5th July Diamond Hill and Secret Garden

Hi everyone,

Have had a great time since my last blog. Part 6 of Diamond Hill was the applique corners and I was ready and waiting with fabrics organised and Esther posted early so was able to do my prep for the first corner at sit and sew on the Thursday.

Mitred and joined my corners first then fused my stems and leaves in place. decided to use a mid olive thread which let me stitch both my stems and leaves at the same time, a huge time saver.
Used two different blanket / buttonhole stitches though to give more definition to the leaves.

Stems were my normal small stitch but changed to one that does a double stitch on the outer edge for the leaves and also used a larger setting.

Kept to my planned colours for the bell flower and the lavender was a $2 scrap that I had purchased on the Thurs, just the right shade. Rethought my orange flower as had changed the cornerstone colours on the last border and the bright orange just didn't work but this multi colour batik did.
Had trouble finding the right center until I tried this red and yellow combo which gave a real pop to it.

Tried out a candy coloured thread for the flower and it worked a treat, stitched with a double stitch and every stitch became a different shade, This is a Mettler thread and just love the short colour changes with their threads. In the center I did two rounds of stitching with the yellow thread and have got a feeling of texture to it.

Happy with my colours.

With the second corner made it was time to add them to the center. Thought about this for a bit and decided to add the corners first but only stitched each side as far down as the first flower then took the diamond panel and checked its positioning as crucial it lined up with the previous border. Diamond panel was cut to size but had left extra length on my applique panel for any adjustment necessary.

Didn't take a photo but used the same method as closing a binding, marking the position of the panel onto the border then cutting with a seam allowance and stitching together at both ends. Checked posotioning of the diamonds and then stitched the seam. 

Couldn't wait to see how it looked so added my vases and the next border.

It went together perfectly using a simiar method to the last border, matching and securing the center and the half square triangle ends before stitching. narrow strips of fusing for this rather than the glue I have seen Esther use on one of her tutorials, also how I did my final placement on the last border.

A quarter inch strip of fusible web pressed to the seam allowance

Seam allowance turned under and border fused into place

Did this for the center and both ends then pinned the rest of the border into place and stitched.

Before I added my border I had a decision to make as when I made my center I used purple triangles at the base of my vase, thought this emphasised the vase shape but as time has gone on it looked more like a mistake so decided to change it. 

Before

Wasn't undoing everything so unpicked the applique stitching I had done from the seamlines and fused a new triangle in place and restitched the edges. Now happy with the center.

Only the last corner to finish stitching and then I can bring DH up to date ready for the 15th.

1st July woke early and went to see what Esther had given us for Part 6 of Secret Garden, not there and it was late afternoon before I finally received it. What a gorgeous block it is, SG is becoming more beautiful as the months go by. Printed out the pattern but no time that night to make a start and in the morning there is an update so very pleased I hadn't started. Printed out the update and made my first block and was so pleased with it.

Very happy with how delicate this looks

Background is a fabric I bought for the modern quilt I have just started, was having trouble finding the right fabric and a piece of this was on the bench and when I tried it just had to use it.

However, there was a niggle that stayed with me espcially after Esther asked on my group photo was I making my block smaller ?   am reducing the pattern but because of the update kept checking and rechecking and it seemed perfect. 4.30am the next morning it came to me, I hadn't used the templates but had traced from the pattern block, which pattern block though!!!

In future will bin incorrect pages immediately as had used the wrong pattern and my applique was a fraction small.

Not a large amount but you can see from the lines that the first block on the right is well inside the lines and the outside curve is a different shape. Not sure if it would really matter but it just might so my first block has been unpicked and remade as am not sure how much background fabric I have to spare.

Blocks added to design wall.

This is how I set up my wall before I started these blocks

Last night I unpicked the bow on block one and changed the colour as it blended in too much with my vase.

Bow is still very soft but has more definition

Would love to be able to keep on working on SG but as am up to date will have to be patient until next month, am linking now to Esther's WOW then will get out my DH corner and work on that.

Enjoy your week everyone,

Cheers Jenny