More hand sewing

Another week-end and another large number of hours spent in the car as we drove back from our lovely holidays in the Alps. Once we were down the twisty, tiny roads from the mountain, I got all my supplies out ready for another few hours of sewing, interrupted of course by all sorts of demands from the 3 munchkins at the back, but I still managed quite a bit. I finished my Patchwork of the Cross block for Jan in shabby chic floral

and I also worked on my Midnight in the Oasis quilt. The first border is made of squares with melons or orange peels applique in a flower shape. There are 20 of those squares (or 80 shapes to applique!) and I decided that I would needle turn applique by hand (by far my preferred applique method). I have applique a melon for a very very long time but I have done quite a few in the past on my Dear Jane blocks. I prepared my shapes with freezer paper on top before we left, gathered my favorite YLI silk thread for the applique and I was ready for the task ahead. I also for the first time tried my Appliquick scissors and I must say they are brilliant, no fraying of the fabric at all when you clip the curves, how good is that?

I managed to finish 3 blocks with the shapes I had prepared.

So that will be 4 blocks so far for April for the 350-blocks challenge.

I spent the rest of the trip working on my Once Upon a Time cross stitch sampler as I am still so far behind!
Linking to Anything Goes Monday and Building Blocks Tuesday.
Celine