Summer Stitching



It all started with that Kingfisher Quilt Along with Tales of Cloth over a year ago.  My first venture into the land of hand stitching fabric into quilt blocks.  I am totally hooked on EPP at this point, especially, these days, with Lucy Boston's Patchwork of the Crosses.

Instead of fussy cutting the fabric, I decided to go with vibrant colors in dots and swirls and geometric shapes, with a bit of floral in the mix.  The majority of the fabrics I am working with come from the wonderful Kaffe Fassett.





Before I finally started my journey of a million tiny stitches, I spent hours cutting out the paper templates.  There is a great template here:  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BxzYngpp7KWYUEtMSkJTczZSNEk/preview?pref=2&pli=1

Then the fabric collection, cutting, and basting to the papers.  It's been time consuming, but also immensely relaxing.  I love the fact that I can work on it just a few minutes at a time or for hours on end.  My prepared lozenge stash is seriously depleted from this last month of work.


The mini sewing kit is stocked with POTC lozenges and is on hand wherever we go.  


Piece by piece...


the Patchwork of the Cross is completed.


Then one turns into three...



And three multiplies into nine...



And suddenly there are enough blocks for a baby quilt if I decided to stop now.  Which, of course, would be inconceivable.  Onward!



While visiting my folks' last week, I decided to take a break from the POTC blocks and pulled out my new favorite book by Katja Marek call The New Hexagon.  
https://www.amazon.com/New-Hexagon-Blocks-English-Paper/dp/1604683848

It is packed full of hexagon patterns...an EPP treasure trove!
I also tried the technique of basting from the front of the fabric, and, boy, did that make life easier for the smaller pieces.  I am learning as I go here.


But Lucy Boston beckoned, and I answered the call.  With each block I find myself thinking, "This is my favorite block!"  Until the next one!  You just can't go wrong with Kaffe Fassett fabrics.




Always an opportunity for some stitching.  This one was at the lake while waiting for my son to finish a run with his cross country team.

Couldn't resist posing the fabric flower beside the live ones.


And another one next to one of Grandma's flower pots.


The latest...just finished this one last night.  Which takes me out of the baby quilt size, so I am at least committed to the full size Lucy Boston experience at this point.  


I think this often...I am so grateful that I discovered the world of quilting.  I stress to my students over and over the importance of having healthy activities in their lives.  It is easy to walk the talk on this one.  Lots of quilty joy going on in my life. 

Now, speaking of that Kingfisher quilt...my goal for the day is to layer and baste the quilt top!  


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