Hearts and Flowers - a bit of progress

I've finally made a little progress on the centre panel of the Hearts and Flowers quilt. I was so excited when I began this last year but I got a bit intimidated with those squiggles. I had decided to try the back basting method and everything was going wonderfully until I came to actually do some sewing. I unpicked a few stitches and couldn't see where I should have been turning the fabric under - maybe the thread I used wasn't thick enough (I used quilting thread) or perhaps my stitches were too big, I'm not sure. Anyway, I struggled through one squiggle and then put it away for 'later' on! I've managed to overcome the problem by using my white Sewline to draw along the stitched line and over the weekend I've managed to stitch quite a bit - I enjoyed it enormously once I settled down with the white pencil method :) I thought I would post a picture of my progress so far and wanted to say how much I enjoy looking at all the beautiful and inspiring work on this blog.

Hearts and Flowers Finished!

I finally put the last border on my Hearts and Flowers quilt.  This has been a rather fast journey.  I started this quilt on August the 28th and completed the top yesterday October the 8th.

The quilting will be another story since I don't seem to get that done too quickly.  I think the piecing is my favorite part.

I am debating with myself now-- trying to decide-- if I should take the border on the right off and turn  it around.

I didn't notice  how different it looks until I saw it in the picture.

My next project will be Lollypops.  I have started on block one .  

The pieces are so much larger than they were in this quilt.

Hearts and Flowers Center

In an earlier post, Theresa asked about the center panel to Kim's Hearts and Flowers quilt.  This was probably the largest applique' block that I'd ever done, and here is how I did it.  First I traced the heart onto freezer paper - the outside fingers, the inside heart, and the middle heart. 

Then I machine basted the center horizontal and vertical lines onto my background fabric and traced the applique' design on the background with a Mark B Gone pen.  I ironed the freezer paper to the dotted fabric and drew around it with a Sew Line chalk pencil. 

 I did a rough cut around those outside fingers, but didn't do the final trim until an inch or so before I did the actual needle turn.  Then before I trimmed the inside of the heart away, I went back to the machine and basted on the line for the inside heart.  The Mark B Gone pen shows through on the back.  The line for the heart gave me a guideline for placing the inside heart.

I cut the heart shape out of the center of the freezer paper so after I appliqued the center heart to the middle heart fabric, I'd have a guideline to use to trace the applique' line on the middle heart fabric.

This is my center so far.  I still have a few berries and tongues to finish before the center is complete, but I've had a lot of fun fussy cutting leaves and berries from my fabrics.  My Stars and Sprigs has been shipped, so I've got to step it up a bit.   

Hearts and Flowers

Hi All,  Just joined the group and this will be my first post.  I will have to blame my friend Judy (AKA Judith of Lollypop) for my addiction to Kim McLean.  After seeing her quilts and all the beautiful quilts on the Glorious Applique Blog I just had to join in.
My first attempt has been to do the Hearts and Flowers quilt from Kaffe Fassett's Quilt Romance book.
I ordered the fabric kit from Glorious Color and have made several trips to Intown one of my local quilt shops to pick up more.  Did I mention this was an addiction?

Hi,
Sorry for the lay-out, i'm not a computercapable person.

The lollipops with the yellow leaves is my first block so far. The blue leaves i managed to prepare to take with me to Birmingham. To my disppointment, no quilts from Kim McLean, a lot of Kaffe Fassett though : quilts, fabric and even the person : tall, smiling, relaxed.
The dark red leaves are my third block. Now i would like very much to have your honest opinion because i am doubting myself very much at this point.

Meanwhile i am stewing over Kims heart quilt in the romance book. I found those background fabrics : 4 almost identical kaki background with pink spots. The layout of the spots is different in each one. With a Kaffe border (once finished), the right hand one probably, and i am thinking with repro's and japanese taupe.And maybe tht at kind of soft orange for the heart. But for the moment just stewing, to much other things going on.

About a week ago i read an entry on the blog from someone (couldn't find it back) who was talking about doing the circles from lollipop without the precut circles preparations. I just want to say i totally agree with her that it is more suitable for this pattern to do them without the templates, because then you have more of the oval shape as on the original pattern. I also think it takes a lot of the possible boredom of sewing that many circles away. I trace my circles from the pattern and then just crease the sewing line between thumb and index. I also crease the sharp points of the leaves.

I do have a question though : how do you put your shapes on the place where they belong, do you eyeball it or is there a method to get them on the right spot?

Could i also ask you, since i have the impression lots of you are using the blue watersoluble pen, to watch out with that : 2 of my quilts i made years ago, after rinsing them in the washing machine, show yellowish lines instead of the former blue ones. So i don't use that pen anymore, unless i can wash the lines out the same day i put them on.
Sorry for the layout again, have no patience now for searching everything out, but i do want to tell you how much i really love this blog.

Glorious Hearts and Flowers

When I purchased a copy of Kaffe's book Quilt Romance (published 2009), I couldn't wait to start on Kim McLeans stunning Hearts and Flowers Quilt.

 Kim McLeans Hearts and Flowers Quilt

Featured in Kaffe's book QUILT ROMANCE (pg 14)

photograph used with permission

I decided I wanted to make Kim's quilt using only Amy Butler Love fabrics (though one of Kaffe's shot cottons did creep in there).

Due to the very hectic nature of Amy's stunning fabrics, I did adapt Kim's quilt a little, however kept the main design elements the same.

This quilt was pretty quick to make and very satisfying, though I have yet to quilt it!

One of the aspects I love about Kim's quilts is the amount of fussy cutting you can do, bringing out fun little elements in the fabrics being used...

If you don't own a copy of Kaffe's Quilt Romance book it is worth loaning from the library...Kim McLean is the featured artist in the book and it is well worth a read.