My first original applique!

Now this is exciting! I developed more of my really old film and found photos of my first applique and originally designed quilt! I made this before I really had any clue what I was doing. It's pretty cute for having no clue, don't you think?
I made this for Anna's first birthday. She turns 7 this coming January. Time sure does fly. Her room was painted in an under the ocean theme with these darling sea critters all around. I had found them for Donna on of all things, wrapping paper from Target.

To make the appliques, I enlarged the critters on the copier, then traced them onto the paperbacked fusible web, cut them out and ironed them down to the quilt top. I used a large zig zag to secure them to the quilt, but after I made my quilt sandwich. In the empty bolcks, I quilted a coral pattern that I found on a set of Martha Stewart's sheets on her old Martha-by-mail website. I really miss her store. I also enlarged the coral, traced it onto cardboard and used that as a template. I don't recall what I type of quilt marking tool used to transfer the pattern to the quilt top.

I distinctly remember being up really late the night before her party working on it, as well as getting up early to finish it! I don't think I finished it entirely though, because these photos are at my house, not Donna's.

Some lessons learned:
aFusible web is your friend. And the answer to almost every problem that plagues you.
aIt always takes you longer then you think it will.
aIt's easier to sew down your appliques on individual blocks as opposed to the whole quilt when it's already put together.
aAngled tweezers are your friend for holding down unruly pieces while you iron.
aMartha comes through for me everytime.
aInspiration is every where, you just have to keep your mind and eyes open.
aYou really shouldn't wait 6-7 years to develop your photos, but if you do, Photoshop is your friend.