January 26, 2014

I'm working on block B1 George's Cherry Tree of the Baltimore Garden Quilt. It is a very tricky block! There are many layers of leaves, stems and birds and it is challenging to figure out which layer to apply first.

I realized after my first bird was done that I mistakenly placed its tail over a stem. I'm not sure I want to rip it out and do it over.

This is the point in these hand applique blocks where I get most frustrated. I've put in hours of work, sewing down these tiny legs and stems, but not enough is finished for the block to really come together yet. I try to trust the design and the process, and I just keep working and it all ends up balanced.

I'm liking my decision to make the birds into cardinals. It required a few changes to the pattern. I added a crest to the birds' heads, and I drew a black "mask" for each face.  I found some Christmas fabric with pears on it that make truly excellent beaks for my cardinals. The pears are just the right scale.

here's the original fabric