Dearest Lavender top complete!!

Last night I finished sewing my Dearest Lavender top - yay!!

I’m really happy with it and love the look of the borders.

I have the backing ready to go so now to sandwich and quilt!

Cheers 

Carole

Dearest Lavender final blocks and layout

Yay! I’ve finally finished the last few blocks and put them together for Dearest Lavender. I may have been AWOL from blogland but I did finally master that troublesome tree block. My sister had the clever idea to appliqué the tree rather than piecing the whole block.

Here’s the star of the show, Dearest Lavender...

I didn’t want to make a second compass block so I made one of my favourites instead, a Dresden plate.

I decided that I didn’t like the first sunflower block I made so I changed some of the colours.

The bird and basket block was a nice straight forward needle-turn applique.

Here is my final layout on the floor.

I am now working on the borders. 

Hope to touch base again soon.

Cheers

Carole

Dearest Lavender Feathered Square, Honeycomb & Orphans

I’ve been on bit of a roll with my Dearest Lavender blocks. I’ve completed the Feathered Square...

...the Honeycomb...

...and I've been putting some borders on a couple of orphan blocks to bring them up to the required 10"...

My friends have finished all of their blocks and are finishing off their Dearest Boy quilts: 

Cathy

Karen

Julie

'Til next time

Carole

Dearest Lavender Crossed Canoes & Caesar’s Crown blocks

Catching up on a couple of Dearest Lavender blocks, a variation on Crossed Canoes...

...and Caesar’s Crown.

I have completely lost all confidence in the original Dearest Boy pattern and have drafted these blocks myself just to make sure everything fits. This partly explains why I'm so behind - starting a new project also doesn't help :D

Lavender and Bruce are thinking it’s getting pretty muddy around the shed but they’re still hopeful of getting some of Hettie's leftovers.

'Til next time

Carole

Return to Dear Jane

Thanks to the inspiration of my blogging friend Julie I am returning to work on some blocks for my version of Dear Jane. I am looking at the blocks with a fresh eye and seeing how they can be completed in potentially simple ways. That’s why Brenda Papadakis' book is great as you also get a clear pic of the original block.

For D-1 Alison’s Guiding Light I appliquéd strips over one piece of background rather than piecing it. I’ve also left off the fiddly borders. I know there’s heaps of resources out there on how to construct the different blocks but I’m just going to think about each one as I get to it - good brain training! This approach was encouraged by Brenda when I was lucky enough to meet her and do a workshop at Linda’s Quilts in the Barn. It’s hard to believe that was nearly five years ago!

I have completed 38 blocks (+ a few triangles) and I’m using all blue Liberty fabrics.

I haven’t forgotten about Dearest Lavender but hubby has had to be re-admitted to hospital in Melbourne so these little blocks are easier to prepare and more portable for all those waiting times.

‘Til next time

Carole 

Dearest Lavender tomato block

I digress yet again from the original Dearest Boy pattern which had 4 strawberries, I decided to do 4 tomatoes instead.

I already had strawberries elsewhere in the quilt and I wanted to have tomatoes because I converted Lavender’s pen into a vegetable garden and grew some wonderful tomatoes.

This Lavender in her pen when she was a few months old, with lavender growing in the background - that's how she got her name.

And here is a more recent photo of her, she seems to be approaching the size of my car!

Don't forget to visit my blogging friends for their versions of

Dearest Boy...

Cathy

Karen

Julie

Cheers 'til next time

Carole

Dearest Lavender oak wreath

It’s taken me a couple of months to complete this block as my husband has been very ill.

Dearest Lavender oak wreath block 5A

I changed the placement of the leaves, acorns and berries from the original pattern to make the wreath look symmetrical.

Dearest Boy oak wreath block 5A

Don't forget to check out the Dearest Boy progress of my blogging friends...

Cathy

Karen

Julie

Cheers

Carole