Gathering flowers quilt first two blocks

During the Christmas holidays, right after all the unwrapping of gifts, food and family gatherings, the kids were content doing their own thing and vegging out.  I hid away in my quilt room and did something more relaxing than my usual.  I figured there was no way I was going to finish the December's challenge quilt, so no reason to stress out about it and break my back (figure of speech), trying to do it. 

Instead, I took something out that I have been really wanting to do.  The suspense has been building to start on this one again.  It's my Gathering Flowers appliqué quilt.  It's a beginners Baltimore Album design.  

For this quilt I have numerous blocks started.  I believe more than half of them.  I stared with making stems.  Green and blue.  The green ones for the stems of flowers and the blue for baskets.  The one below was the first one I started (1 of 20).  This block with a starburst of leaves with berries is called Spreading Leaves from page 29 of Kay MacKenzie's Inspired By Tradition book.

I did a leaf at the time and realized I needed to build up to the skill level needed for needle tune appliqué.  So instead I turned to the technique of making stems.  This time around, I decided to cut out all the pieces needed for the blocks.  It may be difficult to see, but there are two shades of green to make up the leaves and three shades of pink or red for the berries.  

This block is now a grab-and-go piece.  I could take this with me on my travels and work on it during free time.  After I cut the pieces, I took the leaves that I had done off to redo.  I like them better now.  I did not take to the needle turn method, so I did them using another technique that I've learned since.

This next block with it's fancy weaved flower basket is 2 of 20.  This one is called Curved Basket from page 87 of Mini Dietrich's Baltimore Basics book.

These were the stems I was talking about above.  The stems are made in advance, like a skinny tub, that you appliqué to the background fabric.  I had this basket done the first time around and this time I cut out all the remaining pieces for the block.  It looks a bit like a mess of colour right now, because the pieces are larger than their final size.  Once I take in the 1/4" seam, they will all fit in nicely.

I especially like this block for its basket.  The appliqué is actually 3D. The stems do "weave" in and out of each other to create the basket.  I also like the curve, of the rim, that goes on the basket at the top.  Another unique thing about this block is the 3D flower buds.  On the square paper holding my cut pieces, the bottom two flowers are the buds.  They are folded fabric, that make up the buds.  It will be cute when it is completed.

So, this is where it sits.  I won't be working on these anytime soon, but I did enjoy playing with the fabric and colouring in the picture using fabric.  

I did put this quilt on my UFO challenge list for 2019.  I get excited just thinking about when this quilt's number may be picked.  When American Patchworks & Quilting pick the number 4 for their UFO challenge, you can bet I will be shouting for joy.  

I know I will not get this done in a month, but I will be able to work on it guilt free and take it, that little bit further.