A is for Apple

                              

Apples are a significant symbol for our family, particularly apple cores. I have collected apple related things for many years. 

It actually started in 1989 when some friends gave us a pair of apple core ornament - and I bought another one when I saw it, and then another. I collected a number of apple ornaments as well when I couldn't find core things. Actually when I look at the photo above I realise that this is not completely true. Someone gave our oldest child a romper suit with an apple on it when she was born, a little before this ... only just realised that!!

Our original apple core ornaments are the middle one and the one on the right

An Apple Shaped egg timer

Kitchen towels adorned with apples

This beautiful collection of apples were bought when we had a family holiday around Tasmania. They are made from a variety of different timbers found down there

A Teapot for one! A gift from my sister in law Christine (From Bluebirds and Bumblebees)

A note book... also from Christine

When I got into quilting it was almost inevitable that I would start to collect apple and core related fabric.

my most recent Apple fabric - Assorted Apples by Nutex, a New Zealand company

 Christine also made me this lovely apple wall hanging and I found a gorgeous hanger for it. Unfortunately I ruined it when I washed it and the red embroidery thread ran. Tried lots of stuff to remove it but it tis what it is

 Christine and my sister Joy both made the same pattern for me after it appeared in a quilting magazine. One as a wall hanging and the other as a cushion.

I saw a gorgeous Apple quilt hanging in a LQS (Local Quilt Shop for anyone reading this not into quilting) whilst visiting Christine one time. I thought about it decided I would buy it but by then the shop had shut. It was a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't reopening till Monday morning by which time we  had left town. Christine went back to the quilt shop to try to get the pattern for me but they didn't have any left.

 I found another pattern a while later which I bought and made. 

I have never been convinced that it was the same pattern and I always had a niggle that the other, the one I didn't get to make was nicer. I wonder if it is the curse of human kind to hanker after that which they didn't have, that they didn't get to make or see... the one that got away. Is it a case of the grass is always greener?

I pieced the back using apple fabrics I had been collecting for years and making 12" blocks I hadn't tried before.

I loved the cut through version of the apple.. .really quaint

I hadn't really looked at this quilt for years till I got it out to photograph for this blog post. Now I really like it. It might not have been the pattern that I had originally seen and loved but I really like it anyway so I am happy.