Applique gift

Hope you all enjoyed your Christmas?  Exhausted or Relaxed, or a bit of both?!

I can now show the applique project that was a secret birthday gift - the Michele Hill pattern from Australian Quilters Companion no 57. It is not a quilt - but a set of four reproduction quilt tiles! I chose to use neutrals/ creams to suit the recipient's decor.

Starting off...

Back basting and hand needleturn applique

One applique panel done - three more to sew!

I made four of these applique panels exactly the same. Then each panel was wrapped around a 10 inch art canvas and stapled on - to make four 'tiles'. I thought it would be a quick project but severely underestimated how much applique was involved!

As you can see below, they can be hung on the wall in different arrangements. Clever idea don't you think?

The original pattern was featured in the magazine in reds and blues, and machine appliqued using blanket stitch - stunning.

Some progress and some excuses...

Progress on the Baltimore Album has been slow. This is Block 14 so far:

Some leaves just pinned and some to come

Now for some excuses for the slow progress. 

• I have finished a new applique project but, due to it being a top secret gift, I can only show a snippet at the moment (sorry it is very grainy due ? to zooming in ): 

Big hint ... It is a pattern of Michele Hill and features in the Australian Quilters Companion No 57. All will be revealed in the New Year. 

• There has also been a lot of this happening - intense time of year in the garden...

Snaps of my spring garden 

• Have had a great time at two days of  Gingerbread House baking lessons, with my daughter. Just look at the wonderful 'Aussie' gingerbread house she created! Can you smell that ginger..so yummy?

I made a much less skilled attempt at a snowy-church-style-cobbled-together-house. It did a somersault or two in the boot of the car on the way home from the class ...oops... but still tastes and smells delicious all squashed up and broken!