Sunbonnet Sue–An update

This was one of my ‘will be finished this year’ quilts that was supposed to be finished a few years ago.  Obviously I haven’t finished it, but you will be pleased to know that I am really getting along with it now that it’s out of the UFO box.  It’s been packed away neatly in this tin for a little while but now I’m working in a sewing room that looks like something has exploded.

I’ve tried to be as methodical as possible with this – when I took this project out of the UFO box and started prepping the bonnets I managed to trace them all the wrong way.  So I have the original six little sunbonnets facing one way, and forty two facing another.  Hence the need to have a bit more of a system than I was previously using.

Now I have six little sunbonnets to use up as well.  Is it any wonder that I have so many UFO’s?

Loads of preparation goes into making these.  I’m probably not doing it ‘the right way’, but I’m doing it the way that works for me.  I’ve never mastered the art of freezer paper needleturn, but I found this iron on stuff called Floriana (heard of it?) that you keep in the project and it washes out, so under every piece of the little shapes is a piece of floriana that I’ve used as a stabiliser/pattern template. I’ve folded my seam allowance under and basted it down, then I baste that piece to the background fabric, and it’s prepped ready to be hand appliqued when I have five minutes to sit and do some handwork.  I’ve tried gluing the pieces, like one would do with hexagons but it doesn’t really like to stick to the fabric.  Maybe it’s my glue stick. 

So I baste.  And baste and baste and baste.  I don’t mind basting.  I find I get better at turning as the evening wears on and I can do quite a few in a relatively short amount of time.

I have had the pieced blocks done for months and months.  Probably a couple of years.  Some of my UFO’s are so old, you guys.  But I plod along, and hopefully by the time I’m 90 all my UFO’s will be done.  Ha.

One random Wild And Goosey block sitting there on the design board.  Obviously that’s not going in the Sunbonnet quilt.

So there you are – little sunbonnets all set to be stitched.  I do love my thirties fabrics.  I have yet to get bored with them, I don’t think I ever will.

I hope your day is quilty.  I hope you Americans aren’t getting too stressed over Thanksgiving.  I don’t know how you do it – two big celebrations in a month!  I’m stressed enough about Christmas dinner, without throwing a whole ‘nother one in!

(we don’t do Thanksgiving here in Australia – I’m struggling to think of our equivalent meal apart from Christmas that we do here that would compare – perhaps our Australia day?  But that’s normally a very informal barbie in the backyard with a swim afterwards more than anything).

Have a lovely one, and I’ll be back soon!

Suzie