This is a photo of the applique block I've told you is driving me crazy. It still needs more applique on the remaining two corners. It's probably the easiest of all the applique blocks that are in the Sylvia's Bridal Sampler book.....but I've been driven bonkers by it. There were to be tiny circles in the center of each flower but I didn't like how they looked, so I did some little embroidery in each center with a French knot in the middle and like that better. The block is called "Posies 'Round the Square" and the floral motif is in all 4 corners when it's done. To me, it looks like something should also be in the middle of the block BUT with the name saying the posies are 'round the square, I guess that's why the center doesn't have a flower. (I should be glad, huh? If there was one in the middle, I'd have to applique 5 of these buggers on there and several more leaves.....YIKES!!! No, thanks!!!) I tried to do regular needle turn and threw THAT leaf away. I did freezer paper and glued the edges under (as shown in an applique book) for a couple of the leaves and it was messy working with the glue like that. For the other 2 leaves, I used the freezer paper as a guide but then needle-turned the edges under and that seemed a bit easier. I'm not crazy about any of them, though, and may try to use plastic template material for the rest and iron the edges under (since the template material is heat-proof)...and see if those are easier to do. I WILL finish the block (for those of you who told me not to give up), but I am not 100% decided yet if I'll do the rest of the applique blocks in the book....may just do doubles of some of the other blocks (in different fabrics) or might just make the quilt smaller. I cannot imagine me doing several applique blocks!!! Oh...and for those of you who are applique experts....I know the points on my leaves are NOT good and not even pointing in the right direction in some cases.....but I checked the points on some of my real leaves on my plants outside here and they aren't so great, either!!!!! I figure if the real thing can have wonky, crazy points, then MY leaves can have those kind of points, too! LOL
AND...hold onto your seats, but I actually cut out and prepped all the pieces for another applique block in the book...one called Lancaster Rose. I've not yet sewn the pieces in place but I laid them in place to take a picture to show you. I'm sure you might be surprised about this considering how mightily I struggled with the applique block above. BUT...for this one, I decided to use the template plastic that is heatproof to see if I could get a good result without driving myself bonkers! I cut my pieces bigger than the plastic template for each piece.....did a hand stitch around the edge of each fabric piece and then pulled the thread to draw the piece up snugly around the template plastic, gave it a good press with the iron and removed the plastic template. It worked and I was very pleased with my success. When I sew the pieces to the background, I will be able to get the points just right and not be frustrated by it as I was with the leaves in the block shown above. Anyway........here is the picture of the new block with the pieces just laid in place. I'm proud that I stuck with it!!! I doubt that I'll ever be a real applique lover, but...at least I can do passable work. I have a big grin on my face now!
