Hi-diddly-O happy quilters! It's been so long since my last post, but I assure you I'm still here and still just as obsessed with quilting as ever. So come on in, grab a cup of your favorite giggle juice and have a seat while I share what I've been up to lately. Since all the blocks have now been released for the Quilt Doodle Designs free 2017 BOM it was time to get my hiney in gear and get them done. I've never been able to keep up with BOM's. This year I'm determined to give it my best shot.
Over the last week the studio has been a complete mess as I made the blocks. Tiny little pieces of freezer paper pieces all over the floor. I was doing my best impression of Eleanor Burns...just get rid of that with a quick toss over the shoulder. The freezer paper applique was a little bit harder than expected. In order to make some of the blocks changes were made to make it a little easier on me. Cindy from Quilt Doodle Designs had designed them for raw edge applique. When doing raw edge you can have tiny sharp points. Those tiny sharp points are almost impossible (for me) freezer paper applique.
Now I'm going to admit one major change that had nothing to do with points. The theme of this BOM is... things you would find at grandma's house. Well one of the blocks was Lilacs. My grannie had lilacs but her hummingbirds and feeders were EVERYWHERE. So I decided to change that block to fit my grannies house.
These blocks are all 100% machine stitched. No handwork. The applique was done using a teeny tiny blanket stitch and a collection of Lori Holt Aurifil thread that matched her Calico Days fat quarter bundle fabric used for the blocks.
Calico Days line of fabric is one of my favorite lines of fabric. However I've a complaint about how Lori is doing her prints these days. Instead of having 42 prints that can be bought in yardage she designs 3 panel pieces, each having 8 fat eighths printed on them. I DON'T LIKE THIS. I WANT YARDAGE IN ALL. So I'll no longer buy any line that doesn't allow me to purchase all prints in yardage. Why you ask? Because I needed more of the small white prints used for the applique background. In order to get them I needed to buy 3 yards of fabric but only getting a fat eighth of each of the fabrics I needed and then 7 fat eighths of prints that I didn't need. So I decided to buy a different print. The little yellow rose buds below is what I've decided to use for the centers and possibly the background fabric. What do you think?
I think it's adorable. Wishing I could get in several colors. Now let me tell you a little secret...shhh... Lean in close and swallow your coffee.... It's Walmart fabric, can you believe it? Paid $2 a yard! You betcha I bought the entire bolt!
~ Lea Anne ~
