I was out in the gargage rummaging around, looking for a nice large bin for all my new happy fabrics, when this project practically fell on my head. Years ago, two houses and a lifetime ago, I began this applique project with some Fig Tree fabrics my friend Lisa sent me. I was so shocked to find that the four applique blocks were already completed, and all the units for the other blocks in the top had been cut out.
Intrigued, I took the project box up to my sewing room, and had a closer look.
Oh. I really am not that fond of this method for making flying geese units, but a commitment had been made, so I had to go with it. (I prefer to make my units larger and trim them down with Monique Dillard's Fit to be Geese ruler).
You can see by the photo, if you cut on the drawn line, and flip up the corner square, you will have two flying geese units. Actually, this method provides you with four matching flying geese. I used to love making them this way until I discovered the joys of accuracy using Monique's ruler.
I got to work, and in no time, I had a good number of the blocks finished. The photo below shows what I had accomplished by the end of the day Friday.
I spent all day Saturday sewing. Didn't leave the house, stayed in my house slippers all day long. And by 5:00 PM Saturday this is what I had finished!
There is a pieced border, which hopefully I can get together this week.
I have to add—-I had forgotten how much I dislike working with triangles. All those bias edges. Ugh. This pattern calls for surrounding each star block with borders of pieced triangles, and the outer border is all pieced triangles. Really annoying. Piecing blocks with bias edge triangles makes me feel like a complete amateur. I hate that. Lots of fudging, tugging and pinning to make things line up. That being said, the quilt is pretty cute, and as Grandma Higgins would have said, "A man going by in a bus would never notice any imperfections".
36 Responses
What a beautiful quilt, Nicole! I love those fabrics! I need to get my Buttercream & Fig quilt out of the closet and on my bed!
I think that quilt is adorable … Worth the hassle of the triangles, I think. I’m the same way as you … Hate triangles. Hoping that my GO cutter will at least alleviate some of the hassle. 😉
What fun!
What a glorious discovery and clearly, a UFO whose time had come!!! The appliqued flower blocks are lovely and the triangle borders surrounding the Evening Star blocks really set off the center beautifully. How large is the quilt supposed to end up?
Unless you really, really like the look the pattern’s outer border gives the quilt, I’d suggest you put on any outer border you want to.
Have fun!
Hugs!
I hate the bias edges too and I think it’s a result of poor planning by the pattern writer – but never the less… it’s a beautiful quilt! And very happy!!
The best of my days are when I just wear my slippers! I love this quilt! It is adorable. I was surprised when I saw the first photo-appliqué! It is really a nice job.
Mary
And a great sewing weekend was had. Great results too! Now back to “happy” sewing. Is that a new header on your blog? The watermelon look means spring and summer on the way for sure. Aren’t we all ready!
Or as my mum would say ‘a man on a galloping horse’ It’s absolutely beautiful Nicole! So cheery and ‘spring-like’, amazing how quickly you made it, so inspirational 🙂
Some nice, cheery colors there. I really like the applique blocks.
Another lovely quilt almost finished – you are such a fast worker. I recently did a group project that called for this method of making flying geese and I found it very confusing.
So great that the appliqué blocks were already done –otherwise maybe the project would have jumped right back in its bin :). Fig Tree fabrics are gorgeous. I’ve had good luck with that fast geese method but sure compliment you in your success with the ruler. The blocks look terrific, bus or no 😉
This is so pretty! I love the colors and the applique goes well with the stars. Triangles make so many pretty shapes. Don’t be discouraged. Keep up the beautiful work! K-
Beautiful!! I love fig tree fabrics, so springy and happy! Is that a Carrie Nelson pattern?
I hope all is going well with you and your family. You have all been in my thoughts and prayers since the loss of your niece.
Love what you have done so far! How lucky you found a perfect spring, happy quilt almost finished 🙂
Gorgeous fabric, and gorgeous pattern. How lucky you were to stumble across this UFO.
Ahhh, ADD quilting at it’s finest. My family just jokes – oh, Mom saw something shiny.
what a great find. glad you didn’t get a concussion finding it! How fun for springtime sewing. looks beautiful.
lol, grandma higgins sounds awesome! ;p
love what you found! can’t wait to see finished quilt. ;p
What a nice post! I started it by seeing your first picture and thought … “Nicole started something new, she’ll have a few blocks to show us” and then BAM! you have almost an entire quilt top done! I’m with Barbara – unless the border looks spectacular and you really think it will be worth it – why not design your own border?
What an adorable quilt! We always used to say no one would notice riding by on a horse. LOL Actually, I don’t think a man would notice at all, ever! 😉 Have a happy day!
How fun to find a put-away project that had a lot of the hard work done already.
My quilting teacher had the saying of “a man riding by on a horse wouldn’t notice” like some of the others here have said. Isn’t it amusing how all of our sayings are so similar??
Next up, finishing the happy fabric quilt! You had inspired me, and I drug out a bunch of my happy fabric and starting cutting strips yesterday. Yippee!
I think it’s going to be beautiful when finished, as it already is. I love the bus remark. I took a paper piecing class Saturday from the gal that invented the Add-A-Quarter ruler. The same sort of remark was made all day.
Your appliqué is beautiful! That is going to be a ‘happy’ cheery quilt!! There is nothing wrong with spending a day in your house slippers!! I’m working on some flying geese right now using Fit to Be Geese. I think it would be hard to change methods after so much good luck with that ruler!!
I really like the triangle borders on those star blocks – it was worth the trouble they gave you!
what a nice surprise to find. I really like how it is all coming together. pretty colors and ready for spring.
What wonderfully happy spring colors. Good job on your applique blocks!
What a lovely surprise you found. It must feel so good to be so close finishing this one and just in time for Spring !
You nailed it right when you said working with all those bias edges makes you feel like an amateur. Thats exactly what I think. Starch seems to help though. Ask me how I know? I just finished Hook!
Your quilt is so Eastery…too bad you hadn’t found it a couple weeks ago…it could have been out for Easter. Oh well it will be equally nice for spring and summer. You have done a lovely job!
What a nice springtime discovery. As for triangles, it amazes me how many people don’t like them. Yes, they can be fiddly, but I use starch, more if I know I’m going to be working with triangles. I’ve found that with starch and my Easy Angle they aren’t a problem at all.
It’s very pretty. And I love the quote by Grandma Higgins. I’ll have to use that sometime!
What a great find! A pretty project, well on its way to being done. Looks great!
Very cute quilt. One of the first things I saw was those triangle borders and I thought she must be out of her mind! I hate those little things! Nice job and it is really a nice quilt!
2 things:
Thank you for introducing me to the Fit to be Geese ruler in a past post. It has changed my quilting life for sure. How nice to fit perfectly trimmed pieces into a quilt! I am currently making my first medallion quilt and the next border will be all flying geese. Guess I will be digging out my ruler!
It is so refreshing for us to hear you say that you fudge, tug and pin too to make things fit. I thought it was just because I was fairly new to quilting, but we all know how easily things can go wonky…..Love to sew in my jammies on weekend mornings–it’s my most productive time!
Very cute quilt! Wonderful to find projects like these occasionally.:)
It’s looking good – what a lovely surprise find!!
I love the fit to be geese rulers too. Definitely my most accurate method! I really like the blocks that surround the appliqué in this quilt. The triangle surrounds may have been a pain, but they look really effective. My Dad has a saying of similar meaning “a blind man would be pleased to see it”.