A milestone reached...72 completed LITTLE TREASURES blocks...

The 18 blocks pictured above are the LAST of the 72 (total) LITTLE TREASURES blocks; original blocks that I drafted and hand appliqued to amuse myself and stay sane over the last sixteen months.  The finished size of each block is 6-inches square.

I started making these 6-inch blocks over a year ago for a project that was leaning in another direction.  That project, "Repro Madness," was to be a swap project that would contain blocks made by me and two of my Michigan friends.  I started making 6-inch hand applique blocks designed by Lori Smith of From My Heart to Your Hands designs to put together with pieced and embroidered blocks from my friends.

The three of us chose Reproduction fabrics and got to work.  After I made five blocks using Lori's designs, I started drafting my own blocks, all the time making 3 of each design for a while, one for each of us.

As my project got more ambitious in my head, it became clear to me that I was now working on two different projects...the swap project and what was turning into a medallion quilt featuring an original center larger block surrounded by a collection of tiny appliqued blocks on scrappy backgrounds.

Here are close-ups of the last 18 blocks.  It has been really challenging keeping to the Reproduction fabric palette, but since that is what I started with I decided to persevere...

This is "Flutter By"...

"Fairy Friend"...

"High Flying"...

"In Transit"...

"Counting Sheep"...

"Fall Oak"...

"When Pigs Fly"...

"Bee Happy"...

"Hovering Hummer"...

"A Splash of Citrus"...

"Thread to Go"...

"Greet the Morn"...

"Bashful Bird"...

"L-O-V-E"...

"Hiding in Pines"...

"Zinnia Bouquet"...

"Balancing Act"...

and (finally!), "Just Ducky"...

I started drafting and stitching all of these blocks, not really knowing where I was going.  What I did know was that having the blocks ready to stitch was great therapy for me as I tried to meet the challenges of moving into my parents' home in another state and dealing with the fall out.

They were easy to prep and sew before I got the quilt cave re-established.

As some of you became interested in the designs and requested patterns, I started gathering them into bundles of nine blocks as I went along and offered the first five pattern bundles on my web site (Animals, Flowers 1, Flowers 2, Misc 1, and Fruit-Veg 1).  

I finally determined that seventy-two blocks was the total number that I needed for the quilt in my head, so I finished out the remaining three bundles (Misc 2, Pets 1, and Winged Things 1).

All patterns are available now, both as a digital download and as patterns sent by snail mail, from my online store.  Click here to go there.

Here are the bundles that are now available:

Animals (1)...

Flowers (1)...

Flowers (2)...

Fruits-Veg (1)...

Misc (1)...

Misc (2)...

Pets (1)...

I have added 3 free BONUS blocks in the Pets (1) Bundle...they are not pictured in the thumbnail print because I gave the finished blocks away!  Here are the pictures and they will also appear in the Photo Gallery on my web store...

Labrador Loyalty...

Short on Loyalty...

Sweet and Low...

Winged Things (1)...

I am now at the point where I can figure out my arrangement of these 72 blocks around my central medallion...that will be both fun and a little scary!

I have been hand stitching my first of four final hand appliqued borders for my anniversary quilt.  It is going a little slow, but I am certainly enjoying it!  Here is a peek...

The other three borders are drawn but not prepped.  I wanted to finish the first one and sew it to the body of the quilt to make sure I don't need to change the balance of the remaining three borders.  

My "Afternoon Delight" is a little ignored right now as I try to push these other two projects toward completion.  I am also drafting and doing the computer work for additional Baltimore Rhapsody music blocks...banjo, guitar, dulcimer, mandolin, church organ, handbells, saxophones and blocks containing more music clefs, notes and symbols.  Thank you for your patience!

In stitches,

Teresa   :o)

1st and 2nd borders done...some assembly was required...

I am so happy to have made decisions about the borders for "Contentment," my original quilt celebrating our marriage (our 23rd anniversary is on October 23).  I started this project just before our 20th anniversary.  Zeesh!  Birthing this project has been like having a baby...in slow motion!

The first border has the pieces woven like a chain (my "chain and bull's eye" border...Steve calls it the "ball and chain border").  That seems appropriate for an anniversary quilt.

I am calling the second border my "pop bead and bull's eye" border since Steve said it reminded him of a toddler's pop-together toys.  I could not make a decision about using one blue, so I used twenty-eight (stash justification at its BEST!) and almost as many purples.

I felt the first border wasn't heavy or solid enough so I knew I wanted the second border to have the visual weight of a solid strip of color but be more interesting than that.  

It's getting too big for the table the top is spread on and the outer border is not even on it yet. It is about 44-inches square right now. It will be about 58-inches square after the final border.

Tuesday night I drew ALL FOUR of the 7-inch wide outer borders.  I don't know where the sudden big dump of creativity came from, but I was happy to receive it as I have been totally stressing about the outer border for weeks.  

As I watched TV tonight (Debate #3), I played "paper dolls" and cut out all the freezer paper pieces I had traced for border number one.  I did not throw the scissors at the TV, but I did lob some rolled up clean socks!

Watching TV (Masterpiece Theater) last Sunday night (NEVER makes me throw scissors...or socks), I cut out the freezer paper pieces for the last thirteen "LITTLE TREASURES" blocks that I drafted last week.  Remember that these are my original hand applique patterns that finish 6-inches (can be 9- or 12-inches) so most of the pieces are a little small.  Once these are done, I will have 72 finished!

I sort the smaller freezer paper pieces into cupcake papers until I can get them pressed onto fabric.  The larger pieces go into a sheet pocket protector with the pattern.  This way I don't get down to the quilt cave missing any pieces...thank God for the beading tweezers I use to shuffle all these little pieces around!  Using them bypasses my fumbly fingers.

It was 90 degrees this afternoon.  It hasn't rained on our little mountain since August 29...we have not had any rain on the roof since we had to have all the screws holding down the metal roofing replaced...don't know for certain yet that the leaks are now addressed.  We are having a mostly colorless fall.  There are trees that are seriously stressed, including magnolias which makes me very worried that we might lose them.

Please send rain!

In stitches, 
Teresa  :o)

Borders and a finishing milestone...

Finally!  I've made some progress on my "Little Treasures" project.  I have added a 1-inch finished sawtooth border around the center medallion block (the block finishes 16-inches square and 18-inches square with the addition of the little border).

It took 68 of the little suckers for this one border, but it was made much simpler by taking all the ingredients as my "leaders and enders" project during the retreat.  For those not familiar with Bonnie Hunter's "leaders/enders" concept...she uses something like this, say two triangles, as the fluff that she adds to her chain piecing "chain" right before being ready to stop chain stitching.  That saves thread and makes it easier to start chain-piecing again without the machine trying to "eat" the fabric bits.  That is how I made all my half-square triangles, which I later pressed and trimmed down to size before assembling strips of the little beasts.

I love how this border looks around my original design for the medallion block!  Seeing this step done has FINALLY helped me decide on the body of this quilt!  Yahoo!  This required me to design/draw an additional thirteen 6-inch applique blocks.  I will share more later about this exciting new development.

I have also been working on the two inner borders for our anniversary quilt, "Contentment."

Pieces and parts, all woven into a border...getting the final soaking to remove the glue.

The inner border is now applied and the outer border pieces are all appliqued...four border strips and four cornerstones...waiting me to attach them to the body of the quilt.  My husband says they remind him of the "pop beads" our daughter had as a toddler.

 And I have now finished ALL of the FORTY applique blocks for "Afternoon Delight."  Here are the last six, all hand-stitched, soaked, and trimmed. 

I have enjoyed stitching these blocks so much...I am almost sorry to be done.  But mostly, now I have no excuses for not facing and finishing the last 56 Double Nine Patch blocks needed for the setting.

Three projects that excite me and progress (finally!) on all three.  I think my retreat motivated me to finally make some decisions concerning how to finish "Contentment" and "Little Treasures," and Sue Garman's "Afternoon Delight" has just been along for the ride as an excellent source of fabric therapy when I needed it the most.

I am so glad to see my blog list back, although I need to spend some time on it.  There are a few blogs missing and a few more that I have found.  I will never understand Blogger, but I have decided that it is something like a living, breathing cyber beast, sent to torture me when I least need the frustration!

In stitches,
Teresa   :o)