Cherry Cobbler

Tah Dah! My first real attempt at Hand Appliqué!

Aint it just adorable !
The pattern comes from Cyndi Walker's new book,
(that I won on her blog a while back!)
~Spotlight on Scraps~.

I fell in love with her quilt, "Cherry Cobbler".

So I decided to do a practice run and make just one row
of the quilt and use it as a Table Runner.
(Cyndi machine appliqué's her cherries in the book,
but I really wanted to try hand appliqué.)

When I saw Anne of Bunny Hill at Quilt Market last month,
I asked about her beautiful appliquéd quilts
and she told me about the starch method.

I had tried a couple different ways earlier this year,
and nothing seemed to work for me.

I got on-line before my trip to Utah and looked up
appliqué methods using starch.
So cool!
I prepped and took a couple blocks with me,
working on them here and there.The cherries weren't looking awful,
but they're weren't as smooth around the edges
as I'd hoped.

I appliquéd each set of stems differently. I wanted to experiment.
One set I used invisible thread, (didn't care for it).
This set I did a green thread and purposely had the stitches show.
I also tried one strand and two strands of thread.
And different needles as well.

I learned a lot by just practicing on each of these blocks.
What I like, don't like.
What works and doesn't work.
And why the "Pro's" say to do it a certain way.
(imagine) LOL.

So an Email to Anne and some nifty little tools,
and I was astounded at the difference!
You can totally tell the first cherries and leaves I did,
to the ones I did with the "proper equipment."
I'm totally hooked!

This will be the backing to the Table Runner.
I found it a while ago and had not an idea
what I was going to do with it, but LOVED it.
The Table Runner is completely made from SCRAPS!
And let me tell you, I cut it close! I used scraps from the other
table runners I made earlier this year,
and a red and white quilt I made.

I used every single last scrap I had!
And I still ran short.

So I had to cut into one of my strips
from my Mary Englebreit jelly roll,
I had picked up at Sample Spree/Quilt Market.
I really didn't want to. But it was the perfect color
and it had cherries on it.
The strip really does look good in the runner.

O.K. enough pics! I'm just so proud of myself.

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