Percolating

I've had this quilt idea percolating in my brain for quite some time. I sketched it out last August, bought some fabric for it, and then let it sit-- in part because there wasn't room in the quilty queue at the time, but also because the design just wasn't sitting quite right with me yet. Over the last few months, I have pondered and sketched, and thought some more. Then this afternoon, the elements seemed to just fall into place and suddenly I felt like I had a plan and it was going to work. Woo hoo!!! Don't you just love it when that happens?

Not wanting to waste another minute, tonight I jumped in and started working on it.


I'm trying a new method for machine applique in this project. I'm using the Starch Applique Tutorial from Natalia at Piece N Quilt. So far, I've used a lot of starch. Really, it feels a little crazy how much starch I'm going through. But it is working just as Natalia described-- my fabric is as stiff as paper, making it very easy to cut, control, and stitch. In the past when I've done machine applique, I've always used fusible web, which is super quick and easy but results in a stiff block (because of the fusible itself as well as the added stabilizer needed for stitching). This starch method definitely involves a lot more preparation. But I'm hoping that doing it this way will make for a softer quilt in the end.

This is supposed to be a baby quilt for my neighbor's new baby boy. She had him in September, so I'm really anxious to get this one finished.