For my third and final block of this month’s quilt retreat, I chose a quick block, but not necessarily an easy one for me. Appliqué is not my favorite technique – probably because I’m not very good at it, and despite my best efforts, it usually comes out misshapen and lumpy.

Still, I want stay on track with my appliqué quota of one every four blocks: both so I don’t end up with a bunch to do at the end, and so I don’t get too far out of practice. This block didn’t seem like it would be too bad, since the appliqué pieces were fairly large … leaving plenty of room to stuff the seam allowance underneath.

One of the great things about retreat is the advice of one’s fellow quilters. I’ve gotten some great suggestions for tools and techniques at past retreats. This time, I tried out a milliners needle for doing the appliqué, borrowed from one of my retreat friends. Milliners needles are extra long and thin compared to regular appliqué needles (about 50% longer and so thin it’s more like wire than a needle).

They’re reputed to be great for appliqué, but I’m not sure if they’re right for me. While the narrowness made for nice appliqué stitches, the eye was so small that I spent more time trying to thread the needle than actually stitching with it. If I decide to try them again in the future, I’ll need to invest in a needle threader for sure.

One of the melons is done with the milliners needle, but I can no longer remember which one. The needle can’t have been either that awesome or that terrible – otherwise, you would think I’d be able to see more of a difference in the stitching.

I also tried to stack the deck in my favor on this block by cutting the red square 1/8″ bigger on each side, since the background fabric tends to cinch up a bit when I appliqué. Then I completely negated that advantage by just eyeballing the placement of the circles and melons on the red fabric, rather than marking the exact placement. The end result is that the circles are going to extend very slightly (we’re talking 1/32″) beyond the edge of the block when it is finished.

This block is definitely not my best work, but I think it’s good enough. And I’m pleased that with the completion of this block, I’m back on track with my goal of 30 blocks per year. All in one block, I’ve managed to catch up on my appliqué quota, my yearly block goal, and my blogging.

I actually started the next block a week and a half ago – right after I got back from retreat – but I haven’t made a whole lot of progress on it yet. I’m taking a short hiatus from Dear Jane to stitch up some sample blocks for a hand piecing class I’m teaching next month. I’m hoping to get back on track this weekend. It seems like with this quilt project, I’m forever playing catch-up.