And......just like that..........

 

.......the applique is done! Finally, the last applique stitch is in place and the flowers are all 'growed'.  The appliqueing of these flowers has taken what seems aeons, to do. I started appliqueing my fabric garden way back in September 2018! Oh my, that is an age ago. But of course, there were others quilts, other pretties stitched and finished within this time so that should count for something....shouldn't it?? For the sake of my sanity and to prevent myself from going stark raving mad I had to, at times, put this quilt aside  and stitch other such fripperies.

When I started this quilt I wanted to try something new to me. I wanted to push myself. I wanted to skip along my creative path and discover new things that challenged me along the way. I wanted to jump off the secure quilty precipice, hurtling down, down, down,  into the valley of the unknown; the valley where applique reigns supreme. I wanted to wander around with those luminaries who design and stitch the most amazing applique quilts. You know the ones. Those quilts which when you look upon them, you are rather nonplussed, your mouth drops open with drool uncontrollably dribbling from the corners and as you scratch your cranium, you wonder "how on earth did they make that?". Not that my little applique flower garden has that effect on others but I desired to fashion a quilt that was just a little out of my comfort zone.

I wanted to see if I could coerce fabric into anything that half resembled a flower, or a leaf.....a butterfly, a bird, a bee; and as I skipped and pirouetted along the flower-kissed applique path I discovered I could. I discovered that this applique caper was actually fun. I know.....who would've thunk it!! Not I!! The coaxing of teeny tiny smidgens of fabric into blossoms was actually enjoyable. As I designed, snippety snipped, glued, played, cajoled, teased, stitched, embroidered.....before my eyes magical flower seeds germinated, transforming into hydrangeas, pansies, water lilies, daffodils, tulips, cosmos, anemones, gladdies, foxgloves, irises, daisies.........even the dreaded wisteria. As if by magic my applique flower garden sprouted, growing day by day, month by month, year by year; into a pretty that is most pleasing to my eyes. Can you tell I am just a little enthused with my little fabric flower garden?? =) I am beside myself with great joy actually, that my little fabric garden which has been swirling around in my imagination for a very long time is now blooming floraliciously before me. All I wanted to do really, is to design and stitch a quilt that is reflective of the garden that surrounds my humble abode and hugs me every moment of every day. For the garden that my husband dreamed of and slowly designed and built, and now tills, inspires me moment by moment, day by day.

But....although the applique flower garden is blooming in all it's finished splendour, there is of course a little matter of the hand quilting to be done. There is too, a decision to be made re the border fabric, and whether or not I want a straight or a serpentine edge. For the quilting, I am not following any templates but am simply going to quilt various leaf designs rambling all over the garden, ripples swirling round and round in the pond and straight-ish lines dancing luminously across the sky. I want each flower, bird, leaf, butterfly.....to stand out from the dense quilting. Again, just making it up as I go. Of course, it could all go belly-up and look a little  'how's your mother', but I will see where my muddly imagination takes me. There again, that precipice is looming before me. You never, never know if you don't give it a go; do you.

Thank you for popping by to read my stuff and nonsense and look at the happy snaps of my fabric flower garden. Thank you for visiting me and my little flower garden quilt each time, season after season, to see which flower happened to be flourishing and which real, ridgy-didge flowers happened to be blossoming in the garden at the time. Goodness, there has been a plethora of happy snaps, haven't there?? But that's okay, isn't it?? I don't think anyone would be  ho-hummish with the gazing upon a few 'hundred' happy flowers, would they?? =) It's not as if  anyone who visits my little place is not aware that each time my post pops up on their computer screen there will be the odd flowery happy snap or two. Why, flowers feed the soul and cause one to sing in one's heart. At least they do mine.

Each one of your visits has sprinkled a little joy into my autumnal day. 'Tis Sunday evening....again. Goodness me, March is blustering along and dancing upon falling leaves; and April is hurrying up my country road. I am going to pop into Kathy's place and see what all the other lovely ladies are up to. Have a beautiful day, lovely lovelies. May you, this fine day,  find a little beauty to make your heart smile.

Until the next time.....................