"An Oldie but a Goodie" as Janet says

Janet always has a way with words and when she described working on one of her older W'sIP as an oldie but goodie , I realised it was exactly what I was doing, sounds much better than a WIP don't you agree.
I am not sure if you remember this oldie, I began it many years ago and only got the centre pieced and the border blocks that were also hand pieced done.
You see I love piecing , especially by hand but this quilt has a border between the centre and the outside pieced blocks that is applique and as much as I love applique, I didn't think I was much chop at it.
I have read many blogs explaining needleturn applique, I have attempted it but it was never up to the standard that I felt it should be.
Anyway this past holiday I decided that I was going to master it and the only way that would happen was for me to keep at it. After all Rome was not built in a day.
I also read on Alma's blog that the only way to be any good at needleturn applique was to do needleturn applique.

Thankfully I had kept all the fabrics I had used in the centre and outside blocks together , when I gathered up my sewing room (not quite but I think Mr L&R thought so when he was packing the car) to come on holiday , the basket was ready.

I spent an entire day preparing all the pieces for one border. I had already made loads of bias for the stems.

by this stage I was getting quite excited to begin appliqueing. In my head I had it perfected, a shame in reality it wasn't quite that way.

I also finished all of the outside blocks, I needed to add the corners to square up the blocks.

Just prior to Christmas I visited the gorgeous Lizzie and her sewing friends and took this oldie along with me because this block containing this pear fabric is where our friendship began.

I posted this block way back , Lizzie sent me an email asking where I had bought the fabric as Lizzie also has a love of pears. I only ever had a fat 1/16th as it had been included in my fabric club from Patchwork on Stonleigh. After using it in this block there was only scraps left but sent these scraps to Lizzie and so our friendship began.

Here is the result of my applique and whilst it is not perfect I am quite happy with the outcome and realise that practise will make a difference. I am now on a roll and my goal is to have this quilt finished this year.

I have managed to do some reverse sewing a couple of times and I can see a lonely leaf here that needs to be removed and re done.

I'll keep you posted with my progress.

Until next time happiness in your sewing

j