Hey! That's my line!



"Convenience" quilt yardage from "Pumkin Pie"

 There's nothing better than taking a moment and sitting down with my favorite quilting magazine, American Patchwork & Quilting.  I didn't have a moment but wanted to find the quilt our friend Eileen Houchin had published (congratulations, Eileen!)  in the April edition.  So as I was flipping through, I noticed they have added "Expert tips" on some of the sidebars and saw a picture of our friend Cherie Ralston so stopped to read what she was recommending.  As I continued down the column, I read "If you can bind, you can applique" and thought, "Hey! That's my line!" and guess what? It was!  I'm such a dork! But really, it's true!   If you can sew on binding, then you can applique. I love to piece, but I also love to applique.  Not only is applique portable, but it's easy to pick up and set down.  It was perfect when I was a young mother of two busy boys!  There's no "Now where was I?" with applique because I was right there where I left my needle!  Even though I'm a one project at a time kind of girl, I still have both a piecing project and an applique project going at the same time. If you've been afraid of applique, click on the YouTube links under the header for more applique tips.  Part 1 is mostly about the tools, Part 2 about preparation, and part 3 is stitching and tips.  For those of you who really don't want to applique, we have a "cheater" fabric in our "Pumpkin Pie" fabric line that's due to hit the stores in May.  We think it'll be great for backings, too!  But speaking of applique.....

Here is Gloria's current applique project, "Evening Bloom", another Block of the Month that she is making for us.  Isn't it tempting?  This one has large pieces which are usually easier to applique: no tiny star points in this one!  It's going to be a beautiful quilt!  The background fabrics are from French General and are just beautiful.

And if you don't like needle turn applique, what about wool applique?  No turning under required!  This is a wool applique project that Donna just finished up- she sure has been a busy bee!  Here she is with "I'll be Home for Christmas".  This is another kit I'll be taking home with me!  She and Lynda picked the wool for this project, and they've been teaming up on several different wool projects, including "Sheep in the Willows" and "Barn Chicks".  Aren't we all lucky to have such talented ladies at the Barn!  Happy Quilting!