I started a wool appliqué quilt called Of a Feather

I was sitting here reviewing some of the drafts I had, sitting in my folders and noted that I never did post anything about this quilt.  It was just before my life was in an upheaval, so I understand why.  I am writing this ahead of time to post on January 1st, as I doubt I will be up early after a long night, bringing in the new year.  Happy New Years everyone!!!  May this year bring you plenty of happiness and prosperity!

We, as in Halton Hills Quilters' Guild, had a speaker by the name of Sharon Fisher of Gardening Mum Quilts on Oct/2023.  Her trunk show was absolutely breathe taking.  She did many things, but primarily wool appliqué.  She does a lot of Sue Fargo patterns with loads of embroidery.  Sharon does do private workshops or group classes, and classes through the Creekbank Sewing Centre too.

I signed up for a class called Of a Feather.  This class started in March/2024 the 3rd Saturday of every month, for 9 months.  Or was that 10 months?  I can't quite remember.  This is the pattern book we had to purchase.  It's not my usual type of quilt or even the subject matter, and the in your face loud colours, but I really wanted to learn how to do all those fancy embroidery stitches.

As well as the book, you could use your own fabrics and wool, plus all of the embroidery floss/threads that you needed, or you could purchase a basic kit.  The basic kit contained all the background wool, the wool for all the appliqué, the black on white cotton used on the background and the various cotton colours used in some of the blocks.  

On top of all of that, you could also purchase kits with the rick rack, kits with the embroidery threads and kits with specialty threads for certain blocks.  Let me just tell you that it was extensive!  I've never invested this much into a quilt before......and hope not to have to in the future either.....lol.

Here is a close up of the first block.  Do you see the intense amount of embroidery on the wool appliqué?  Tons of knots on the berries and fancy stitches on the bird.  Many that I've never done before.

Come Sunday, the next day, I had the black on white cotton shapes all attached to the background.  The rick rack was also attached and I was just getting started on the wool appliqué.

By April 13/2024, all of the wool applique and cotton overlay were finished.  Yeah!!  I had it all done and ready to go to class on the 3rd Saturday of April.  If you compare my block here with the completed one above, you'll see how much of a drastic difference there is, when it gets completely finished.

We were instructed in the first class to have some extra wool on hand to learn and practice all the various stitches.  These are the wool practice blocks I made for all the fancy stitches.  I am going to use them like a sampler, for the various stitches.  I made one practice block per bird block.

In the end, I didn't make it to the class again.  That is when my life became an upheaval.  I have since though, met up with Sharon at Creek Bank Sewing Centre, when they were having a customer quilt show, from all the classes that were taken at the store.  

It was so nice to see her again.  She mentioned that if I needed anything to move forward with the quilt, she would be there for me.  I thought that was nice of her.  She also said that they have meetings every Thursday, for people who may want to come to do some sewing or get help with various stages, and that I was more then welcome to attend.

I may take her up on it at some point, but for now, I am concentrating on dwindling my Works in Progress list first, before I get into Of a Feather.  I may even attempt to do all the appliqué parts first, as I am pretty verse in doing that part, and then seek her help with the fancy stitches.  I also have Sue Spargo's embroidery book of stitches, that I can check out, to try on my own too.

Take care everyone.  This year I challenge you to try a new technique!  Whatever hits your fancy.