Susan’s Star, Embellished

I didn’t think the block I made last month called Susan’s Star could get any better but I embellished it today by appliquéing a round fussycut flower in the center square, and I’m so happy with the result:

Credit for this idea goes to my quilting cousin, Patricia, who follows my blog and suggested the addition after reading my post of March 3. Good call, Patricia!

Susan’s Star is one of three 18″ blocks in a sampler quilt I’m working on that also features 6″ and 12″ blocks. The other two 18″ blocks have a blossom in the center, one pieced and one appliquéd:

Patricia thought my third 18” block would benefit from having a flower in the middle as well. For the block on the right I used a method other than needleturn applique. For Susan’s Star, though, I decided the time had come to give needleturn appliqué another go. If you are new to my blog, you may not know I learned needleturn appliqué in 2019 making this quilt.

Because three years had passed since I’d done any needleturn appliqué, I approached this task, simple and small though it be, with some trepidation. To be honest, I’m not sure I did everything correctly but it turned out just fine.

I started by drawing a dotted circle (my stitching line) on the fabric using a jar lid as a template and cutting a scant quarter inch away from the stitching line. After finger-pressing the stitching line I pinned the piece in place:

Stitching has commenced! Off to a good start:

After the first few stitches I felt like I had found my rhythm. Do you suppose doing needleturn appliqué is like riding a bike?

And here we are where we started, with the finished block:

I haven’t been spending nearly enough time in my sewing room lately so getting this little project completed felt very good. It was my way of celebrating National Quilting Day.

 

 

This entry was posted in appliqué, Hazel's Diary Quilt, needleturn appliqué, sampler quilt, update. Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Susan’s Star, Embellished

  1. Colleen C. says:

    An excellent addition! Your blocks are beautiful! Looking forward to seeing where you go with these :).

  2. Diane says:

    Apart from this new quilt shaping up to be another sparkling winner, I am commenting today mostly to tell you how beautiful your blog is in its composition and design, aesthetically pleasing photography, exceptional writing, excellent teaching quality as well as the great care you take to acknowledge the contributions of others. So nicely done, Nubs!

  3. Linda says:

    That was the perfect finishing touch for that block. My grandmother did a lot of needleturn appliqué and I was always amazed at her tiny stitches. I don’t have whatever it takes to do neat handwork but I certainly love to look at it.

  4. Pam says:

    Your additions to the quilt blocks are beautiful. It really makes them “pop”!
    I appreciate you providing these teaching moments for those of us not familiar with certain crafts.

  5. Charlotte says:

    Very nice. Needle-turn applique was my Quilting Auntie’s favorite thing to do. I may give it a try.

  6. Marie E. Simmonds says:

    Patricia’s idea just finished off those blocks, going from nice to WOW! You, Dawn, get a Gold Star for your needle turn applique – very nice.

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