I did not touch my sewing machine this week. Not even once! I did, however, do quite a bit of hand quilting and hand appliqué. I did the first lesson of the Moon Trees Class with Jo Avery on the Threadhouse Academy and managed to get one block made. The background fabric is a piece of Essex Linen. The yellow tree is Fableism Sprout and the print is from Tilda. I plan on making more of these blocks with different variations of trees. The next online class will teach me how to do this. I'm using 80 wt thread for the appliqué and the stitches totally disappear.
I finished quilting the centre square of my round robin quilt this week and started on the second set of orange and dark green triangles. I'm not sure what to quilt in the wider blue strips so if any of you have any ideas to offer, I am interested in hearing what you think.
After being away for a week at the cottage, my gardens needed some serious dead heading and weeding. I did a bit each day this week and things are looking more shipshape now. There are lots of colourful flowers in bloom, both annuals and perennials. Echinacea or Purple Cone Flowers have spread themselves around and I need to do some serious thinning of these plants...not right now when they all look so pretty.
Orange Echinacea
Black Eyed Susans
Lantana (These are in a pot on my patio--one of my Australian readers told me these are considered to be an invasive weed there.)
Scaevola
Finn and my daughter have been here this week. Finn likes to keep an eye on what is happening on the street from the back of the couch. They will be leaving to go home soon.
Finn and I had some time on the patio this week. I was reading a book until someone came along for an ear rub.
The book blanket has had another row of squares added this week. Only four more rows to go. Finn was doing a good job impeding progress one evening this week. He is very good at claiming all the blankets!
I will link up with Kathy and Frederique on the weekend.
Those trees are fun! Are you making them from a pattern, or designing your own shapes to go along with the class? The quilting on the Round Robin looks great. My hand quilting tends to follow the seams kind of like you're showing that you've done, so not sure I have any ideas for you. Your flowers are so pretty - you have a green thumb, Gail!
ReplyDeletemy flowers need some serious deadheading also it has been ages since I took care of them.
ReplyDeleteYour moon trees look amazing! You could add parallel lines, wavy line, or a zig zag line in your wider blue areas.What ever you decide will be the best choice! Your flowers are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteNice fabric choice for your moon trees. Finn is hilarious balanced on the back of the sofa. He must have a great vantage point from there! Sarah quilting by the sea
ReplyDeleteYour flowers are so pretty. I love where Finn decided to plant himself to view the world. Enjoy your stitching.
ReplyDeleteYour moon trees block is beautiful, and yes indeed, your stitches are truly invisible! I hope you will find great inspiration for hand quilting the blue strips of the round robin project. Pretty flowers, and cute Finn as always! Thank you for sharing and linking up!
ReplyDeleteDear Finn - what a commanding view. And beautiful project. The moon trees remind me of a 1960s poster!
ReplyDeleteFinn is so cute. I had a dog that liked to do that too.
ReplyDeleteHand applique, how clever, I can only do it on the machine. And then it's machine applique of course. Of course you had to put your book down to give Finn some attention!
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