E is for Elephant Parade

This year I have been pushing my quilting boundaries by taking part in a number of quilt alongs and quilting challenges. They are all internet based.

One such challenge has been the Elephant Parade and was run by Sew Fresh Quilts. I stumbled across it one day at the beginning of the year when linking up with a new linky party called Let's Bee Social. I found a link to this Elephant Parade quiltalong.

The pattern was designed by the Lorna, the owner of the blog. She had a pdf version of the pattern for sale but you could also come back each week and get the next block. That's what I did

First week was the large elephant and the second week it was the baby elephant.

If you wanted to make the quilt as per pattern you made more than one of each animal and some of them you could make facing the other way. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with my quilt so I only made one of each. I could still go back and make more of each. The elephants also look a bit naked without a tail so maybe when I put the quilt (or whatever it is I make) together I will add tails.

The third week we made the frog. For some reason I found this one a bit off putting and for a week or more he sat like this ... with no eyes....

when you think about it.. that look is even more off putting

Eventually I manned up... personed up and finished froggy

I just had to cut some circles and applique them on... shouldn't have been a problem but I made it one. I went straight on and made the next block... cute turtle

He had to have an appliqued and button eye too and I got it done no fuss. Still can't work out why I left froggy eyeless for so long

The next week it was time for this super cute little bird. I loved it

And then it was time for the flowers. I am not sure what the go was but there was some problem with copyright over one of the flowers. It was very similar to one that someone had put or was putting into a book and so the blue one pictured here is no longer available to make.

 You can tell I'm not a professional blogger or photographer. Look at all the threads etc on the picture. Tut tut. (nah get over it)

The blocks all still look like this... ie they are all blocks and not a finished article. They are all pretty easy to make and so I should be able to whip up a few more should I wish to make the full quilt as pictured in the pattern but so far the urge hasn't hit me.

 I don't want to leave it as a UFO or a WIP. We shall see what happens. If you dont' know what a UFO or WIP is... come back here for U and W and all will be revealed... or leave a comment below and I'll fess up (or look back through my blog and see for yourself.) Hint. They have nothing to do with aliens or 50 Shades of Grey

A commentor on my B is for Bear blog  mentioned how much they loved Elephants and how excited she gets when she sees them when out and about. This was in reference to me getting excited to see the decorated bears in Berlin. That reminded me of the decorated elephants we saw in London when we were there in 2010. I hunted out my photos of them. I didn't take very many but Grazona, these photos are especially for you