Orange Peel along

It's time for an update for the Orange Peel QAL.

At the last update I'd completed my first set of 6 peels.  I'm doing them in sets of 6 so I can reuse the freezer paper templates.  Since then I've completed another 2 sets - yellow, purple and orange.

My next 6 peels are prepared, one more to be basted and then I can start sewing them down to the background.  I don't really enjoy the hand sewing and I'm not sure why I didn't machine sew these if I'm honest.  I'm definitely not a hand patchworker!  

Ah well, I'm more than half way there now so I'm going to keep going!


Related posts

first update

Orange Peel QAL - first update

I'm not sure if I've ever told you that I plan to join in the Orange Peel QAL held over at Button Button?  If you want to join in, there's loads of time, we've just got started.

I'm making a mini of some description, so I only need 36 blocks.  We have another 6 weeks to go, so that means I need to be making 6 blocks a week.  I got started with the green blocks.  It uses freezer paper applique and is hand stitched.  The blocks are oversized and will be cut down afterwards to avoid having to make sure the orange peels are precisely placed.

I'm digging through my scrap bins for this one, so these are just a random variety of greens, all appliqued onto a low volume background, in this case, Bike paths.  I can't believe I just said low volume. 

Yellows next...

And to think I'm allergic to oranges, hope I'll be OK!

Craft book review - Wild Blooms and Colourful Creatures

Good morning ladies.  Just a quick clarification on my last post. The blocks were supposed to be wonky. So thanks for the comments saying they don't look wonky, or they do but they still look alright - I was aiming for wonky as they were wonky improv blocks!

I was given access to a pdf download of Wild Blooms & Colorful Creatures (affiliate link - if you do click over and buy something, I'll get a few pence towards an Amazon voucher) to review for you.  This post is also my challenge for Needlequest January, which has the theme of "spring".

(source Amazon)

I was given a review copy of the book by C&T Publishing however this review and all opinions are 100% my own, I was not told what to say.

I showed you this sneak peak a few weeks ago.  This is my applique pieces all laid out and ready to go.  There are 15 projects in the book and I would happily make each and every one.  As I like to make a project from books I'm reviewing, I chose one of the smaller cushions, though I'd happily make any one of the quilts in the book.  Seriously, hop on over to Amazon and have a look inside the book.

The book opens with basic information about using wool fabrics and some applique techniques to get you started.  I chose Still Life Pillow as my project, though I didn't copy the exact layout or stitches.  I used wool felt on a background of cotton, the vase is cotton too, though you could make any of the projects entirely from wool or from cotton.

The vase is needle turn appliqued, the first time I've tried this technique.  I really, really enjoyed it.  The flowers and stems are all decoratively appliqued with embroidery floss and beads.  I enjoyed every second of this project.  Oh hang on, that's a lie.  I didn't enjoy being jabbed 50 million times (no exaggeration) by the pins I used to hold it together.  Next time - Bondaweb!

Next come the projects, ranging from quilts and cushions to a couple of bags and some ideas for embellishing shop bought (or hand made though no pattern is provided) items.  At the end there are 38 pages of full size patterns for all the projects.

So what do I think of the book?  I think the applique section could be a bit more informative, I had to turn to another book I had to learn to needle-turn applique.  Apart from that, I love this book.  The projects are truly gorgeous and would be so easy to alter and personalise, as I have done with this project.

I actually wish I had a hard copy of this book, I know I'd sit and flick through it time and again.  I'd love to make one of the quilts in the book, and maybe one day I'll find the time!

If you'd like a copy of the book, you can buy it here: Wild Blooms & Colorful Creatures

(affiliate link - if you do click over and buy something, I'll get a few pence towards an Amazon voucher).

I was given a review copy of the book by C&T Publishing however this review and all opinions are 100% my own, I was not told what to say.

I'm linking up to: 

Craft Book Sew along and Something New for 2014 (rather tenuously, though this was my first go at needle-turn applique, however small!)