Tuesday, January 5, 2016

We need to talk about Chester

Sharon from Two Bits Patches, the creator of the Chester Criswell Block of the Month that I started three years ago, has decided to start sending emails once a week to reinvigorate those of us (*cough* like me *cough*) who had fallen by the wayside. It was the gentle kick up the butt I needed. I mean, there's only so much needle turn appliqué a lady can do before she goes stark raving mad! No wonder I'm so slow (I'm intensely insane already).

Chester Criswell is a very traditional signature album quilt - originally made in turkey red and green back in 1852 in Pennsylvania. I'm a traditional kind of quilter, but I'm not one for the traditional colour palettes so I've been doing mine in bright modern fabrics, on a text (or course) low-ish value background.

I've had the nine blocks I thought I'd made so far up on the design wall the last few weeks (and then today I found a tenth!! Oh Reuben Stubbs - you always were trouble) so I thought I'd finally document them and put them up here on the blog for posterity and fact checking (this is how I found the tenth block, actually. He was on the blog a few weeks ago. I knew Reuben wasn't a figment of my imagination!)

1. Jane Wilson
1. Jane Wilson

2. Elizabeth Cowan
2. Elizabeth Cowan (done using a different technique with "wash out" stabiliser. I hated the technique, and it didn't wash out at all. I would love to do this one again one day.)

3. Priscilla and Joseph Turner
3. Priscilla and Joseph Turner (again, done with the dodgy technique described above before I realised the evil stuff wouldn't wash out (and hence why the grey fabric has gone crinkly)).

4. Nancy and James R Smith
4. Nancy and James R. Smith

5. James Carlile
5. James Carlile

6. Reuben Stubbs
6. Reuben Stubbs 

7. William and Harry Clendenon
7. William and Harry Clendenon

21. Mary Trayner
21. Mary Trayner (this is when I took the blocks back up after more than a year's break and decided to start working backwards. Didn't last long.)

23. Mary Watkins
23. Mary Watkins

25. Sarah Stubbs
25. Sarah Stubbs

It's a wet and cool day in Canberra today so I've spent this morning at the pool (naturally) and this afternoon avoiding the mess in the kitchen and prepping block 10 Rachel Dickie. Once I deal with the mess in the kitchen, it'll be leftovers for dinner, a nice gin and tonic, The Flash on DVD and Rachel and me.

Rachel Dickie in progress

I really love holidays!

Anyone interested in a tutorial on how I prepare my freezer paper appliqué? Or are you all down with that already?

10 comments:

  1. Happy New Year for 2016, Michelle!

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  2. Love all your blocks.....keep up the great work.
    Your fabric choices are amazing.
    Yes please would love a tutorial.

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  3. Yes please for the tutorial!! I am sure the day you taught at Brown Owls years ago was the day one of the kids had a massive tantrum and I had to take her home. Love the blocks, your applique is so neat and beautiful.

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  4. These blocks are amazing! Yes, I'd love the tutorial!

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  5. I LOVE these blocks. Your fabric choices are all perfectamondo!!

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  6. Your fun fabrics really take these blocks up a notch. keep going!

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  7. Your blocks are stunning with those inspired fabric choices. I'm happy too that Sharon is kicking butt and getting us inspired again.

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  8. Enjoyed seeing traditional with modern fabrics.... My name is Mimi Stubbs so Rueben and Sara caught my eye. Would love to see how you prep.... I don't seem to find a system that sticks.... but it IS time for me to learn to applique and LIKE it. And: I believe food tastes better on vintage Fiestaware.

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  9. Wonderful fabric choices - not my usual palette but am loving them!

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  10. I really love your fabric choices. Glad you got back to making your blocks because I am looking forward to seeing your quilt all together.

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