................ slowly but surely
I'm usually quite speedy with hand applique
I use the freezer paper on top method where you iron on your shape in freezer paper, iron it onto your fabric, cut it out with a scant 1/4 inch seam allowance, tack it onto your background and then needle turn it stitching as you go - Simple! - it's the first one I was taught, it works for me and I thoroughly enjoy doing it
But for some reason progress seems to be rather slow on this piece of work
No idea why but I'm just chugging along and enjoying the process
Here we are - two rows completed and stitched together - three more rows of flowers with the applique hearts and leaves between them to go - then I'll complete the 1" border all the way round and possibly add a deeper yellow flower fabric border onto that - finally a pink binding to complete the job
Ok I'm away to applique some more
............. since I did any hand applique with freezer paper
I've done plenty of handwork over the past few months, but most of it has been English Paper Piecing over hexagons with my lovely Liberty Tana Lawn
Despite all the tops I showed you last time I still have to make the two alternate flavour quilts for a friend who is expecting in about six weeks. To complete the little boy option I could have gone back to that pussy cat sawtooth star quilt I showed the start of in the last post - indeed eventually I will do
But with so many blue options already done to the flimsy stage I had a fancy for something a little more girly
When I was hunting out yellows for the blue and yellow floating rectangle quilt I came across a big piece of floral fabric with a buttery yellow background. It has salmon and lilac flowers and mid green leaves in a pretty sprig pattern so I also dug out some Spraytime in a lilac plus a spotty green and a salmon pink with little white flowers on it
Looking through all the photos I've saved on my computer of quilts I like and wanted to save for further inspiration I found a design with simple flowers made with a four patch snipping one corner off each quarter
Add a hand appliqued circle in the centre and there you have it - a simple flower
Five of them with a lilac sashing between and you have the start of a strippy quilt
Then add a deeper sash before the next row of flowers and some more hand applique and you're ready to add the next row of flowers
I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed hand applique
Better piece some more flowers so I can do some more
............. a busy old bee here at Chez Bebbs
As I said in my last post all those new babies need quilts
So a stitching I will go.............
The three babies of work colleagues are to be two little blue versions and one little pink
So the first quilt I'd started was a pink version
This cute owl fabric was the starting point
And a not quite enough of the lighter pink meant a rethink and the centre blocks sport a deeper pink to match the other owls
The second quilt is based round a blue fabric with lots of vehicles on it that I bought on the market in Den Bosch in the Netherlands last year on holiday - such a wonderful array of reasonably priced fabrics that were quite different to anything we get here in the UK
I decided to work a bigger scaled version of the ring of friendship stars I'd tried earlier this year
Then I thought I'd like to work on something simple but striking and this easy-peasy block in blues and yellows was just the ticket for the little boy of Louise's college friends
Lots of them together with a yellow border and there we a go
Then I turned my attention back to my last colleague and her little boy
I found a piece of fabric with some sweet little blue and orange cats on and thought I'd work on a design to use it
I love sawtooth stars - they always make me smile
All well and good until I spoke to the Teaching Assistant who works with this particular teacher and she happened to mention that dinosaurs was the theme for the nursery
And I just happened to have another piece of fabric bought on the same market on holiday with little brightly coloured dinosaurs all over it
Bonnie Hunter's Star Struck pattern popped into my mind for this one
So here we are
That's four of the five quilt tops all done
The parents of the last baby have chosen not to know the gender so I shall probably make a male and a female orientated quilt and give her whichever one fits once baby arrives - who knows the cat sawtooth stars may well fit the bill for one of them
Watch this space on that
Some while ago I started work on a two colour design in purple and pale grey
As the blocks went together I decided that rather than making a full smaller lap quilt with it I would use it to make a runner for the bottom of our bed as our bedroom is purple
Nigel is holding it up folded in half so you can see how wide it will be
And last but not least I finished the top in red and white that I was making for Louise's best friend's birthday next month
Sandwiching this will have to be my next job as her birthday is only a couple of weeks away
Busy busy busy!!!!!
................... a real glut of little feet to patter around in the vicinity this year
None of them at Chez Bebbs I might add
However I have three more colleagues who are either expecting a new addition or are married to someone who is - one little boy and two others yet to be determined - all three are due in July some time
One of Louise's primary school friends and his girlfriend are also expecting a little boy - at 17 years old they are so young and it was a complete accident but one that they are both determined to make the very best of and give their son the very best start they possibly can when he arrives in May - if anyone deserves a quilt I think they do
And finally one of the girls at my Slimming World group is also expecting in about 9 weeks - they have decided to leave the gender a surprise until baby arrives so this will definitely need a neutral colour scheme
So.............
Baby Quilts galore to get busy on
But here's one I made earlier
The recipient arrived before Christmas but I have failed miserably to pass on his present until this last week
I didn't know until he was born what flavour he would be - so went for something neutral - just love these little prams in the middle of the saw-tooth stars
Better late than never
Ok back to the fabric face to crack on with more baby gifts as I've plenty to be getting on with
