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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Mein Hase

Even though there are million things swirling around on my to-do list with my second pattern launch about a month away, I decided to squeeze in a quick baby present. My oldest son's teacher just had a sweet baby girl, and I just couldn't get this adorable bunny out of my head as the perfect welcoming gift. I adore paper piecing, and this bunny from the mini woodland bundle was the first thing that came to mind, not to mention that Juliette's patterns are so well done.

I enlarged the pattern so that it was a better fit for a14" pillow, and used soft blush shades to leave know doubt that this is for a sweet princess. When I make a paper piecing block, I actually give a lot of thought to fabric placement. I thought that it would be fitting, and wanted to highlight the "life together" text print, since that's what adding a bundle of joy to the family actually means.

I finished it off with a envelope closure using Carolyn Friedlander's Grid Diamond print in Ice Peach Metallic from her Carkai collection.

As part of my yearly goal, I quilted this with FMQ swirls again... practice makes perfect, right? Free motion quilting on small projects like this are not the challenge for me, but quilting a larger quilt. Perhaps practicing on smaller projects like this will help me with the big ones (fingers crossed)

In Germany those enduring pet names that you might call your loved ones are quite different than what you would hear in the States. Instead of names like sweetheart, honey, sugar, etc. the names are usually animals like bunny (Hase), mouse (Maus), or sparrow (Spatz). So, it's fun for me to think that this pillow could possibly be "für einen kleinen Hasen". (for a little bunny)

Linking up this week to Let's Bee Social.

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