An Applique Retrospective

In 2018, I discovered the Esther Aliu FB group and Esther’s amazing patterns. I thought I would look back on my body of work using her amazing designs this week.

Queen’s Garden: my first Esther project was released as a BOM for 2018, completing it in Jan 2019. The original pattern is a 70″ square quilt, but I added a log cabin square border with bloom corner blocks to make this queen’s size for the guest room. Many small errors were made on this maiden project, including making my background blocks 1/2″ smaller than they should be, challenging the fit of the applique. But I emerged enchanted with the process. QG is turned edge, machine stitched. This lives in our guest room.

Esther project #2 was Juliette, completed in Oct 2018. I was having so much fun with QG, that I just had to jump into another project while I waited between BOM monthly releases. Juliette is one of the less popular Esther patterns, but it was great fun. This was my first raw edge applique project. This one was donated to a charity raffle.

#3 was On My Window Flowers Bloom, completed Fab 2019. I used metallic thread for both applique and quilting on this project for the first time. OMWFB is primarily turned edge and made using Stonehenge fabrics exclusively. I hang this in the spring.

At this point, I developed a small obsession with Esther’s Lily Rose pattern. There are three, total. So far; there may be more some day! The first one, completed Nov 2019 is done in Kaufman Klimt fabrics. Notice the semi-hidden rose on the table. This is one our favorites and shares the main hallway space alternating with OMWFB.

August 2019, this was completed using Kaufmann Empress fabrics. She went to a friend who became enchanted with her.

The most recent one, Feb 2020 done in grunge and Chinese Laundry fabrics. An experiment in mono tone.

Wrapped in Love was the 2019 BOM, completed a little early in October 2019 as it was a birthday gift for a granddaughter. I extended the length of the quilt to fit her twin size bed. Grunge background and sashing with batiks.

Nelke was completed Apr 2020. Made with grunge background and all other fabrics are Stonehenge. This was really a fun, quick one.

Red Delicious was started in fall 2019 and completed May 2020 and gifted to friend. An older Esther BOM,e of her best patterns. Now wishing I had kept it! MIxed turned and raw edge and with Kaffe charm squares to bump up the interest. A hummingbird is visiting the rose.

Hope, begun Mar 2020 and completed Jun 2020. I did much of the applique work right after I had cataract surgery in mid March. The center is turned edge and the border raw edge. This is the center of the original pattern with a border that I designed. My eyes were healing and I had no glasses for over two months. Probably more than I should have attempted at the time. Jason Yenter fabrics on a metallic grunge background.

Cherish, completed August 2020. Another “less popular” Esther pattern, but I had been wanting to try it for a while. I found this small embroidered silk yardage which was a gift from a family friend about 30 yrs ago. Paired with some dupioni silk quarters, in raw edge, this was fascinating to work on. MicroQuilter is used for the “blends into the fabric” quilting. One of my daughters fell in love with this, to my great delight and asked if she could buy it! I said, let’s make it an early Christmas gift.

Up next is another trip through the Queen’s Garden! And I am also 1/4 way thought Esther’s Love Entwined 2. I am so grateful that Esther Aliu opened up the world of applique for me!

Happy applique (and quilting)!

Lennea