Applique Block #1

This is the first completed block from my 'All Grayed Down' quilt.  I had big plans to do free-hand applique blocks for this quilt, kind of push myself out of my comfort zone a little and make something that I could totally claim as my own.  Huh.  After lots of discarded papers full of doodling and much frustration, I settled on a completely different plan of attack.  (No surprise there.)

Block #1

 A couple months ago I had picked up quilt book at a second hand store for a dollar.  It was printed in the 70's--dedicated to older American Quilts made in the 1800's.  If you've ever looked through a quilt book from the 70's you know the type of pictures and presentation favored.  Not a real 'gripper' at first glance.*wink  Anyway, one evening after I had most of my quilt blocks sewn together for this quilt (which was not looking very promising) I saw this book on the shelf and decided to re-visit it.  Suddenly my head was swimming with ideas for my own stubborn quilt!  Don't you just love that?  There are very few actual patterns in the book, but that's okay.  My intention is to replicate some blocks at least in proportion, but change others up to fit my 'style'.  My quilt already has the background for my applique ready to go and as they are all different sizes and shapes (such as odd sized rectangles), I couldn't copy everything exactly anyway.

These are the original fabric choices

I am tossing some of my applique fabric choices such as the bold black and white and one of the pieces of rich floral fabric from Kaffe Fasset.  I gathered together a stack of new fabrics to use for my applique work and not surprisingly, they are all somewhat brighter than the rest of the quilt.  Some of the fabric I've used throughout this quilt have been languishing in the bottom of my totes for years, like the green vine fabric I used on Block #1.  Ick! I should have thrown that away years ago!  hehe  Now look at it shine in its new place of honor.