House for Charise

For a million reasons,  I am behind on my bee blocks.  Work is busy, home is busy and I am prepping like a crazy for Fat Quarterly Retreat.  Paper pieced blocks take time- not just to make but to think about and design too and I have to be in the right head space, each block needs a lot of thinking time!  I love a house block and that is Charise's theme in Cocorico for April.   She wanted older house, Victorian, Edwardian, that sort of thing.  I found my inspiration in a vintage game card at Ingrid's blog, Ing things and she kindly gave me permission to post here.

I always recommend a trip to Ingrid's blog, she posts almost daily and is full of creativity and zest!

Such a lovely house image, I loved the arcs above the windows and I knew I had to include them.

And this is how it turned out.  The arcs were undeniably tricky and were hand pieced- too tightly curved for the machine.  The roof is straighter than it looks- no subsidence here- I think the seams wouldn't lie flat for photographing.  It has a French gite feel, I would certainly holiday there- chicken wire walls and a green dog- who wouldn't!

 The images are from vintage fabrics and are my favourite feature when sewing a house.  The 'garden fabric' is a feedsack scrap from Chase.   We arranged a little fabric swap and it was one where I felt I got the better deal- she spoilt me with a gorgeous package.

we have a little future swap planned after the retreat rush is over where we make each other something! I already have ideas for this.  Back to more prepping, I got my class lists today- oh my goodness, so many of you!  I truly can't wait :)