Addicted to "The Civil War Bride" quilt...

Well, I have finished my third block of this quilt now, and I am totally addicted!!  It is a great project and I am totally loving the applique technique I recently learned from my quilting friend (thanks again, Mary Liz!).  I had heard of this technique (glue stick) before, but wasn't really tempted to try it because I have gotten so fast over the years with my baste-under method and I thought that the glue stick (and later glue baste) would be messy and add extra steps.

Well, the more I try the new way, the faster I am getting.  I am finding flaws in my technique and fixing them (like making sure I soak the completed block long enough to dissolve the glue before pressing it dry and trimming - and making sure I change the water in the container a couple of times and aggitate gently with my hand).

I'm looking forward to Mary Liz's class next week so that I can see what I am leaving out (...knowing me, something really important and useful!!).

All of you know that I am a "nutter" (crazy, nuts, elevator doesn't go to the penthouse...), but there are so many leaves and other things on this project that I am going to start keeping a running tally of things I applique down as I go.  Here is my list after 3 completed blocks:

   leaves - 95
   pieces of fruit - 9
   flowers/buds - 23

 Here is the picture of the whole quilt (from the pattern).

There are 20 total blocks in this quilt, plus the awesome borders.  I have already decided to leave a block out so that I can insert a groom block of my own design.  But which one to leave out and how to re-arrange the remaining blocks so that things are balanced?  This has been puzzling me, and now I came up with a tool to help me decide!

I made a color copy of the picture on my computer printer, cut the blocks apart, and now I can play with the arrangement.  This is important to me as I plan colors for blocks...I want things to be balanced when I finish this long process!!

 

In my "spare" time, I have been planning and painstakingly cutting out a hand-piecing project to work on that is totally portable.  I love to have something mindless and easy in a big baggie right by the door so that I have something to do in meetings, while waiting for appointments, and anytime I am chauffering (and waiting for) my daughter.   :o)

Ta-da!!  Here it is...all reproduction fabrics in every color and a lovely bubblegum pink to set the large stars with after they are made.  I found the pattern in this month's "The Love of Quilting" (Fons and Porter - the one with a fall quilt on the cover).  I LOVE scrappy - no pesky fabric choices to make - I can use them ALL (although I did have to decide on a bubblegum pink for the setting squares, etc.).  All the pieces (1000+) are in a project box, and I will place a few triangles at a time in a baggie with little scissors, a thimble, thread and a needle.  I find I listen much better when my hands are busy (it keeps me from daydreaming), and since I'm happily piecing away, I'm much less hostile if the topic is controversial.  :o)

I am still progressing on binding my three latest machine-quilted U.F.O.s - maybe I can show them next time.

In stitches,

Teresa  :o)