New Applique Project

I've started a new applique project.

Its an old Mountain Mist design-you know, one of the designs that was originally on the inside of the quilt batt wrapper- although I am not using the original setting. I've done one block so far-I'm planning on 9-and it will be for a class that starts next month so I better get going. I think its a great design for teaching needle turn applique-it has curves and points, etc.-its just missing inner points but I'll cover that in my border design.


I have one more block basted up but that's it. Lots to do...I'll try to remember to take pix as I go so I can share my process too.


What do you have up on your design wall? I'm linking to Design Wall Monday at Patchwork Times. Hop over-I peeked and there are lots of wonderful and even some funky fun stuff to see.

New Applique Quilt-Poppy Quilt

DH was away on a business trip for two days and I used the opportunity to baste up the medallion center of my latest hand applique quilt. I use an overlay so there is no marking on the background fabric- you can just barely see here the design drawn on the red dot overly. I cut the center leafy portion as one piece using a freezer paper template. I made reusable templates for the flowers heads by ironing the freezer paper templates to manila file folders making reversible templates.

Here you can see the medallion center basted but a bit distorted...I had to put it on the floor so the angle is a bit odd. Maybe this is better.

The pattern is from the back of a Mountain Mist batting wrapper from 1935-Painted Poppy, pattern 51...I just bought it last year here. This is a brand new wrapper that Mountain Mist saved to be sent out as patterns-I don't think this pattern was very popular which is probably why I got a real wrapper and not a reprint. With a little detective work, I've figured out that this was an early wrapper for the Blue Ribbon Batt...the hints: 1)"Glazene" is stated right on top of the Mountain Mist and 2) in the Quilting Suggestions, they clearly state not to quilt more than 2" apart (rather than 1/2").

Here's a hint as to why I don't think the pattern was too popular! Why would you have the flowers and not the leaves meeting in the center? My second change is I'm leaving off the scallops right up against the center flowers...this quilt had three rows of scallops!

Hope you like my changes to my newest needleturn applique project.

Wedding Quilt: A vintage quilt reproduction

Here is the wedding quilt for my son Eli and his bride Tali. It is a reproduction of a vintage quilt, the Poppy by Marie Webster.

I love Marie Webster’s designs and have wanted to make one for a while so I was thrilled when I showed Eli and Tali a picture of Marie Webster’s Poppy and they were as excited as I was.


The quilt is hand appliquéd and hand quilted. The quilting is mainly 1” diagonal lines and around the appliqués, I also added the big, plump feathers that I like in the borders




and a love-bird design in the corners of the


medallion center.





The quilt is about 84” x 96”. I used Mountain Mist Blue Ribbon batting and I was very disappointed that Mountain Mist changed this venerable old batting (and a long time favorite of mine for fine hand quilting). Why do companies do that? If something has been around for 75-100 years, happily used by tons of people; why “improve” it. I have yet to find an “improved” product that was actually improved rather than the reverse.

I’m both happy and a little sad that this quilt is finished. I have worked on it for so long, I almost feel at a loss. Then again, my sewing machine is calling to me after all this hand work.



I just joined the New Year's Challenge hosted by Finn. My plan is to machine quilt five quilts tops by year's end. Believe me, finding 5 tops to quilt in my closet will not be the problem! :)