Stay Tuned

I have been busy with family and travel for the past few months and plan to pick up where I stopped on the center block as soon as I come home from the Shipshewana Quilt Retreat next week where I will be taking a workshop in hand piecing with Linda Collins of  Quilts in the Barn in Australia.

 

Centre Block Progress

I valiantly started on the center block by picking out two fabrics for the pinwheel. 

I did this several months ago when I was blitzing a beginning 

and chose fabrics for quite a few blocks that are not yet made. 

Story of my life.

The first thing I did was change out that blue for one with a bit more contrast to that amazing pink print.

Then I promptly cut the blue pin wheels backwards, so I cut them out again correctly.

I pinned together the first pair to hand stitch them together. Sigh. They did not quite fit. so,

I went back to my template and checked the registration marks. Its hard to see them, but what I had done was quickly draw a pencil line on both the inny curve and the outy curve using the same mark.

However, I had drawn  it ever so slightly on an angle

So, I drew it on again this time carefully and straight. Now it fit. 

This time the two curves fit nicely when I pinned them together.

Now to stitch together the other five couplets and see where we are at. 

blessings,
Chris

The Morrell Journey Continues

I got so busy working on a new hand applique sampler quilt along and I started and completed a whole machine applique quilt last month, that I did not get any more done on my Morrell.
But I am back now and anticipate getting a few blocks made this summer. One of my OMG (one monthly goal) for July is to start and complete the center block. It will measure 20 inches when complete. It is a bit daunting and I am tempted to just cut out a section of a red on cream toile, or do some broderie perse like in the original, but since I boast about liking a challenge (whose idea was that?) I will take on the challenge. There are curved seams and inset curved seams and reverse applique and some straight up applique.

Center Block

 I drafted out all the saw-tooth blocks on EQ7 about eight months ago and picked different red prints to do them by simple foundation piecing.

Red French General picks for several saw-tooth blocks

I had started with the simpler applique blocks because I could take them along as handwork while I was away so often last winter. No promises at what pace I will get these done. I am, at best, an all or nothing type, so after doing nothing on this for several months, I just might do all these blocks this summer. We shall see.

Blessings,
Chris

Catching Up

There are a hundred other things I should be doing, but I decided tonight that I need to update this blog.
I know. There was a lot of work to make these blocks. Not. I made the simple 9-patch a few weeks ago but it ended up too small so tonight I made a new one and it wanted to be 1/4 inch too big so I just took an extra 1/32 seam and it is now 10.5 inches. One day I will learn how to take pictures straight.

Morrell Block #08

I had this Winterthur panel already fused so I cut out a few elements and created this. I will machine applique it on one of these days when I want to avoid doing any real work.

Morrell Block # 26

 This was a no-brainer. I had used this extra wide backing for another quilt and had some left over. It is a gray on cream but this cream is not the same as my background. I will wait until much later to see if I will do anything with it.  I have a few red and cream toiles to choose from for one of the other blocks.

Morrell Block # 14

Morrell Block # 05

 I made this one a couple of months ago and have decided where to put it. That's it for  now.

Blessings,
Chris

Block # 4

I hand pieced these 8 star points together. It actually came together far easier than I had anticipated. My hand piecing skills are very new. I have spent a lifetime using the sewing machine for piecing and a seam ripper for un-piecing. I started and stopped 1/4 inch from each edge.

 I hand appliqued the star points. Using longer pins, I turned under a seam allowance and pinned it in place. I used that small red flower at the point for a reference. When I got to 1/4 inch from the point, I took an extra stitch before clipping off the point and turning the corner.

 And voila! Not every design on the fabric was an exact repeat. I used the dark line in the center for a reference as I reverse appliqued the center.

Morrell block # 04

I was almost done when I realized that it was supposed to be on point. And this is how new pattterns are invented.

Blessings,
Chris

A Bit of Progress

This is a simple half square triangle windmill. I did forget to center the design between the dark stripes, but if that is the worst error I make, I'm okay with that.

Morrell Block # 02

Morrell block # 03 from Di Ford's Cloverdale House by Andover

Looking for a repeat design for fussy cutting

I taped the pattern on before cutting an exact 1/4 inch seam allowance

Eight exact repeats for block # 04

Draw stitching line then pinning to hand piece

I guess I have my work cut out for me.  Now to get busy.

Blessings,
Chris

Morrell Block # 1 Broderie Perse

I am new to this technique. I fused the back with heat-n-bond lite, cut out some flowers and leaves then made my own arrangement then ironed it in place. It was a bit tricky deciding how close or how far from the design to cut. I wanted to leave some background fabric for the machine button hole stitches to land on. As you can see, I have not yet stitched this one on.

 

Morrell Block # 01

 There are about 20 Broderie Perse blocks in this quilt. I am using several different larger print fabrics for this quilt. . Not all of the background fabrics match my Morrell background. Some are close others are not. I think I will just carry on using what I have and see what it looks like. My thoughts are once it is quilted and washed, everything will look different. Besides, it is a sampler quilt and there will be another 60 different blocks.
  
Blessings,
Chris

Morrell Album on Facebook

I started a facebook group called Morrell Album QAL   
Anyone making the quilt is welcome to join the group and post pictures of progress and completed blocks.
I initially thought it could be a weekly quilt along with a block a week starting with block # 1, but right now I am making them in random order.  I still have not been able to figure out how to do a linky party on this blog. I read something that made me think that I have to pay for that. Anyone know? But in order to link you have to have a blog. Not everyone has a blog. However, anyone on facebook can easily post and dialogue with others.

I have prepared 2 more Broderie Perse blocks.

These are not yet stitched in place. I will again use a narrow button hole

 Blessings,
Chris

My First Ever Broderie Perse Block

There are  no less than 20 finished blocks that are Broderie Perse, 3 applique and 5 that are simply a print square. The rest are pieced and a combination. I am using a Winterthur Museum panel from Andover. I got it from here.
I am not sure just where this block will land in the final layout. I used a heat-n-bond lite fuseable on the back and a  machine button hole stitch with matching thread. Not bad for a first try. I plan to use other fabrics and different techniques. Since this is a sampler, I can do that.

Blessings,
Chris

Two Completed Applique Blocks

I loved working on this block.

I might redo that center.

Or I might wait until I have a few dozen others made and see if it still bothers me.

In the meantime, I am away from home welcoming a new grand baby and only take hand applique with me when I travel. I will have to leave my good stork scissors behind because not all airports let them through security. I had to give up a pair in Adelaide Australia last year. The same ones that cleared through Toronto and Chicago several times. But here in Fredericton, you will have to give up your toothpaste and shaving cream, so I travel really light.

blessings,
Chris