Funky trees and samplers!

What a dreary day it is today....so far, anyway. Just makes a girl wish she could stay curled up in her special chair cozied up with a quilt and some applique....here's what I'm working on this morning, a funky tree on my FlowerGarden.....

Poking at my applique is not the plan for today though. Soon the "guys" will be here to install the new fireplace...yay! Which means tomorrow while I'm curled up in my special chair with my applique, I'll be doing it in front of a lovely fireplace. Sweet! I don't mind giving up our winter trip for this, we'll be enjoying it for years!

Also, I'll be working hard at this quilt on the longarm today....

It's coming along good so far! It's a sampler, so lots of different spaces to fill. I must say, samplers are maybe the most fun to quilt on the longarm....every  block different presenting lots of room for imagination.

Have a great day!

Learning something new!

In my last post I mentioned that I would give a different applique method a try.

Over the years I have tried all kinds of applique techniques. I've held onto the methods I've liked, honing my craft until I've come to do what suits me.

I am a firm believer in trying different ways and not getting stuck in a rut. I think we all know people who are in the mind-set that they've "done it this way for years, so it must be right". I'm talking in general, not just quilty.

So, I decided that I should live up to this and try back-basting. I have heard of it and have even owned this book for a while...

I'm pretty sure that when I first bought the book, I glanced through it and fluffed it off as a technique that wasn't for me. I just couldn't wrap my head around it!

So I decided to give it a try on one of my daily heart blocks.

Here is the start....where I have traced the heart onto the back of the background fabric. The blue piece will be for the heart...

Next, the basting of the the two pieces, following the drawn line. The basting is done with an embroidery needle (which is thicker than the applique needle) and quilting thread (also thicker)....

Then, having carefully trimming around the seam allowance...( I think a pair of nice applique scissors will be of use for this. May have to make a quick run to my local quilt shop!)...

Then on to the needle-turn applique, removing the basting as you go along. The use of the embroidery needle and quilting thread leaves a nice "perforation" that is a visual aid as well as making the needle-turn a bit easier....

....and, voila!.....

I enjoyed the process so much I did a couple more!

I led a little hands-on demo at my applique group yesterday. It will be interesting to see if anyone likes this method!

To give it a fair try, I think I will do Back-basting on my next border of my FlowerGarden quilt.

I just want to make it clear that the above steps are in no way my own ideas. I got all these tips from the book by Barbara J. Eikmeier.

I'm happy to say that I have been keeping up with my 365Challenge...so adorable!...

I think I will take a half hour today to sew another row of hearts on to my Quilty365/Day in My Life, but then I must get back to this beauty....

Once this quilt is done I will share more pictures!

Since my hearts are a scrappy project, I am linking this post with Cyndy over at Quilting is more fun than Housework for her Oh,Scrap!

Have a great day!, I certainly plan to!!!