Begin at the beginning

It's been a very exciting time putting together the first block for Esther's Secret Garden Mystery BOM.

So much is going through my head. I've been collecting quotes and pictures from Alice in Wonderland. I'd really like to watch the Tim Burton film again, although I found it quite strange at the time, I would look for different things this time around.

I've been on Etsy and bought more wild fabric (Tula Pink) for the leaves and flowers, and I've decided to stitch a quote from the book (or film) onto each block.

I think this first block will have the quote embroidered: "Begin at the beginning... and go on till you come to the end: then stop." 

I think it's particularly funny because it's the kind of quilt where I may need to be told to stop... hee hee. One can keep adding and adding sometimes.

This photo shows the auditioning of fabrics for the bow, key and basket outline.

I am liking the stripe at the bottom which pulls in the red flowers and the green stems. The spotty ribbon seems to be working, it is connecting the purple and pink in the leaves, and I have some Fairy Frost in purple for the keys to try out too.

The flowers are mostly red, but you can see where one white flower was being painted red (as in the book). The rose bud was painted red, and it burst open a bit more exposing the original white colour underneath.

Here is another picture from the original movie. The flowers are really very exciting.

Today at the Sunlit Blooms sit n sew morning I hand-stitched away. It doesn't feel like there is so much to do anymore.

Exciting day as Esther has released block number 2 of Diamond Hill. Go to her blog to download the free pattern, as it will come down when the next one goes up on the 15th of next month.

Ooh yes, it's a full time job keeping up with 2 large hand appliqued BOMs!! On another note, I've made a decision that it's been more than 2 weeks since my birthday and my sister hasn't even sent me a card yet (she lives 3,000km away, so fair enough for not visiting), but I think I'm going to keep the Christmas Redwork quilt for my family and give her something a bit less time consuming for her birthday.  Surely us quilters are allowed to keep some of the quilts we've made for ourselves? And, it means I don't have to finish it by mid May in order to get it to her in time. More time for my applique quilts. Yay!

Linking up to Esther's blog for WOW.