Have you seen the two-applique patterns from Pacific Rim Quilt Company? I’ve done one and have another ready to backbaste. Then I have these two waiting. The fabrics are washed and ready, so it’s solely a matter of tracing the patterns on to the wrong side of the background fabrics and then backbasting them.

I think the time of year when I get to these will be the deciding factor on which one I do first. If we’re getting close to Christmas, then I’ll do the Candlelight one. I think it will look wonderful as a wall hanging at Christmas. The Peacock pattern, though, is the one I am really intrigued by right now.

Backbasting makes applique so simple and such a joy for me. Once the pattern is traced, I quickly baste the focus fabric on to the background. I use very large stitches and just stitch around the perimeter of the focus fabric to hold it in place for the backbasting process. The next step is to stitch, using a thick thread and a large needle, on the tracing of the pattern. I usually use button thread or quilting thread and a larger needle for that part. That’s the backbasting — one is stitching along the pattern lines on the back of the background. Once that’s done, I generally let the piece sit at least 24 hours, and sometimes a whole lot longer than that, before I begin the applique.

When I’m ready to start appliqueing, I snip a few of the backbasting stitches at the point where I want to begin. After that, it’s a matter of simply starting to cut away the focal fabric about 1/8 of an inch from the basting line of stitches, turning under that amount and, thanks to the perforations caused by the basting, getting really accurate placement of the applique. The placement is as good as the tracing. If I’m careful with the tracing of the pattern, then I get a fabulous result; one that is much better than I would ever have been able to get with an overlay or freezer paper or any of that. There’s no fiddling with pins or freezer paper or keeping an overlay out of the way.

Smudge poses for photos — we’re sure of it. He will hear the click of the camera being turned on and holds the pose or, quite often, strikes a new pose. Today, he decided to get real close to the camera and this was the result.

Lester, on the other hand, is less of a ham and doesn’t feel compelled to pose for the camera all the time. Right now, with the birds and squirrels out on the roof garden entertaining the boys, the windowsill is one of his favourite spots.

I think spring is well and truly finally here. I have seen and heard robins out on the roof garden, the gardeners are really starting to work on the roof garden and we’re finally getting temperatures in the mid to high 60s during the day. It’s about time after the winter we had!