Thursday Thoughts ...

Spring really is coming to New Hampshire! The snow is melting, the days are longer, the robins are back, the Canada geese are passing through on their way home! I can smell it in the air, feel it in the breeze ... Ahhhh!

I can't wait to get out into the yard and start gardening!

In the meantime, I've been working away on the border for the Angels in My Garden BOM I wrote about a bit ago ... it is nearly half done. I get the directions for the rest next week. I can't wait to have it finished and to start quilting it.

Next, I'll be putting the borders on Aster Blast and begin the applique this weekend.

Then ... I need to introduce to you another UFO that I really want to finish. It's called Maple Leaf Memories. From a class I took one year ago ... I'm still working on the endless flying geese that go around the border. I will take pictures of the center this weekend and share that project with you as well!

I also plan to get to a few other quilt shops in the local area and take you along so you can have a peak ... there are so many great shops around here! It seems like I'm always discovering a new treasure! Look for these trips over the next few weeks. It's a shame that working interferes with my quilting! (Ha!)

Have a very Happy Thursday!
Debbie

Angels in my Garden

I promised more on Aster Blast, but I don’t have much to say at the moment. I confess that I am a very slow quilter … it takes me forever to do anything. Since I mentioned it the other day, I have started basting the flowers to appliqué them and cut the background pieces for the appliqué. These flowers will sit between the points of the star. I promise I will show more when I have something worth showing.

I do want to tell you about the block of the month I’m working on. This is a class I’m taking at Pickering Farm Quilt Shop in Richmond, NH. The quilt was designed by the owner Diana Gallagher (we will visit Diana at her shop sometime very soon). We started this project nearly a year ago and this is where we are today.
One of the wonderful things about meeting as a class is seeing the differences in each person’s work. Each person has picked such different colors and fabrics … they are all beautiful! I will do my best to convince the members of the class to allow me to take pictures of their work next month.

This is the first time I’ve done a lot of detailed appliqué. In the past, I limited myself to big pieces and was scared of the little stuff. However, I’m loving working on this quilt and have looked forward to each step along the way. And, my appliqué skills have improved terrifically during the process.

Not only is there lots of appliqué, but there is piecing as well. I have paper foundation pieced most of these parts and have really started to enjoy this method of piecing. Some of those pieces are teeny-tiny, so they are tough to hand piece.

I am trying to pick a favorite block and am struggling with this. They each have their own character and their little individual things that I love about them … like … the stars …

the watering cans …

the carrots …

the flag …

the bird house …

all the little birds (aka chickens) …

the stenciled words ...

and each angel has such a sweet little face ...

Okay, so I guess I have no favorite and I like every little piece of it ... although I have to say the fingers on those gloves were pure evil to appliqué.

The next step is to add the border. This has more appliqué and piecing so you’re going to have to wait to see the progress. We met last week to get the instruction for how to do these … they are now underway.

I love this quilt so much that I keep it hanging on the wall in my sewing room … it adds a lot of life and fun to the room! I can’t wait to have some progress on the borders to share with you!

In honor of National Quilt Day, March 15th, I'll be taking a trip to Pickering Farm and you're coming with me! Stay tuned ...

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