Sweet Lemonade

Last March I started something I called my Hawaiian Ocean Applique Quilt  through my practice with that I was able to make and donate my Turtle Applique Quilt.  I made these using Wonder Under a heat activated adhesive product and then blanket stitching over the raw edge.  Right in the middle of making these blocks my fancy sewing machine lost all will to sew after coaxing and numerous trips to the repair place I now have an oversized paperweight that is begging for the day I will trade it in for something else.

Luckily I have the Little Elna sewing machine which I had forgotten how much I love to sew on it.  So now that you're up to date, I want to say that yesterday I figured out how to make one of the 18 stitches that the Elna can do look like the blanket stitch the Brother was making and because it is a compressed hem stitch it sews out nice and quick and I don't have to be so careful about counting the stitches for making my turns.  Bottom line: Yesterday I had 2 completed blocks and 3 blocks with no shell pieces on the turtles.  I now have five completed blocks for this quilt (I will need 12 plus my dolphin center) of course I also have the one I'm detailing to be a matching pillow as well.  I think it will end up making a nice euro sham.

Turtle Applique Blocks awaiting thread trimming

I have now prepped three more fabric blocks so they are ready to be cut out with the rather detailed cuts of the turtles and their shells.  I am looking forward to making more progress on this quilt.