thankd Lizzie Princess Ei

Having Fun and Finished Block #8

I'm really enjoying the applique process and have managed to finish my third block. The photos aren't great and I'll try to get better ones to post soon. I think I'll start one of the blocks with lots of leaves now so I don't have all of them to do towards the end of the blocks. The cherries and grapes for this block were needle-turned instead of making a template and gathering them like I have before. This sped up the process a lot as I used to gather them and then press, starch and press before stitching them down. This time I just drew around the shape and needle-turned a small edge under. I'm not an expert but one tip I've learned is if the circles don't seem to be round enough, just stitch around them again and you can draw those little points in more. Our youngest DD has arrived home for the Christmas holidays so we'll be watching Christmas movies and doing some more stitching. Hugs, Jan Mac Aussie

It's been a good month for firsts

Can you believe it?  Three of us have completed our first blocks this month, Paula, Jan Mac, and now me.  This is my first completed applique block... ever.  I give credit to the fantastic tutorials and tips I learned in blog-land and on the internet, as well as some great books and DVDs.  I'm loving applique.

After showing you 6 choices for the base of block 5, what did I pick?  None of them.  :-)

I REALLY enjoyed hearing your opinions and sincerely appreciated the feedback!  It certainly proved that there isn't a right answer, as every choice had at least one "vote".  It helped to ask you, my friends... I learn so much from each of you.

My original choice, when I began the block, was fabric #5.  But towards the end I knew it wasn't working the way I'd hoped.  I liked the pattern on #4 and it had the look I wanted, but it felt like it might be too much green.  Number 6 was my second choice.  The color felt like it kept the attention on the flowers and basket and still grounded the block, but I didn't care for the pattern in the fabric. What to do?  Go shopping, of course!  I visited a couple of quilt shops and found a hybrid... it combines the color from #6 with a pattern that feels like #4. 

Last night I shared it with the ladies in my neighborhood book club.  The gals liked running their fingers on the stems.  Funny.  Well I had to try it too.  It does feel neat. :-)

I'm itching to move to the next block, but have a little thing called Christmas that I need to focus on first.  Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to everyone!  It's a gift to belong to this group and have so many people that enjoy watching the journey with us.

Second block finished # 4

The photos aren't very good but I finished my second block last night. I enjoyed making the grapes and think I'll stitch block # 8 next. I chose the teal blue flowers in the first block to match the blue in the vase. I've been enjoying the cricket and stitching while it's too hot to go outside much. I'll prep the next block today as tomorrow is a work day. Hope everyone else is progressing with their stitching too. Hugs Jan Mac

my ostriches are ready to take off

here is my block 18,just two left now,merry chrismas and a happy, quilty year to all of you,susi

newbie

Hi everyone, I am also new to this marvelous group and will start Jan 2010 too - right now looking for background and I am enjoying all your suggestions Ei

My First Block Too

Firstly thank you Lizzie for starting this blog where can share our journey with making this fabulous quilt as well as being inspired by all your lovely blocks. I feel very fortunate to have found so many friends with a love of applique. I bought the pattern a couple of weeks ago when I visited Corliss's shop in Castlemaine and of course I fell in love with the quilt when I saw it up close. I bought 3 different fabrics for the backgrounds and a separate one for the borders, partly because they didn't have enough fabric for the whole quilt but also because I like to have a varied background. They are all very similar shades of a light tan and some have a flower motif. The border fabric has more of a print which should show well with less applique. I started block number 1 first like many others here and I didn't like my colour choice so much while working with it, but I'm happy with it now it's finished. I'm half way through block 4 now and I'm loving the process. I live a couple of hours away from Castlemaine, just near Shepparton, in Victoria, and spend most of my time making quilts to donate. I've just been very busy making and co-ordinating quilts to be distributed to the areas devastated by bush fires here in Victoria and now the hot weather is here again I've decided to get back into appliquing a quilt for me. I give most of my quilts away but I love the civil war repros and the applique patterns from that era so I'm going to enjoy the journey with you all. My other blogs are http://sewmanyquiltstoolittletime.blogspot.com and http://ozcomfortquilts.blogspot.com Hope to show another photo of a finished block soon. Hugs Jan Mac

My first block

Hi every one, I just finished my first block, wow do I feel good.

Now I'm off to prepare my second one.

It is nice to be able to share this joy with you all, tanks.

block number 17

another block finished in germany,i changed these" big pink pig-birds" into some bluebirds,have a nice time all of you,susi

More Photo's............

As promised I took some more photo's of Corliss' quilt yesterday. Yesterday was my patchwork groups Christmas breakup/day out and Castlemaine was our destination, so that gave me the opportunity to not only see the Bride twice in one week, but of course to get some close up photo's for you all.

Interesting that none of us has actually done the turkey work on the table cloth, I think we've all done it in fabric haven't we? So on this one above you can see how Corliss has done the quilting on the border, very simple diagonal lines with outline quilting around all the applique............ I wasn't very keen on this block in the pattern, but after looking at how Corliss has done it, it has grown on me quite a lot. I love the colours in the rooster and the lacy look of the top orange butterfly. More of the border, I like how the vines change fabric so smoothly, I don't think I would have thought of changing fabric if I hadn't seen the way it looks.

How gorgeous is the needleturn? Plain outline quilting really is lovely, nothing to detract from the fabulous applique. Hope you've enjoyed seeing some more pics of this obsession of ours, I feel very priviliged to be able to take a trip down the road to spur on my enthusiasm when I hit the doldrums. I feel duty bound to spur you all on too! LOL!

Ostrich fever...

The two male ostriches are done!!  Since the male ostrich is more colorful than the female, I decided to do two of them.  I'm still experimenting with eyes on all my people and critters...

I did this block pretty much without alteration except for the feet...I did change those.

Thanks to Walt Disney, when I see an ostrich I think of either feather dusters or French "can-can" dancers, holding up their many-layered skirts, or both!   Ooo-la-la!!  LOL

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)