Worldwide Quilting Day

I just found out that today is Worldwide Quilting Day!  Who knew?  I am not near my sewing machine, and am in a hotel in Indianapolis, IN, waiting to see basketball games later today with my hubby.

We have loved basketball ever since we met in high school 56 years ago!  So not much quilting is happening this weekend.  

But this morning I am prepping small circles and small leaves for Block #3 of the Benjamin Biggs Wedding Quilt.  The free pattern can be found (Here) or (Here)  Two websites are putting this free pattern out to quilters, and the block patterns are offered one a month.  

The cherries are quite small and there are 16 of them on this block.  I use Karen Kay Buckley's Perfect Circles (her website) and gather the fabric around the template with a running stitch.  Then I wet the circle in water, and let it dry before removing the template.  I will remove the running stitch and cut the fabric close to the sewing edge just before I applique the berries to the block.  Here's a picture of the back side:

I remember a peach tree and a cherry tree in our yard when I was a little girl. Cherries grow in "twos", so I will be modifying the pattern to make the two stems close together as they meet the branch of the tree for each pair of cherries.  I love cherries, and can't wait to put this block together.

What are you doing to celebrate Worldwide Quilting Day?