Seams French

The FMQ on the twinkling star quilt is well under way. Here are a few photos of the work as it has progressed. This first photo shows 2 of the 3 star blocks that I finally settled on. The top star with the double points is machine appliqued. Aside from being the easiest one to assemble, it best captures a "twinkling" star. It has become my favourite. The smaller star underneath it was paper pieced. It was more time consuming, but the points are nice and crisp and it is securely pieced, so it will be quite durable. However, the strong diagonal lines created in the paper piecing process presented quite a challenge when trying to incorporate those lines into the rest of the quilting design. Too late to change it now! Although the double pointed machine appliqued block is the closest to a twinkling star, the yellow cotton that I used in the points, (shot cotton), is not meant for this type of machine applique. It's softness and pliability, which makes it perfect for ha

Just on the other side of the window where I sit and sew is a hummingbird feeder. All year round, these graceful little birds entertain me with their lively dance and their energetic zeal for life. Aside from the reminder to take the time to enjoy the moment, these delicate creatures have provided me with plenty of inspiration for my quilting and boutis designs. The inspiration for the image of this hummingbird comes from one of the many photos we have taken watching these birds just on the other side of the glass..  Back in November, when I was working on the star blocks for the baby quilt, (and the star blocks were not cooperating http://seamsfrench.blogspot.ca/2014/11/oh-my-stars.html   I pushed them aside for a day or so and started another baby quilt. This time, I would pay tribute to these little hummingbirds and make them the focal point of the quilt. As I was stitching away on the star blocks, my attention was often drawn to a neatly wrapped bundle of shot cottons on t