Caswell Block D2

Yay, I have finished another Caswell Block. Looks like I've settled into a routine of about one block per week at the moment - and I'm just fine with that. Here's the block:

Caswell Quilt - Block D2
As always, I've changed some things around a little. Something I've done on all the blocks is made sure all the leaves are attached to stems - it doesn't appeal to me at all when the leaves are floating in space. I changed two of the flowers a little too - I just removed some of the points - I'm not sure about points while working with this freezer paper/glue baste method just yet - I'm sure I'll get more confident as I go along.

I've had such fun liberating more scraps of green from my stash, and I picked up a few little bits and bobs from the store too. My goal for this year was to use more fabric from my stash than I purchase, but that plan is already shot to pieces - I've gotten the backing for this quilt recently, and had at least six metres of fabric come into my life. Oh well, I could be addicted to much worse things than fabric!

Here is something I wanted to share before now - it's a Christmas block I exchanged with my quilting buddies in the USA. I'm an honourary member of the Quilt Batts, and love to spend time with them when I'm stateside, and they're sweet enough to let me be part of their annual exchange:

I genuinely thought I'd taken a photo of the finished block with all it's blanket stitching and green frame, but it appears I didn't! How terribly flaky of me. I'll check on facebook and share the picture of all the blocks with you next time.

And so you don't think I've been only working on the applique blocks, this is what I spent a little time on last week while I was waiting for Camo at tennis training:

I had started this small wholecloth a really long time ago, and it's about half way to being finished. I didn't have anything else prepped to take along with me, so I popped this back in the hoop and spent a little time on it. It's hard to get too much done in an hour, but it felt good to be doing a little quilting again.

I'm feeling really quite tired tonight, so I don't think it'll be too long before I'll be in bed. Tomorrow I don't have much planned, so I'm going to crank out a couple more spiderweb blocks. I should be able to do them blindfolded by now! Chatter soon! xox

Caswell Block B4

Here is the latest block for the Caswell quilt, I'm thrilled to have another one checked of the list - this project has me hooked!

Caswell Quilt - Block B4
This is a bit of an odd looking block isn't it? It feels great to have finished it and I can get busy on the next one. I've made 17 of them now, the first three rows are entirely done and two random blocks in the lower half of the quilt. I think I'll have to work on them in order going forward, otherwise I'll be tempted to leave the hardest ones until last, and I don't want to do that again. I learned my lesson while working on the Nearly Insane quilt - some doozies in that project!

I was also going to share a picture of a block I made for an exchange I participate in recently, but I forgot to suck it out of the phone camera, so I'll have to take a rain-check. I wonder if I can remember for the next post?

Better run, it's getting late already - days go by so fast! Chatter soon xoxox

Caswell Block C2

I'm just so thrilled to have finished another Caswell block. The glue baste technique I learned from Teresa's blog really makes it so much easier to tackle the more fiddly elements - do try it if you are working on an appliqué project.

Caswell Quilt - Block C2

The leaves, the stem and the butterfly were stitched in place using my normal needle turn technique, but the flower and the bird were done with the glue baste method, and I'm so impressed with the speed and accuracy that is achieved. I now understand how Teresa is so prolific ... I'm definitely converted.

I do have a couple more pictues to share, but I'll have to leave them for next time, as I'm just about to run Camo to tennis training. Now that school is back, all the other activities are back too. Between Camo and I, there is tennis in some form seven times a week, Camo's tutoring, work and quilt group. All good fun and useful, but it means I'm never sitting still for too long. Chatter soon!

Caswell Block B3

Oh my goodness, I'm so pleased to have finished this block. There were elements of it that were tough! Well, not that tough, but I did learn a new skill ... I'll explain shortly - here's the finished block:

Caswell Quilt - Block B3

As you know, my favourite technique for applique is needle-turn. I've been doing it for years, and I feel reasonably confident that I can tackle most things with it. But as I was contemplating the nest and the birds, I couldn't settle on which would be the best order to do the pieces. That's when I decided to try a technique I'd read all about at Teresa from Fabric Therapy's blog. She uses freezer paper and glue bastes. Do check out her fabulous tutorials - they're amazing!

I constructed the nest first:

It was pretty easy, and I was very confident going forward. Teresa talks about being sparing with the glue, but I got a bit preschool and used plenty, so it was a little hard to needle afterward, but I'm sure practice makes perfect. All confident, I tackled the blue bird next and it was much tougher, but by the time I put the pink bird together, I was super happy with how it was all going. I will definitely use the technique again for tricky elements. Thank you Teresa!

It's getting late here, so I should get to bed - I have tennis tomorrow morning if it stops raining. It seems we dash from major heat to major rain - just the extremes for us to deal with. I have some emails to catch up etc etc, but they will all have to wait until tomorrow. Chatter soon!