How The Summer Garden Grows

I love a summer garden in bloom... don't you? Despite the fact that I don't exactly have the greenest of thumbs, I really appeciate a beautiufl garden full of flowers. Nothing gives me more delight than to study each one up close and be amazed with the detail and uniqueness of every little part  that most tend to miss because there is never enough time to just stop and "smell the roses". Just like a summer field, my Chuck Nohara blocks have been growing too!

In preparing my applique templates my summer basket project, I have often found myself on the sunny terrace in the afternoons, or on the sofa in the evening busily snipping away. Sometimes I am too tired to sit at the machine at night, but tracing the templates or cutting them out is the perfect unwinding project.

block # 567

block #404

... and just like all those beautiful details of each individual flower, I have been paying attention to the small, little details in each block. For me I really think a lot about fabrics and placement.

block # 570

I thought that this soft grey fabric was just perfect for this block... especially when you read the text... " plant", "life", "grow"...

 block # 564

If you've ever worked with Anna Maria Horner fabrics, then I don't need to tell you how perfect they are for fussy cutting projects. I'm just sure that she designs her fabrics with this in mind. 

block # 682 (I still have add petals/leaves)

With the exception of the background fabrics, I have mostly been able to pull from my scrap boxes. (which could seriously use having a major dent put in them!)

What's growing in your summer garden?

Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.

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In The Summer Time

Back in January, during the pattern testing phase of my Tiptoe Through The Tulips quilt pattern, one of my pattern testers shared with me about an applique project that she had just finished... essentially if one could take on Chuck Nohara blocks, then the "small amount" of applique in my pattern should be just fine too. I had never heard of the quilt designer before and was sent on a wild goose chase.

When I checked out the #chucknohara hashtag on Instagram, I knew I needed to watch myself lest I be sucked into yet another bucket list project... but I kept my cool. After I had found the 2001 Nouveaux Blocs de Patchwork online, I decided to put it on the back burner instead of in my shopping cart like the impulsive side of me had said to do. The disciplined side of me reasoned that if I just couldn't get it out of my head, then perhaps it might be worth re-considering.

If you are the average quilter (with or without kids), you know that summers, even though they are without the daily schedules and appointments, can still be busy... very busy. How many of you opt to be in the garden or traveling when the sun is shining rather than sweating from the steam of a hot iron?

So, since the thought of this book just would not leave me, (and trust me, I sat on this for a while) I decided to make this my summer travel, take it with you, basket project that I work on here and there as I have time. No pressures, no deadlines, no worries... just like summer. Even in those relaxed summer months my idle fingers can't go for too long without making something.

The book is a pretty no nonsense book with only small illustrations that have to be enlarged to the desired size. No instructions, no assembly diagrams, no fabric requirements... nothing. I have to say that it appeals to me the challenge of trying to try to figure out how blocks are put together. Everyone has their own approach, but since discovering the starch applique method, I'll not go back! The book, however, is not limited to only applique blocks, but uses traditional and other piecing methods too.

I've really been focused on using scraps for this. I'm planning for green to be the main/focal color with accents of pinks, oranges, and yellows. Even though Greenery is Pantone's current color of the year, my love for nature's color extends far beyond the passing trend.

The beauty of it is that I can prepare the freezer applique shapes and take them just about anywhere. We've been having the most divine weather, so these have been my afternoon on the terrace project these last days.

Want to read more about Chuck Nohara? Check out this blog post or this one. There are even some fun how-to videos (in French, but one can easily understand the process) or get inspired by some fabulous Chuck Nohara pins on Pinterest.

Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social

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On Solid Ground

Let me reassure you... there is no need to wipe your computer screen... no need to grab an extra cup of coffee... no need to pinch yourself to see if your are dreaming. You are NOT seeing things...

I suppose that might be just a wee bit over dramatic, but if you have been around for a while, then you might know that I DON'T work with solids... at all. However, on that same note, if you've been around long enough to know of my avoidance of solids at all cost, then you probably also know that I can only sing the highest praises of Basic Grey grunges... this not-quite-a-solid IS my solid. 

The motivation to steer clear of my beloved prints is because these are a present for my parents (when I talk of these, it includes the remaining three that I have planned to make) Even though I would describe my own personal decorating tastes as transitional, my folks definitley lean towards a more modern style. I have to admit that in this case, these bold splashes of color give a more powerful impact than my prints would, and give it the modern feel that I am looking for.

Because improv is also not where my strengths or passions lie, I very much appreciated these free paper piecing templates from The Long Thread. It was fun for me to experiment with multi-directional quilting, finding and following the design of the piece itself for the hints of how it should be quilted. 

Are you a solid teetotaller or do you cherish your beloved prints and leave your solids on the shelf?

Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social

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Applique Borders

Last week I sent out a "call for help", asking for your two cents on how much time pattern testers might need for an entire medallion quilt instead of a single block or small finished project. Firstly, thank you for all the ideas and suggestions... I've pulled from several of them, and think that this is the planned scenario that I've come up with: Firstly, share the flimsy and do a pre-call for testers, giving the fabric requirements to see if the pattern can be made from stash, or if extra fabrics would need to be purchased. Secondly release my third pattern while the testers are working on the pattern testing this one. Well... that's the plan, anyway.

Currently I am working the last border, which is a little heavy on applique, and should still take a good bit of time to complete. When working on a pattern, I usually sew up the top and then back track, which means that I'm still a good ways out on this one. Realistically, I'm looking at releaseing to testers in late summer/early fall with a spring release for this one.

At our Patchwork Treffen HH this past weekend, amaziningly I didn't do one single stitch on the sewing machine the whole time I was there... I left thinking, why did I even bring it? But some days I simply enjoy playing around with fabric, even if I'm not stitching it. I was able to whip up all these leaves for the border.

Are you interested in pattern testing and have time starting late summer/early fall? Applique experience is needed. Let me know and I'll put you on the list.

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In Need of Two Cents

I've been whittling away and trying to finish two secret sewing projects, both of them new quilt patterns, which leaves me just shy of two finished quilt tops... one more row on the first, and the last border on the second. There's way more done than what I can share right now, but teasers are always such fun, don't you think?

I'm always so back and forth with myself about how much to share before official announcements... perhaps you can help me with that? This is planned to be my fourth quilt pattern, which will be a medallion quilt. My previous pattern testers have usually only done a one block, or smaller pillow/wall hanging project. This quilt will be larger, would need to be a full flimsy finish, and is heavy on applique. What time frame do you think is realistically needed for testers? (interested?... let me know)

My concern that if I share the full quilt too far in advance, and testers need a longer time frame to finish, then the excitement about the quilt has fizzled out by the time it's been tested. I think that realistically this would be a 2018 spring release. (I have to finish the top myself, quilt it, AND finish writing the pattern, not to mention the third pattern that releases ahead of it, but it's good to have a plan, right?)

In addition, I unfortunately I've had to put this to the side because I ran out of fabrics for the last border. The joy of living in Germany is that I will have to wait at least three weeks or more. The missing border is my heavily appliqued border, which should take a good bit of time, but I have started working on some of the applique shapes. I just love these little pomegranate buds. It's not a final design, but still fun to lay them out in a mandala arrangement.

Do you plan a year's worth of projects ahead of time, or do you just take it project by project?

 Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.

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