Applique Now....and Then

Applique class was fun yesterday. Everyone has been coming for a while, so we all got a fair amount of stitching done. This class is taught by Dinah Jeffries of Garden City Gateworks (http://www.gardencitygateworks.com/) She is a wonderful lady, and she does such lovely applique. In class, I worked on her Botanical Tiles. It is a series of little flowers that she uses in her classes, but does not market the patterns at this time. She has a lot of other lovely designs that she sells. If you are interested, she has a gallery on her website and you can see some of her work. I guess I should state that I do not work for her.....I'm just a very satisfied customer and an appreciative student! My applique has greatly improved since I began class with her. Little tips and tricks have made a big difference for me in my work. The following pictures are my interpretations of 2 of her patterns. I will post more pics of blocks I have completed with these flowers at a later time on my blog. I think there are 26 of these blocks. I only work on them in class at this time because I'm trying to finish my other applique project. These blocks are about 12 1/2 inches square. This is the block I was working on in class yesterday.
I am in the process of stitching down the large flower. Then I have leaves to add.
Above is my version of her iris.

I showed you my batiks stash in an earlier post and told you that these flowers were the first time I had begun to work with batiks. This type of applique and these patterns were very much outside my usual comfort zone. Here's examples of what I had been doing with applique in the years before I started taking classes. These next three are blocks I made sometime between 1993 and 95.

I drew this leaf pattern from the leaf of a red oak that grew in my front yard when we lived in Texas.This pansy block came from the booklet pictured at the right. I have had this booklet for a very long time. I believe my mother even had this one when I was still living at home before I married.....and I've been married 31+yrs. It was printed by Colonial Patterns Inc. Kansas City MO, but has no printing date (who knew I would one day be living in the KC metro area!!!) My booklet still has the price sticker of $1.75 and that price sticker has a date of Apr 1990 on it.






The above block pattern came from some old magazines that my MIL gave me. It was called Women's Household and the date the pattern appeared was July 1976. The designer was Ruby Hinson Duncan. I love this one!! At the time I made it, there were none of the beautiful 30's reproduction fabrics available. I think this would be lovely made in some of those....I'm going to make a note on my "to do" list to give that a try!! Like I really need something else on that "to do" list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can see from those 3 photos, I used fairly simple shapes, large pieces, and calico and solid fabrics on muslin. To give you an idea of size, those blocks are 12 1/2 inches square. And.....these are still UFO's!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 1996, I had just moved to the mountains of southwest Virginia. For my birthday, I treated myself to a trip to a fabric store about 30 miles from my home in the Blue Ridge Mountains and I bought fabrics for a wall hanging for my living room. You guessed it....it's still a UFO. I'm oh so close to finished and why I don't just complete it, I cannot explain. I should finish it as I still have the sofa and chairs and it will look fine hanging in the living room.

This was a pattern from the Spring 1996 issue of Patchwork & Quilting Ideas. The pattern was called Irresistible Iris. It is not clear in the article who the designer was. Mine is like one made by Deborah Moffet-Hall.


I started this quilt late in 1996. I cannot find my pattern for this one, but I know it was in an old issue of either Quiltmaker or Quilter's Newletter magazine. My setting is different than the setting in the magazine. I only used their applique motifs. When I made this quilt, I originally was going to leave every other block blank and do some nice quilting in the blank blocks. When I got it sewn together, I did not like the blank blocks, so went back and put applique in those too. I was much happier with top. Please notice....it is still a flimsey!!!! Another UFO! I do have the backing for this one ready...and the batting is bought....and I am planning to start quilting this one after I finish the 2 for my kids.

My applique continued to be fairly simple shapes from the time I finished the tulip quilt top until I started the Conway Album Quilt for DD. The CAQ is my first attempt at dimensional work. Soon after I started that quilt, I started taking the classes with Dinah. She has really helped me with my stitches and my dimensional work.

Now....if she or someone can just help me with getting myself to work on those UFO's!!!!!!!

I hope my little trip through some of my early applique isn't too boring. It is something that I truly enjoy. Thanks for visiting!!