Applique? Not Me!

I don't do applique. At least that is what I've always told everyone. That doesn't mean I have never done applique. I've given it several different tries, using several different methods. I just don't have the patience most of the time. But that said, I did manage to start and finish a rather big applique project. Please note it was started in January of 2008 and this is now August of 2010. That would be about two and a half years to completion..........a lot of life interfered along the way.

It all began with a car accident that pretty much laid me up for several months. At the same time, TheQuiltShow.com was starting their first Block of the Month series. I decided to give it a try.It seemed easiest to go with similar colors that the designer, Sue Garman, was using. Not very imaginative but remember.....I don't do applique.

The first block. Uh oh! What have I gotten myself into? I decided to do fusible applique with an invisible thread zig zag stitch around all the motifs. That's a lot of curves and turning the block. But I finished it and felt quite proud of my accomplishment. I also used a lot of stash fabrics along the way.





Four months later and look what I have managed to finish. I'm one-third of the way done. I'm on a roll.








Six months later and I'm half-way there. I was also healing pretty well from my car accident and life felt good enough to make plans for a trip in the fall. Had to wonder if there would be time in the fall to finish these blocks.











Nine months, nine blocks and reality hits. These blocks are beautiful but they are a lot of work and more often than not, there are zillions of circles to applique. I'm just not having quite as much fun as I was. SO...........I decide to announce to the TQS blog community that I am stopping at 9 blocks and that is what I do. Turns out to be a wise decision since by the middle of October, life took quite a few unexpected turns.

But back to the present.....August 2010......Two and a half years later. The quilt is finished. I didn't know it at the time, but there was a reason for it's existence. I learned patience along the way and I learned new techniques. I stretched my sense of color placement and used up fabric from my stash. And I had an angel friend help me out through a difficult period of my life. It just seems right that this finished quilt should go to her. It's taken awhile but I hope she will like it.