Completed this little top today, Valentines Day 2022. It was fun getting back to some hand stitching (just healing up from a finger injury). The top is approx. 25" x 26". So probably big enough to tuck into a car seat or stroller. The bear block is 9.5" square. It will be quilted using a light batting with flannel backing to finish. I decided to embroider Hula Bear this time and use fewer appliques. She's bright and sweet. The prints are mainly Trendtex fabrics from Hawaii.

I like making the appliques using sew in interfacing. The results are a flat applique with edges turned under. I learned this method from a tip in an old Quilter's Newsletter Magazine. I've used it when possible ever sense. Below are pictures of what that process looks like.

1 - Trace your shape on to light weight, sew in interfacing. Pin to the right side of applique fabric. You can see through it to position your applique.
2 - Thread needle with water soluble thread.
3 - Shorten stitch length to 1.5 or 1.6.
4 - Sew around your shape just outside the drawn line.
5 - Trim leaving a 1/8th to 1/4" seam allowance outside the line.
6 - Clip any curves if needed.
7 - Cut a slit in the interfacing only and turn the shape right side out. Use the straw and chopstick method to make this step easy.
8 - Use the chopstick or a bodkin to smooth the seams and press shape.
9 - Spray the back of the applique lightly with fabric sizing.
10 - Following instructions on the can, make sure sizing is absorbed in fabric.
11 - Turn the applique right side up and press moving iron back and forth until shape is dry.
12 - Lift interfacing away from the fabric and you have a nice flat applique shape with turned under edges. The interfacing lifts off because the water soluble thread melts away. Magical...

Above is the back of Hula Bear's skirt applique and the interfacing that came away when it was pressed. Nice smooth turned under edges.

Above is Hula Bear in progress. For me, not always, but a lot of times, applique prep this way is faster than using the starch and paper method or other. You still get a nice flat applique. Also, if you want more body to your applique, use regular thread in the needle and leave the interfacing in.

This is my fabric pull for making some new fall table toppers. I wanted to make something using a fan pattern and or Dresden plate and ended up making two. The colors turned out to be rich and saturated.  Just right for fall.

First fan or (half Dresden plate) made with a 15 degree ruler. The ruler is huge (Creative Grids non slip, 24") so you can cut just about any size fan blade that you want.  I liked the look of more narrow fan blades so there are 14 in these. Now what?

How about sewing a bunch of 2.5" squares together along with 2.5" border strips? Simple and looking good in these fabrics so far. It could be finished just like this.

However, we're incorporating the Dresden plate pattern here. So the half Dresden's were appliqued to a rectangle and sewn to each end for the finish. A pretty top for a fall table and or Thanksgiving. To me these particular half Dresden's suggest turkey feathers. :) I liked these fabrics so much I decided to make a full Dresden plate to use as a table center piece.

I used a photo of a young Japanese maple along side our driveway to create this tree.

This was maybe the most fun project I completed in 2019. I decided to participate in the #modastringalong (instagram hashtag). I wanted my string quilt to be an applique quilt instead of using pieced blocks. There are lots of Hawaiian fabrics in the closet still after this :). Really not much of a stash buster, even though the whale tails are quite large (36"). It started out with string hearts. Then it was on to turtles, ferns, flowers, whale tails, and appliqued waves under the whales. The ferns were a little tedious to make because of the narrow leaves. It was surprising though despite all the seams, the appliques weren't that heavy. And finally, I cut up the hearts and made a school of fish. The hearts didn't really work with the other elements. The borders are also string pieced. Background fabric is Grunge Clear Water by BasicGrey for Moda Fabrics.  Lots of space is left open for quilting. Pantograph is Hula Hibiscus by Lisa Calle. It reminds me of Hawaiiana and this felt like the perfect quilt for it. Better pictures are needed of the finished quilt. Another day...

The idea starting out was to use up some fabric from the stash in the closet (Salt Air, Cosmo Cricket by Moda Fabrics). I used Grunge Creme for the background. Big thanks to Oda May, Camp Counselors and other campers for great patterns and inspiration! This was my first quilt along and first medallion quilt. Choose your own adventure summer camp theme. I did choose to go off on my own a bit adding some shell, star fish and whale tail appliques. Mainly because the Salt Air fabric line has a sea theme.

Here are pictures of how my quilt progressed over the summer and fall (apologies for some of the pics clarity). The top is complete and backing purchased. Now to figure out the quilting part. I'm so happy with how the top came out.

You can see other campers quilts on Instagram #chooseyourownadventureqal #campodamay

Pat requested instructions for this runner made with Lady of the Lake blocks and old jeans. It's very simple and I know I'm repeating myself but this block is fun to do. Thanks for writing Pat. Hope you have fun with it.

Quilt will be made sometime in the future... from that big bin of denim under the cutting table.

Lady of the Lake Block
Finishes at 12.5" and 12" when runner is complete.

Each block is made up of 8 Half Square Triangles (HST). HST instructions not included here. Press seams open and press well as you go because denim seams are heavy.

Cut 2  -  10" squares - 1 light, 1 contrast
Make Half Square Triangles. Yield 2 HST from 2 squares. Trim and square to 9.5"

Cut 8  -  4" squares  - 4 light, 4 contrast
Make Half Square Triangles. Yield 8. Trim and square to 3.5". You will use 7 for each block. I used black denim for extra contrast in the bottom center HST. Sew the 3.5" HSTs into 2 rows.

One row = 3, one = 4. Sew rows to 9.5" HSTs.



Cut 1  -  12.5" square light  -  sub cut in half on the diagonal. If your jeans legs aren't large enough to get a 12.5" square, use a 12.5" sq. ruler to cut triangles half at a time. You still might need a good sized leg. Triangles are cut larger to make sure points show when edge is finished.

Sew one triangle to top and bottom of each block making 2 rows. Sew the rows together matching center seam. Trim outside of piece leaving a 1/4" seam allowance around entire edge.

Press yet again to flatten seams as much as possible. Quilt as you like. I quilted this on the longarm using an overall pattern (jeans needle) and it didn't have a problem. Bind and enjoy.

For runners, I like using really light weight Pellon fleece (can be found in interfacing area of some stores). My big sis suggested this instead of regular batting. Not sure of the weight but it seems like almost nothing. It helps keep runners flat and quilting shows nicely. When "the future" denim quilt is ready to be quilted, it will probably just be backed in flannel without batting.

This one is quick and easy and great on a small wall. Island Hours I`a (I`a means fish in Hawaiian). Use prints and fussy cut the fish appliques for interesting fish faces and fins. It's fun to audition and use different areas of the same fabric to get unique fish. There are also fish faces included on the templates in case you choose to embroider them. Eyes can be embroidered or small beads can be used.

This is before and after stitching a little car cuddle, stroller tucker, drag around (whatever you want to call it). I used the puppy applique from my Peace Puppy in the Window quilt pattern to add some fun. He's a sweet little puppy and fun to stitch. Dimensional ears get sewn under the head and make good handles for little fingers.

Background piece (white approx. 20" x 26.5") is leftover from another project along with the borders. Peace puppy applique measures a little more than 9 inches tall and wide. Finished piece is approx. 30" x 35".

I made this one nice and light weight (no batting) because baby lives in southern Cal. However, minky/cuddle backing make it extra soft. A quick and special little gift and maybe a new friend for a little one.

Stuffy and Whiskers were first made back in 2002 as stuffed snow cats. I recently remade Whiskers in a smaller size. He looks great in beautiful felted wool and makes a fun pin cushion.

As the story goes Stuffy and Whiskers live in a high mountain meadow outside Seattle or Thereabouts. Wherever there is lots of snow and a nice pond. Whiskers is a passionate ice fisherman and is known to occasionally tell a whopper. He is also owner/operator of "Whisker's Fish Sticks"  Stuffy is a large cat obsessed with coffee and his daily run ins with the Caffeine Hound. He gets his coffee at "Cafe Kit Kat", the local coffee bar frequented by residents of Thereabouts. Stuffy has to out wit the Caffeine Hound (his dog house is outside the cafe) to make it inside for a cuppa. This happens every day and lots of times more than once.

Below is Whisker's first wool project "Fish Story Pin Cushion". More wooly adventures to come.