ONE MORE BLOCK OF THE MONTH ON MY LIST FOR 2011

Bunny Hill Designs has done a Free Block of the Month for the last few years.  In 2009, I finished it and it was the most enjoyable year that I can remember.  Each month I looked so forward to the new basket block.  I  chose to use vintage rick rack for the handles and each month was a personal challenge to find an inventive way to make a new handle.  I have a complete page on my blog devoted to how I made each one.  You will find a link at the top of my blog  Here is a picture of my finished quilt.

Last years free BOM was snowmen and I intended to get it done, but never started.  I am sure if I had I would have enjoyed it just as much.  I visited the web site and printed the pattern each month but December.  Now I am lacking just the one pattern.  December just was such a busy month

This new Block of the Month is called Henrietta's Whiskers.  It includes patchwork and really has touched my heart.  I finished the piecing and have my block ready for the hand embroidery.  With my Boot Bash BOM in the making for this year I will be hardpressed to get it, along with Barbara Brackmans block of the week done, but with your help, maybe I can.  Keep me pumped now, ya'll.  I am depending on you.  Here is my first block.

The hardest part for me is the fabric selection.  It takes ma a long time, it seems.  I love all scrappy (I love how Sandra Bullock says this in Ya Ya Sisterhood) , but even scrappy has to have a rhyme or a reason, as they say.  I use to need a focus fabric to help me along, but I have learned to use a color scheme and stay with the same shade or tint.  Here are the fabrics I ended up chosing for this quilt.

The kicker is the yellow in middle and used in the first block as the scarf.  I wasn't sure that it wasn't a mistake, but after I tried it out, I was sure that it was just what I needed.  Remember that your quilt does not need to please anyone but you.  You are your most important critic.

One more little tip I want to share.  You know when you are using a fusible web for applique and you have to trace in reverse to make the pieces face the right direction?  Well, I get confused everytime.  I hate to admit it, but it is true.  This is what I have begun to do and actually enjoy the process now instead of dreading it.  I fuse the web to the back of my fabric and trace the pieces the actual direction they need to go on freezer paper and press to the top of the fabric.

 Freezer paper on top.

Fusible web on back.

When I use this method, it works everytime. 

Maybe this will work for you too.  That's what it is all about--finding what works for you.

Until next time---