Vintage CQ...Flower #8...and Outer Blocks Pieced!

So everyone's sewing space gets as messy as mine!!! How good to hear that... ;-)

I dug out, regrouped, and finished up my block piecing...also completed another flower motif.

This one was simple. Both the flower and the leaves were cut from some trim I got from Mokuba in New York.

Now, before I show how my quilt is shaping up, I want to refresh your memory concerning the original quilt that inspired it.

Ah, this is such a beauty.
I have cut down on the number of blocks but did try to keep the proportions fairly close to the same, and also simplified the fan blocks.
I did try to leave some big chunks of fabrics in the blocks for later motif embroidery (not my strong suit but I'll give it my best shot).
Also...I tried piecing with straight seams but gave that up quickly. It just wasn't possible!

My goal was to retain the reference to vintage, but give it a thoroughly modern punch.

The blocks are just pinned in place on the design wall, so things could get moved around a bit still.
I always try to build in some common elements into my blocks...to help unify things. These blocks all have white in them, and most of them use trim from Ally's Bazaar. (Such great prices...and wonderful service, too.) There is large lace on every block as well.

That outer border is going to wait til last, which could be awhile, but I hope and trust it will tie everything together.

Now it is time to pack up my blocks and some embellishment supplies...I'm heading to Michillinda tonight on the red eye!
I can get mail at the neighbor's, (they have WiFi) but I won't be blogging til I get home...so, see you in a week...and
Happy Stitching!

Vintage CQ...Flower #7

Fitting the motif into the space is the biggest challenge of these little blocks.

I thought I would try something a little different this time....

....and have my flowers "hanging" from the top.
If I were to do this over (which I'm not), I would have moved the whole thing slightly down, as it seems a bit top heavy to me. But on the original quilt, the motifs aren't perfectly centered, either!

I have been piecing up a storm on the outer blocks...not quite ready to show that part yet as I have 4 more blocks to go.
But what the heck! We're all friends here....so welcome to my chaotic mess....

Eeek! Pretty pathetic, isn't it? Now you know!
It is hard to walk in here so I have to take a breather to clear things up....

Vintage CQ...Flower #6

Many of my "old friends"--flowers from "Crazy for Flowers" and the "Spring CQ"--are showing up in these little blocks. I dug out some leftover fabric made of angelina fibers fused onto silk that went into the blue flax to make this little cachepot of posies.

I did take some time out from the flowers here to piece some of the blocks that are going to surround the center section of this quilt.
I just had to see how it was going to look!
While trying to capture the kind of "chunky" piecing, with large patches for motif embroidery, that is a feature of the vintage quilt, I did use quite contemporary colors. I'll show you that next time....

I do so love piecing...but my sewing room always looks like a bomb went off in there whenever I get going on it! That, I am not showing....

I pulled myself away to go out and harvest some ingredients for last night's dinner...

The New Zealand spinach has done well for us, not bolting in all our heat.
And how about that nice head of broccoli? Robert was so proud.....and wow is there more where that came from.
As for the raspberries...just a little half and half plus a tiny bit of sugar...so yummy!