Finaly some progress

I just finished the bottom panels in Roseville Album.

It was sometimes a struggle to get it finished.

And some of the times, I drag myself to the sewing.

I dont know why it was so, but now Im just happy it is finished.

Maybe I should take a little break from Kaffe Fabric,

and then hopefully the joy of appliqueing will return.

Camilla

Another two "Sprigs" and my little applique tote

I am almost embarrassed to be showing my Sprigs blocks one at a time because so many seem to be able to complete them so much faster. But, progress is progress and sharing motivates me to keep plodding along. This one is my favorite because I love the way the colors work together.

This one is a scrap box creation. I just pulled pieces out of the scrap pile and it felt good to use some of those little bits I couldn't throw away.

I thought I would share the little tote I found to carry my sprigs blocks in progress with me as I travel for work. It fits right in my purse and I have everything I need ready to go whenever I have a few moments to stitch. It is the Mini Hanging Organizer by Vera Bradley. I would love to see what others use to organize their projects.

Star and Sprigs blocks and border

Four new blocks completed; and the same blocks with border number 2 half done and half ready to be appliqued. These blocks are very special to me. They were made with scraps given to me by friends. The beauty of applique is that you can use small pieces of fabric leftover from friends lovely quilts.

First of the Lollipops.....

These are the start of my lollipop blocks. Love the pattern by Kim! Am using fabrics from Kaffe and Jane Sassaman. The backgrounds will be of various fabrics, like I usually do in my quilts.

The photo of the blocks are a bit washed out, but that's due to the photographer.....me!

Originally, I was going to only applique four blocks (they were to be picture framed), but because I'm enjoying the outcome of the blocks, I've decided to sew more blocks. Guess the quilt is taking on a life of it's own!

...MONA

Growing Flowers

Flowering block one...

and flowering block two...

are done.

I am thoroughly enjoying growing Kim's gorgeous garden with Keiko Goke fabrics. They are simply delightful! xo

living green

Looking at this finished block, you might not have guessed that I’m not a big lover of green. I’m really happy with the result though and even want to make another one in different shades of green.

It’s funny and maybe it’s caused by the fact the my love for these fabrics is growing. I had to learn to love them, or rather, to work with them, but now I’m hooked. Kaffe Fasset, Brandon Mably and Philips Jacobs design/develop the most wonderful colour combo’s.

Working with these fabrics is like having a ball and maybe even love for life. Last week during the Kim McLean club in Haarlem I left loaded with inspiration, so this certainly won’t be the last quilt I hope to make with these fabrics. Sometimes you succeed in finding a fat quarter from an old series. It has become a sports to collect them.

The next block will be purple. Not one of my favourites either, but so much fun to work on!

Nicolette

I'm Quilting Flower Pots

Here's my top; I started stitching last October and finished the top in early August. It needs a new name, I think. "Credit to Kim"? "Kim and Kaffe Production"? "Glorious Applique"? I treasured every minute I spent stitching, and reading Glorious Applique every day has been part of the fun. I'm hand-quilting, so don't look for a finished top any time soon. Fellow blogger Marion and I visited Quilt Expo in Pennsylvania last Friday and we both splurged at the booth from Alabama (Quiltmaker's Workshop) which had an extremely tempting array of Kaffe fabrics. Stars and Sprigs is next for me. Thanks for all the support this blog provides.

attention Lolly lovers

The newest fabrics will be arriving at your favorite shops this week. All you Lollypop makers, make sure you get your hands on Kaffe's Parasol fabric. Great spirals and radiation lines are perfect for fussy cutting

Kim & Keiko

It's about time I made an appearance here, my applique has been sadly neglected for a while and I have been missing it hugely. A little while ago I fell in love with the bright and cheery (not unlike Kaffe's) fabrics from the talented quilt artist Keiko Goke.

These fabrics make me smile whenever I look at them, so I have decided to match them up with Kim's gorgeous pattern Flower Garden. The wall where I will hang this quilt when finished won't be large enough for the whole quilt, so I plan on making just five rows of the flower blocks (20 blocks in all) and no borders. To spice things up a bit and give the quilt a Keiko Goke feel (see some of her amazing quilts here), my background blocks will be pieced using some of the whiter Keiko fabrics, a few other various fabrics thrown in, and of course, some of Kaffe's shot cottons....this is my first background block ready for its applique!

A lot of my Keiko Goke fabrics I have purchased from Liza at Glorious Colour. Keiko lives in Sendai, Japan, the centre of the earthquake and tsunami earlier this year. Our dear Liza has made a very generous commitment to send ALL the profits she receives from Keiko's fabrics this year over to Keiko. I feel very happy that my purchases are going to help that devastated community in a small way. Thank you Lisa!

I haven't forgotten my Hearts & Flowers finished top, yet to be quilted...

 nor my Roseville blocks...

But for now, I will be happy playing in the flower garden! Cathy (Cabbage Quilts). xo

Just a few more left to go

I have taken a long vacation from the Lollys in order to work on two books. I am nearing the end of that process so I can return to finishing the wee blocks for the border. Here are the ones I have finished so far.

Three more blocks...

More progress.  I feel like I've gotten in a zone with these.  

They're coming along much more quickly.  

Summer at Summer's Snippets 

Stick a Fork in it!

Finally! It's done! I feel like I've looked at/worked on this one forever. But in truth, it's been in fits and starts. Pat Sloan challenged me over a year ago. And I bit. It's a top and will now reside in "topville" until I get through a few others already in "topville". But I think I know how I want to quilt it, and that may move it up the line. I enjoyed the fussy cutting and the challenge of choosing colors. My next one, yes, I said next one....is going to be Flower Garden. I think I will do a hand applique instead of machine applique. But first a few other projects that have been on hold.....

Thanks for all the inspiration everyone!

Stars and Sprigs progress

Thanks to Janet (Quiltsalott) for pointing me to that video on knotting the silk thread I am making much faster (and much more satisfying) progress on my Sprigs applique blocks. Number 2 was only delayed by Mother Nature. We had rain at 4 inches an hour the other night and my poor house just couldn't hold the water back any longer. Happily, today the sun is shining and hopefully we can start to dry out. I am not complaining because, for us, the bad weather was mostly a nuisance. So many others are dealing with real floods and Texas can only dream of the water we wish we didn't have.

These two Stars blocks are made from the new Dear Jane 2 line of fabric. They are some really wild reproduction fabrics and add just the pop of color I am looking for. I am enjoying this pattern so much. It is fun to finish a block and start poking around in the stash to choose the next fabrics. Thanks, Kim, for designing the vehicle to fully appreciate my complete stash of fabrics.

Just wanted to let you all know I am still working on the RA.  Here is a picture of choosing fabrics for the trees on the top blocks.  Working on the RA also working on Crazy Quilt and a Road to Oklahoma, named 25 Quilts in the River....

A start on Stars and Sprigs

I agree with Taryn I had to rethink my applique method working with smaller pieces compared to the Flower Garden blocks!
hopefully my applique will improve with each block, how I love these little blocks! I am so inspired to work on this quilt I can't wait to start the next block.
Having chosen fabrics for the Flower Garden blocks has made choosing fabrics for this quilt so much easier!
I am so happy that my bolt of background for the blocks and borders arrived so I could start this beauty!
thanks Kim I think this one may be my favorite of all your patterns!
Kathie
http://inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com/

A tip for using silk thread

Silk thread is such a popular choice when it comes to applique but it's so fine that it readily slips out of the eye of the needle when stitching leading to frustration.
I sent this Video link to Taryn over at  Repro Quilt Lover and she has reported that it's sped up her stitching so I thought it would be a good idea to share it here in case you didn't know about it.

One Year Later. . .

and I am still working away at the Roseville Album. Some months ago I finished the 4th corner block,

and began working on the right side panel. For some reason it went faster than the squirrel "panel," and it was great fun to work on.

Now I have begun the nine blocks for the center section. They go together much faster than the large panels, of course, so perhaps it won't be yet another year before I have a finish! Meanwhile I am loving all the inspiration from fellow GA bloggers around the globe and hoping I live long enough to make more Kim McLean quilts. I am quite spoiled for any other designs.

First sprigs

I finished my first Sprigs block this weekend! This is such a fun quilt to make. Each little applique is like it's own little project. There is so much variety that one block just flows into another. I also completed six of the stars but I can see I need to stop using blue and pink.

Two more blocks done this week!
I am finding these blocks just fun to make. I chosen the fabrics for my next block but can't decide to work on that or maybe start the Stars and Sprigs quilt first :)
Kathie
http://inspiredbyantiquequilts.blogspot.com/

More Sprigs

I have not posted here for a long time. But I am still working on my blocks. I did prepare several of them and I am now doing the applique. These are the last 8 ones I've finished. Some of them were made using my battery operated head light during our last blackout due to hurricane Irene.