More applique - another project

It feels like I am wallowing in applique at the moment; not only am I making inroads into Foxley's Village but I am applique-ing elsewhere as well.
The Sopwell Ladies Basket Society Quilt is another project I am making. It's a block of the month for The Country Yard, and I must admit that I am having quite a bit of fun with it!
I showed a sneak peek a wee while ago —

And now I can show the whole of the first block —

Don't you think it suits me - as scrappy as anything?!! As you can see there's quite a lot to 'one block' and that's why I've only got this far :-) 

I've decided to applique this project by machine. The (nearly) invisible turned under machine applique method.

I use fusible applique paper to turn the edges of the pieces under and then, using a fine thread and a narrow zig-zag, attach them to the background. It's definitely a lot quicker than needleturn which the pattern suggests but you do have to accept that up close you see the stitching. (Depending of course how well your thread colour matches. I'm quite happy to fuss and change threads as needed - I keep the bobbin the same and make sure the tension is such that the top thread is ever so slightly pulled to the back. No freckles on top)

My selection of fine threads - I'll use whatever as long as the colour is right
and it's a fine weight.

Of course I could have done raw edge buttonhole using fusible webbing but I do like the look of turned under applique. 

(I've previously talked about his method *here* but have altered the stitch size so both length and width are 1.1).

Zig-zagging my 'machine needle-turn'

You can't really see the stitching unless you're really close.

This photo shows the border fabric which influenced the fabric choice.
A little different and very fun.

I'm using the same technique for another fun quilt I am making. And for a few days, I can only show a teaser shot of it. It's part of the Text-It bloghop...my day is coming up soon - so come back early next week to see what I've been up to. There will be giveaways so that's an extra excuse to visit :-)

If you'd like to see what's been happening on the bloghop already, just click on the photo below —

I nearly forgot to do a tally up of the blocks I made during February. (I've joined in with the Prairie Moon 350-blocks project.) I'm going to have to get better at keeping track as the months fly by so quickly and all my sewing blurs into one!
Six (equivalent) for The Sopwell Ladies (fair enough do you think?) and five for my row-by-row...whoops now that's another wee project I haven't shared!! So 11 blocks... not as grand as last month but progress nevertheless.
Using up our stash row-by-row ..the first row was to include Delectable Mountains blocks and here are mine —

This is the only photo I have of it just now, and you can't really see the challenge fabric that we will get each month, but it gives you a bit of an idea! I'll be able to show you more when we do the next row.
Weekend busy-ness calls so I'll end now.
As always, thank you for visiting, I do appreciate it.

'til next time,

Happy stitches,