En Garde!
En Garde! With wings (and elbows) lifted, and sporting a Canadian jersey, this Canada Goose embodies the spirit of patriotism sweeping our country. The simple design shows a protective goose glancing upward at the gaggle of his compatriots who are at the ready to help. They've got his back. The sample shown is pieced from an ombre fabric and appropriately quilted with feathers. The name En Garde! is a double entendre, and a perfect one for a bilingual nation; not only is it a line from our anthem where we vow to stand “on guard” for our country, it is also a familiar term fencers use to warn their opponent to be on their guard.
I did audition several different backgrounds before settling on the azure blue ombré (a Radiant Gradient) from Hoffman.
It's always fun to match my Aurifil thread colours to the appliqué fabrics.
Basting the goose is my least favourite part of the process. It's a necessary evil....The pattern is printed on large format pages with the pieces all presented full-sized and mirror image, ready for tracing. The goose itself is raw edge appliqué and the border flying geese are foundation pieced. It's really a very straightforward design.