A- Day One

There were many ideas I had for A. Aspire, attention, appliqué, apple, application, advise. Even used a word generator website – came up with Atoned, Agreeable. To be truthful I don’t know what word I would want to write about.

Maybe even about. That could be the word. As I sit here in the dark, almost midnight I can think of so many words to describe the state I am in but a word that starts with a is being difficult.

When writing my New Years post – i started writing about appliqué. I haven’t done much of it. The few pieces I have done have not been that great. So let me start my new goal writing about my current appliqué project I completed.

The one quilt top I did do was a UFO of 12 inch square appliqué pieces I had been working on my breaks at my job in 2008 and 2009. In 2008 I downloaded the BOM Appliqué by SuzGuzDesigns. I had 2 fabric charm square packets a friend gave me of Moda fabric. I can’t remember the line’s name but the color ways were soft yellows, blues, pinks and greens. The patterns were flora's, stripes, checks and tone on tones. With some other fabrics from my stash I decided to use it as my project to hand sew at work. I cut out the 12 background pieces I needed and then tackled each month at a time. I think i prepped the first 4 months one Sunday at Jim’s. School was out for the term or I had no homework that day. I just remember him sitting in his chair, snoozing on and off while we watched Nascar and I worked on prepping the pieces. I used the fusible web method on many pieces and then the stitch the wrong sides to the web and turn inside out for the hearts so that they would have a bit more depth.

Above is an example of April. I worked on the pieces when I could during lunch or breaks. I kept the project in a cute photo box on my book shelf. I got the first 6 months done and then completely messed up the 7th and had gotten the appliqué pieces cut out and half way prepped for month 8. To be truthful – on many of the pieces for that month I ironed the wrong side to the fusible.So I was going to have to do it again.

I used the blanked stitch as my appliqué method. I had also found some really cute thread at Joanne’s that melded into the colors of the quilt. You could definitely could see an improvement on each piece but since then I have learned tricks for the fusible that would have made my pieces work so much better. But the goal was to gain experience and that is what I did. Work and school and life got to busy and I never got back to it.

This fall I decided to complete a UFO and this was the one I chose. On Sunday I decided to not finish the other months but just to use the good six one’s i had left – so I put sashing around them and bordered them with a light green and then a piano border of the 5 inch charm squares I had left. The finished look is just what I wanted. Romantic,soft and blending into each other. I have cut out my binding and now will finish it in the new year. I also took the hearts I had made for block 8 and will randomly place them on the borders when i complete the quilt. Maybe even on the back.

I don’t have any current appliqué projects on the back burner or even in my list of things i want to do. I like doing it but i haven’t come across something that has made me “crave” to jump into a project. I would like to try needle turn and will continue to be inspired by projects but I think at this time I am more drown to piecing or other types of needle work.

My squares.

So I have found something for A. Tune in tomorrow for something with B.