Outback Silhouette

I finished my quilt for the ALQS today. I was photographing it along with my EBDQS quilt outside, and was sorely tempted to keep them both - they look great together on the wall, and would go so well with the FSQS Summer quilt made by Helen already hanging in the study. But I'm going to be strong this time, and send them to their intended recipients!
I was really happy with how Outback Silhouettes worked. I'm getting more confident with applique, and I think it shows. Although I had meant to use some stabiliser, and had I remembered when I was actually starting it, instead of only at 3am after finishing up the 'night' before, it would have minimised any distortion.
I bought a selection of red and green metallic and shimmery threads for the leaves and gum blossom, and managed to achieve the shimmery effect I wanted; I found the perfect green, and used 2 shades of red. Even better, although the thread isn't designed for machine use, with slow stitching, it only shredded and broke once. I went twice around the outer of each leaf, and once through the middle. And I think the petite beads finish the blossom nicely. Black in-the-ditch quilting around all the applique and black piecing also helped smooth the leaf edges from the buttonhole stitch - a handy side-effect! I hope its new owner likes it as much as I do!



A few more photographs tomorrow morning before it reaches a horrible, hot and windy 35, then off to the post office they go - one on a very long journey and the other a relativly short trip.