Saturday, January 29, 2011

Cherries Galore


This is the latest applique block finished for the cherry cake quilt.  The cake basket blocks were made by friends on a Reproduction Yahoo Group.  Our challenge was to make cake basket blocks for a block exchange using Lancaster colors.  This applique block was inspired by a block in an antique quilt I remember seeing in a quilt show some time ago.  There are a lot of cherries in this one, so I ended up using thin metal washers I got at the hardware store as templates.  After gathering the fabric around them, they got a good press and then sat overnight to cool.  It really worked well.


Progress so far - the cherry sprig applique block on the right is inspired by a block in the 101 Applique Blocks book by Nancy Brenan Daniel.  This is a great book which I end up return to over and over.  The middle block was made using a bias stem shaped around a glass for the template, and leaves from a pattern I made by folding freezer paper in half and cutting out a leaf shape until I came up with a shape I liked.  There are a total of 20 cake stand blocks, so will enjoy making more applique blocks to go in between.

Thank you for stopping by to look at the Cherry Cake quilt progress, and hope you have time this weekend to get a few stitches in!  Delicious foggy weather here in Northern California just right for quilting and a pot of soup bubbling on the stove!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Cherry Sprig Block



Just finished the cherry sprig applique block for the cherry cake quilt, and am deciding what type of applique blocks to make next.  


The applique blocks are so fun to make as they will all be different, and I'm leaning towards a bird/cherry block or an urn/cherry block as the quilt may get a bit busy.  Would love to hear your ideas about future applique blocks to include!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

1-1-11 Happy New Year!



Was so thrilled to receive this wonderful hooked rug from Kelley, a Yahoo friend, for Christmas.  Kelley makes the most gorgeous rugs, and I was thrilled to receive one of her wonderful creations.


Our oldest daughter drew these pictures of her Grandmother as a young girl, a teenager, and a young woman (1930s - 1940s) for her sister's Christmas present.  We all were thrilled so see what a wonderful, heartfelt present she gave her sister, and we are so proud of her drawing talent.



Think this is the year of the little quilt as I have been reading on many others' blogs, so wanted to show one I finished and handquilted in 2010.  Little quilts appeal on so many levels: its a way to test out different fabric color combinations; an incentive to finish a project from start to finish when time and patience are limited; and they are so fun to display!  I love the hand quilted look, and since this was my first attempt on a little quilt, hopefully I will become better at it...  I can already imagine different designs and thread colors to use on the next one.

Looking forward to a great 2011, and I am so grateful to have met so many fellow bloggers during 2010 whose blogs I have thoroughly enjoyed, and who have enriched my life through comments left on my blog.  Can't wait to see the projects we all have ahead of us this year!