The Great Blue Heron

This is a Great Blue Heron that I started working on a couple of years ago. It was another workshop! Seems alot of my unfinished projects are from workshops. I need to add some yellow and red parts to it, finish the eye and then a small rock or grass for it to be standing on. It is about 18"x 24" It is applique and reverse applique. I would like to finish it - I really like the pattern and I think it will look really good once it is all quilted up.

This photo is an actual Great Blue Heron that was sitting on the dock on the water very close to our house. It is probabley about 150 feet from the house and I put the digital camera up to the eye piece of our little spotting scope that is on the deck. I was quite surprised how well the shot turned out. When we bought the telescope we were told that the camera could take pictures through the scope but I had never tried it. Not bad.

I had to work the first three days of the week and then my sister came for a short visit on her way through to Hawaii. As a result I have done very little quilting this week. I started the table runner for Jessica's wedding table. What a pain it has been with the Wonder Under -- Steam a Seam. I couldn't for the life of me get the Wonder Under paper off the fabric without pulling off all the sticky stuff. I took the stuff back to the store and traded it for Steam a Seam. The instructions for that stuff are confusing, there are many different kinds - I bought light and regular. I tried the light and it didn't work like the instructions said -- and when I did get it to stick I am now finding the hearts are coming off the fabric. So I am not happy with that stuff either. Fortunately it is just five hearts. I am hand stitching the blanket stitch around the hearts now and hopefully everything sticks together. I should have just appliqued the hearts on instead of the wonder under or steam a seam. I just hope that when it gets washed that the hearts don't all fray and fall off. I suppose it will be okay for the wedding but then I will give it to Jessica to use at home and hopefully it holds up for her. I will post a picture of it once I get it all together.