Hollyhocks

Some time ago I swear that I saw a small quilt somewhere on the net with a hollyhock appliqued down one side and sort of Chinese coins on the other and I was thinking it would be a neat thing to try on a doll quilt. I thought I had saved a picture of it. I found that I had not. What's a girl to do but make one up herself? I searched Google Images for hollyhock pictures and used them as inspiration to draft a simple version.

Now, it would have been nice to do hand applique on this because I like the slightly raised effect it gives and the softness of it but ...

(a) the design is way to complicated for a novice like me to hand applique

(b) even if it weren't, it would take me weeks to complete it and my whole raison d'etre for trying doll quilts is that I might even finish a few.

(c) the idea of sewing by hand is I fear, just not for me

In my usual copy-cat mode I really liked the tiny machine stitches Jane used in her Trumpet stars quilt so I thought I would give that a go instead. Here's my progress so far, I fused all the fabric and I've zig-zagged the lighter leaves and stem and I'm liking how it's going up to now. I might do a bit of freehand machine embroidery on the tops as this is very similar to doing fabric postcards. I had fused some yellow centres on the flowers but the colour was too bright so I ripped them off and I'm going to substitute a more subtle hue. Hoping to work on it in the evenings this week (work permitting).

I like hollyhocks, the garden of a house near my son's school is full of them in early summer and they look absolutely spectacular. Never had any success growing them in my own garden, they either don't come up or when they do they are the spindliest plants you've ever seen with one solitary flower. I'll make up for it with my fabric version.