QJ - Floral Applique - Part I

QUILT JOURNAL – FLORAL APPLIQUE – Part I


This quilt has been a UFO for 14 years –

It has a very long and wonderful story.

Maybe if I tell you the story - you will understand why this quilt is still not finished.

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It all started in January 1996 -
when we went to the Ojai Valley Quilt Show -

I saw the most GORGEOUS quilt I had ever seen!!

I literally stopped in my tracks!!  Her color shading and workmanship were incredible!!
 
It was Nature’s Splendor - Ellen Heck of Somis, CA - 75 X 75

It had just won Best of Show, large quilts, at the
Quilts: A World of Beauty exhibit at the fall
1995 International Quilt Festival in Houston, TX

A close-up of the Grapes block in the top left corner -

Then in April 1996 -
It was featured in Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine - April 1996/NO. 281 - PHOTO FINISH

February 1997 - June 1997
A local quilt shop offered a “Block a Month” series of 5 classes –
Taught by ELLEN HECK –
I signed up immediately!!

I still have the blurb from the newsletter –

Botanical Album Series ***

An extraordinary “Block a Month” series with award winner & Master Quilter ELLEN HECK teaching hand appliqué to achieve realistic floral pieces of her NEW & original designs! In class you will explore the use of fabric to create a realistic look, to make it more exciting with colors that give the “Ellen Heck Inner Glow”. Techniques include the use of freezer paper, narrow stems, delicate leaves, dimensional petals & buds, stamens, and exquisite details.

She provided her original designs/patterns and taught hand appliqué techniques for several blocks – 

Not a “quilt” per se – so we were free to design the quilt any way we wanted –

Fall 1997 – Nature's Splendor was featured in
American Quilter - Fall 1997, Vol. XIII, No. 3
It had won Wall Quilt Hand Workmanship Award at the
AQS 13th Annual Quilt Show & Contest

July/August 2002 - Quilter's Newsletter Magazine showed a photo of another quilt -
Nature’s Symphony - Ellen Heck - 65 x 73
It had won Best of Show at the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival

We didn’t know it at the time –
But the blocks in Nature's Symphony were the ones she had taught us in class -

So – all of the patterns are hers –
Patterns – Ellen Heck © 1997 –

The stitching is mine – left-handed -

We started with the Butterfly block -

Two Question Tuesday - 9/6/11

Two Question Tuesday – 9/6/11

Here's the deal - I really liked Mama M.'s Five Question Friday - but that's just too many questions for me.  So I'm going to do my version - and without the linky thingy.

I'll ask two questions and then give you my answers.  If you want to play - you can give me your answers in the comment section.  If you have a blog and would rather answer them there - just leave a link to your blog instead. I don't know how to do the "Linky" thing like Mama M. yet - and to be honest - I would rather sew than find out - so I'll do it this way until I figure it out.
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Two questions for you this Tuesday -

1.  Would you rather be beautiful or smart?
2.  Do you have "STARTITIS"?

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1.  Would you rather be beautiful or smart?
Smart.  Both would be nice – but that is pretty rare – so I would vote for “smart”.
Of course, if I was “rich”, too – I could probably buy some “beautiful”, huh?

2.  Do you have "STARTITIS"?
ABSOLUTELY!! A SEVERE case of it, too - good thing it's not FATAL!! ;))

Last Thursday – Chris (Shared Creativity) was talking about “STARTITIS” -

I left a comment and added my two cents -

I have it too! Although not fatal - it is very contagious and has some serious side-effects. Countless UFOs - orphan blocks - fabric stashed all over the house - patterns and books and ideas galore - and scraps - scraps - and more scraps!! I have the "secondary progressive" type - the second I start one project - I'm thinking about another one!! ;))
^..^

I forgot to add –

Symptoms include starting numerous projects - pre-washing fabrics - pressing - folding - cutting – sewing – and LOTS of GUILT for not “FINISHING” said projects.

The only known cure – “FINISHITIS” - involves quilting and binding –
and usually comes in monthly doses known as “UFO Challenges.”

Oh - and by the way -

If I remember correctly –
My UFO list at the beginning of the year totaled 64.

At last count –
I had finished 8 -
Added 4 –
And now have 60.

After Judy picked #11 for September –
I realized that I had TWELVE more to add to my list –
Stage 11.  Prepped - Pre-washed - Pressed - Ready to Cut - etc.

That makes a new total of 72 –

SEVENTY-TWO

WOO – HOO!!

Wanna bet I can make it an even 100 by the end of the year??

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OK - your turn.



Talk to you later - gotta go - gotta sew -