Christmas Cactus

In preparation for block # 2 of Bless this House, Christmas Cactus,  I traced the shapes onto fusible web and cut them out, roughly. I used flat, smooth stones to hold down my paper-backed fusible, they're souvenirs from a visit to the rocky coast of Maine last fall, they work perfectly for this! After that, I spread out the pattern placement sheet on my ironing board; where I attached one shape after another... working from the back of the design to the foreground. I pressed the fusible to the reverse side of each chosen fabric,  after removing the center portion of the paper and the fusible web, leaving only a quarter inch of the product inside each shape, then I carefully cut them out exactly on the pencil line. I crisply pressed the background fabric in preparation for machine appliqué, using several applications of heavy starch to give it stiff body.

Using the placement lines from the pattern sheet (underneath the background fabric) I pressed the pieces in place. Notice the leaf on the left;  it has just a small outline of fusible web around the edge, the paper is still attached. It will be peeled, flipped over and pressed into position.

Here is the block with all of the pieces in place, ready to be stitched down. I used a very small blanket stitch and stitched around each and every  appliqué  shape with a matching thread color.

Voilà! The completed Christmas Cactus block; my homework's done, what a good feeling.

Life is Good!