Field Trips in Fiber - Adventures in quilting, hand dyed fabric and fiber art.

The vintage flower blocks

Do you remember the big tin of flower appliques that I showed with a journal quilt a couple of weeks ago? I couldn't forget them. I was thinking of them while I was at my quilt guild meeting a couple of weeks ago. I need a travel hand project. It's difficult to work on those bright flower blocks away from home because of all of the colors of thread and I need reading glasses to see the extremely tiny stitches that Dot (master appliquer from the guild) taught me. If I'm wearing the reading glasses I can't see anything else. At home I actually wear both of the and I look like a kook.

See where I am heading? I thought it would be a brilliant idea to start another handwork project specifically for travel!

I will applique these to 8" finished blocks using a blanket stitch. The project has a rule: Don't buy anything new to do it.

First I had to prepare the appliques. These blocks are so perfectly prepped! But they are kind of musty.

I tried soaking them in some soapy water but it wasn't enough to get the smell out. I added a few tablespoons of baking soda and that helped a lot. I only put in a little soap and I mostly let them soak. I didn't want to disturb the basting stitches. After they soaked in the soapy water for a while (30 minutes or more) I put them in a rinse bin for another 30 minutes or so.

You know how we always hear warnings about leaving starch in things? These blocks have been heavily starched and they are at least 40 years old and they are fine. I suppose that in some climates that it may attract bugs but these blocks are in great shape. A few are stained but I'm just setting those aside because I have about a million to choose from!

After the rinse I am ironing the dry on a cushioned surface with a pressing cloth on top. No colors are running. Can you see how the maker fussy cut these? There are several blocks with the kaleidoscope effect and you know I love that!

I will have to make centers for the flowers but I have a nice collection of solids for that!

I also have a big bag of floss that I can use for the stitching. But there's the first dilemma.

My plan was to do all of the stitching in black. I have a big cone of thread that is about the thickness of 4 strands of floss. But it was too heavy in my sample. I don't have enough black floss but I have lots of colors. Do I embroider the blocks with colored floss or do I break the rule and buy black? Black would make the travel project easier.

I think I will need about 50 for a twin sized quilt and I believe I will be able to come up with 50 different ones. I think this lady must have traded fabrics like we do charm swaps because there is an incredible variety of fabrics in these blocks. See all the blocks in this photo? That's what's left AFTER I remove the 50 I want!

Under the blocks are all of these petals yet to be put into flowers.

What would you do with them? What would you do about the thread?

 

One more applique block

Like most of you, I can leave home for more than a day without taking along some sort of handwork. For my trip to London I took along a couple of these flower applique blocks. Of course, I barely got 2 petals done! But 2 petals is progress and after a little time Sunday evening I finished this block.

Now I have 6 complete and a 7th underway and I still have absolutely no clue what I am going to do with them! I suppose I will keep making them until I get tired of them or until I come up with a new, and better, applique project. Worst case they can always become placemats!

 

 

Handwork Wednesday

I finished another block! But now my right ring finger is in a splint for a week or so there will be no more handwork for a couple of weeks! I can't believe that  I am still enjoying appliqué!

Handwork Wednesday

One more appliqué block is done!

I'm still enjoying it so at this point the project will be more than 2 pillows.

Handwork Wednesday

This week I'm reporting on my appliqué project.  I can't tell you what a surprise it is to me that I enjoy appliqué! I've finished my first block.

Remember Saturday when I told you about my appliqué lesson from the star appliqueist (I made that word up) in our Guild chapter? Well, I took my block to the meeting last night so Dot could see my progress.

When she saw my new and improved stitches she said "They look just like mine." One more time so you can get the effect. "THEY LOOK JUST LIKE MINE"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so obnoxious that I even made her say it out loud so everyone could hear it! They had to indulge me last night because I did the program. The topic was blogging. Well, that was easy to talk about!

I've got 3 more blocks ready and have started on the tulip block on the left.

The other cool thing about this project is that I will be thinking of blogging friends while I work on it. I had already pulled that blue needle case that Kathy gave me (it has my needles, pins, threads and scissors) and then I received that little bag in the mail yesterday from Shannon. It's a perfect hand sewing kit!