Arboretum

Welcome to my Arboretum, a most colorful forest of fabric trees.

This quilt wasn't even on my radar. One day I just happened to notice a few Kaffe Fassett fabrics in brownish colors on the shelf and suddenly quilter's ADD took over. Since it's fall, those browns and rusts were begging to be used and leaves seemed the perfect fall subject.

Inspired by those fallish prints, I looked through my Pinterest board on leaf quilts for inspiration. Several pins sparked ideas. Unfortunately, the pin I was most inspired by led to no further links or information, so I took off on my own.

I did a quick layout in the computer to determine the quilt size and number of blocks I would need and settled on 9 rows with 11 blocks per row for a total of 99 blocks. The blocks are 5.5" x 8" for a finished size of about 60" x 72" . . .  a nice large throw.

Next I pulled a ton of prints in a range of fall colors. Starting with the browns and rusts, I added reds, oranges, golds, yellows, greens and even purples. As I said in my previous post, more is more as far as I'm concerned. More variety makes for more interest and more visual activity.

I cut one rectangle approximately 6.5" x  9" from 99 different fabrics. I was determined not to repeat any fabrics and easily found more than 99 in my stash. Next I pulled strip scraps in the same color range for the veins (branches) and cut them 1" wide.

At this point in the process, I planned to add small triangles to the corners of each block to give it a leafy shape. I thought I'd use solids and tried a couple of different light blues as you can see here.

The more blocks I made, the less I liked the corners. Then my husband wandered in and said he liked my trees. So my leaves became trees with branches.

The piecing process for the branches was completely improv. First, I cut a print rectangle in half top to bottom. Then I made angled cuts in both halves. The placement and angle of each cut was random. Most blocks have three angled cuts. Some have only two. Others have four or even five. There's even a couple with just one. The 1" strips were sewn between the angled cuts and pressed toward the strips. When both sides were done, the center strip was added between both halves. The finished block was then trimmed to 6" x 8.5"

I auditioned each strip fabric for each print as I went choosing not to cut too many of any one fabric. Some branch fabrics blend with the tree fabric and others have a strong contrast. Having some of each allows for the overall effect to come in and out of focus as you look at the quilt.

I had no preconceived idea of how to arrange the blocks but as more of them went up on the design wall I liked the look of the horizontal runs of color that were starting to happen. Once about 3/4 of the blocks were up I could begin to see what colors I needed more of. At this point I let go of the idea of 99 different trees and inserted 5 blocks of the same fabric called Shark's Teeth by Brandon Mably. To me this print looked like trees on hills. Repeating this fabric offered a very subtle pause within the forest.

I considered staggering the rows (below left) but it just looked too busy. There's a lot going on with all the prints. Keeping the tree trunks lined up (below right) provides a subtle sense of structure and unity.

It was quilted by Cara of Sew Colorado Quilting with a leafy design appropriately called fall foliage. It's subtle but the leaves have branches just like the trees.

I had hoped to get some great 'in the wild' photos with glowing red/orange fall foliage. Unfortunately we had a very early hard freeze and the colors just haven't been pretty. I settled for some yellow trees near home. My favorite pic is the opening photo near the city arboretum. The sign is what actually gave me the idea for naming the quilt Arboretum. It seems quite fitting.

Arboretum . . . a botanical garden devoted to trees.

So many people have asked about making this quilt. If you make one similar to mine, I'd really love to see it. Tag me on Instagram @springleafstudios and use #arboretumquilt to your posts.

While making Arboretum, I discovered that Scott of Blue Nickel Studios has a new pattern called TreeTime that is really cool. Check it out here. Or take a look on Instagram at #treetimequilt. It's a different, yet similar idea and I love what he did with the his trees.

UPDATE: While doing a little online shopping, I just happened upon a new to me tree pattern that is very similar to what I made. The construction method is different but the result is close to the same. The pattern is called Tangled Trees by Lizard Creek Quilting Here's a link to that pattern.

Linking up with Wendy and her Peacock Party.
Also Kelly and Needle and Thread Thursday.
And Cheryl's Monthly Favorite Finish .

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Snowball Quilt; Fussy Cutting

2016 is the year of using my stash. Or more correctly, the first of many years of using my stash.
I probably have enough fabric to last a lifetime so I really, really should use it.

Sometimes though it's not easy. Sometimes I pull fabrics and then find it quite hard to cut them up. Fabrics that I've had forever. Fabrics that are out of print. Fabrics that I had another plan for.
hmmm . . . if I had a plan then why haven't I used it?

Do you feel my pain? Come on. Admit it. I'll bet you've have a least one fabric that you've hoarded and don't want to cut.

I have been cutting a lot of fabric lately. Fabric for multiple projects that I wrote about here. This week I'm focusing on the snowball quilt. It's an abundance of color and blooms. Many of the blocks feature fussy cut flowers so I thought I'd share my fussy cutting method.

1.  Start by cutting a 2 part paper template. The first part is a window with an opening the exact finished size of the block. The second part is simply the cut out part from the window.
I use copy paper.

2.  Using the window, audition different areas of the fabric to find the part you'd like to fussy cut.

3.  Once the area to cut is selected, place the template shape in the window opening. It helps to have a rolled piece of tape on the back of the shape to hold it in position.

4.  Remove the template window, leaving the shape in place.

5.  Position a quilter's ruler over the paper shape allowing a 1/4" seam allowance around two sides of the paper shape and cut along the ruler on both sides. Reposition the ruler, adding the 1/4" seam allowances, and cut the remaining two sides.

6.  Thats' it! Now you have a fussy cut shape and leftover fabric with a hole in it.

You may be wondering why my template window is a hexagon but my cut shape ends up being a square. For the snowball block I will be using the stitch and flip method on the corners of the block to create the angles so there's no need to cut a hexagon shape. I do want to see what part of the fabric will actually show in the finished block though, so my template window is a hexagon. I've used this method for years and have a file full of different sized square windows.

It's the leftover fabric with holes in it that gives me pause right now. I find myself being indecisive about fussy cutting some of my favorite Kaffe prints. I've hoarded many of them for a long time and of course they aren't available any more. Fussy cutting can leave very chopped up pieces of fabric. Not that the remaining piece isn't usable but it might end up being less useful when there's a hole cut out of it. I'm doing my best to keep the holes along one edge so that I still have the option to cut WOF strips or other bigger pieces in the future.

While I may agonize here and there about cutting holes in my fabric, it feels sooo good to use my stash. I'm mixing my older traditional florals with a wide variety of Kaffe and Amy Butler prints.
So far I love what's going on.

This is how it's looking on my wall. No rhythm or reason yet to placement. That will come after I sew the corners on. I am curious though about the possibility of bordering it with the green prints. This happened accidentally as I cut mostly warm colors when I started and then moved on to the cooler colors. There wasn't anyplace to put them other than the edges. This is probably only half of what I'll need for a queen sized quilt so I have a lot more cutting to do.

If you're wondering about how to use your stash, take a look at this article by Weeks Ringle. While most of the fabrics in the article are more traditional than mine, Weeks provides valuable tips on using your stash by combining different fabrics into workable groups.

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Catching Up

Oh my . . . summer has flown by and now here it is the middle of September. I'm still here. Still designing. Still sewing a little here and there. Looking forward to lots more sewing when the cooler weather settles in.

Last week it was time to get my act together and make a pin cushion for the Pin Cushion Party blog hop over at Crazy Mom Quilts. This is Amanda Jean's first fabric line and it's so so fun. You'll be seeing my post and pin cushion on Saturday so stay tuned. In the mean time, go check out some of the cute pin cushions everyone is making with her fabric line. The line is called Good Neighbors and is sold exclusively by Connecting Threads. Here's a little sneak peek of some of the fabrics.

This week it was on to getting my mini started for the Kaffe Mini Swap happening mostly on Facebook and Instagram. If you're a Kaffe lover then take a look at #kaffeminiswap on Intsagram for some inspiration. Lots of fun things going on there. Here's some of the Kaffe prints I'm using. The one in the lower right, called Ferns, is a new one in my stash. I'm just loving the purple and aquas together. Definitely need to get more of this one.

This is what I have going on so far. I may add a little more . . . or not. We'll see. You might recognize the block. It's the same one I'm using for my Christmas quilt. You can see more about that on my blog under the Drunkard's Path QAL tab.

My other major WIP of the month is my next color post. September is the month for Yellow so I'm seeing yellow everywhere. Each new month finds me searching my home and environment for the chosen color and as a result I have become even more aware of color. Try it. You really will see more.

If you haven't seen my other color posts go here. So far I've done Purple, Green, Red and Blue. You can also see my daughter's color posts here on her blog.  Her jewelry is all about color so she's having just as much fun as I am looking for color. See her jewelry at Emily Claire Studio.

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

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Drunkard's Path QAL: Coloring Page

March is here. It's time to sew up another Drunkard's Path block for the QAL.
Have you sewn your block for the month yet?

If you haven't started, it's not too late. It's never really too late to join in. Really. All the info will be here, under the QAL tab at the top of my blog, nicely pulled into one location so you can see all the earlier posts and join whenever you feel inspired. I hope you'll consider playing along.

I also thought you might enjoy having a coloring page of the overall block arrangement so you could play with other color options besides the red/green Christmas version that I'm making. There are just so many fun possibilities for this design including spring colors for a floral feel or modern brights for a propeller feeling. See this post for a refresher on some of those ideas.

Click here for the PDF download of the coloring page, then have fun coloring your very own version.

My block for this month was all cut and ready for stitching. As you might recall, I cut the pieces for all nine blocks at the beginning of the QAL and bagged them up according. You can see that information here. This makes it easy to simply grab a bag and take it to guild sew days. My plan has been to sew one block a month during the open sews. This month however, I finished it up early since I won't be at open sew. And since I was on a roll, I even went ahead and sewed the Jan, Feb and March blocks together . . . row #1 done.  That feels good!

If you aren't sure about the final arrangement of your blocks you might wait on this part until all your blocks are sewn. That way you have the flexibility to move them around. I had already finalized the layout when I cut the pieces so I knew where each block went.

You might also like to read through this blog post on an alternative pressing method. Esther of Ipatchandquilt is playing along in the QAL and found this method worked better for her. I'm all for finding the way that works best for you. In the big scheme of things you'll be happier and enjoy it more.

If you're ready to sew your March block dive in and get it done. You'll be glad you did. Promise.
Then show me what you made. I'm finally on Instagram so if you are too, please post your blocks with  #drunkardspathquiltalong and link to @springleafstudios.  I really do want to see what you're making.

Drunkard's Path Quilt Along 2015, Intro

How many of you thought you'd get a Christmas quilt done only to once again set the idea aside because all the other holiday things got in the way?  Me too!

I started. I really did. Here's a peak.

Actually I haven't made a Christmas quilt in years. And as long as I'm confessing that, I might as well fess up and tell you I have more Christmas tops than I have Christmas quilts done. But guess what?  I hang the tops up anyway raw edges and all. Yep. Unfinished quilts hang on my walls during the holidays. But hey, they add a lot of holiday color and cheer even in their unfinished state and most people don't even notice. Each year I think I'll finish them and each year they get folded back into storage. This is what one of the unfinished tops looks like . . . border test strip along the side and all.

After all these years, I'm embarrassed to still have the same unfinished top hanging in the family room, not to mention my tastes and style have certainly changed. I've decided it's definitely time for a new Christmas quilt. Of course I didn't remotely start it in time for this past Christmas. But I did start. And in order to actually get it done for Christmas 2015, I have a plan and I'm inviting you to join me.

I plan to make a block a month. Then possibly add some borders and get it finished in time for Christmas 2015. Really. Finished. Want to join me?

I love poinsettias so I designed a block with the feel of this lovely Christmas flower. Here's the first one. I'm using those great red and green Kaffe fabrics I posted about here.

This block design will look just as good with modern prints or even solids in lots of different shades of red and green. It would also look great with bright pastels for a springtime look. I might even sew one up from some older floral/leafy prints just for fun. I'd really like to put those older fabrics to use in fresh new ways.

Here's the general layout. Nine blocks total. I may add borders as things move along. We'll see. Doesn't it look like a bunch of blooming poinsettias?

I'll be back later in the month with more details. Optional layouts. Templates. Instructions. Maybe even some alternative fabric samples. This won't be anything formal. Just a monthly goal to sew one block and finish in time for Christmas 2015. I hope you'll consider sewing along with me.   : )

Linking up with WIP Wednesday for what will be a year long WIP.
I'm also linking up with Needle and Thread Thursday.

Christmas and Kaffe

I recently indulged myself with some new Kaffe fabrics when Canton Village Quilt Works had their Kaffe sale for cyber Monday. Secretly I'm telling myself that maybe . . . just maybe I'll go on a fabric fast for 2015 so whatever I buy in 2014 doesn't count and I can stock up. Right?  It's not as if I need any more fabric but I sure do love getting squishy packages in the mail.  : )

If you know Kaffe's fabrics then you know there are lots of reds and blues and I've seen many great quilts using both together. But I was taken by the idea of using reds and greens.  Must be the influence of Christmas.

There's this red/green quilt in Kaffe's book Glorious Patchwork which I have always liked but the green tones were a little dark for my taste. I'm more of a bright to yellow green kind of person.

I've actually never thought of using red and green Kaffe fabrics together myself. I usually work in a more analogous color scheme with his fabrics for some reason. And when it comes to Christmas, my quilts are all quite traditional in color and style as you can see below. I like it that way for the most part, although I would really like to do a modern take on this still-life theme someday.

Call it crazy but I'm just so inspired by the idea of a Kaffe Christmas quilt right now. Of course there's no chance in ___ it will be done for this Christmas.  I do have a design, I have these great fabrics and I'm motivated to at least start. Maybe next year at this time I'll have a finish to share. I said maybe so don't hold your breath. In the mean time I may be adding to this lively fabric combo as time goes on. Oops . . . see I already forgot about the fabric fast. A true sign of an addict. : )  I'm starting some blocks today so this is my WIP of the week. My biggest WIP should really be wrapping presents but playing with fabric seems like soooo much more fun.

How about you . . . do you go traditional or modern for the holidays? What are your favorite colors for the season?

Linking up with WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced.

My Journey; Four-In-Art Quilt #2

Time has run out.

Today is the day we all reveal the second of four quilts in our year long challenge as part of the
Four-in-Art group. The theme for the year is Urban and for this quarter the topic was Structures.

I knew right away I wanted to do something with highway overpasses. My daughter and I had the pleasure of taking three trips in the past year. First was a long road trip from Colorado through Kansas and on to Indiana and Illinois. Next came a trip to Portland where we were both amazed at the dizzying height of the highway bridges over the river. Lastly came our trip to Houston and Quilt Market. Houston has more than its share of roadways and being in the wrong lane can definitely take you off in unintended directions.

This last experience in Houston is what made me decide to go with overpasses for my Structures quilt. With one single wrong lane we found ourselves heading to Galveston instead of downtown Houston. Then with another quick decision we thought we were back on track heading to the convention center only to see it as we drove by. Before we realized it we were then headed to Oklahoma. Another quick decision and we were off the highway altogether. Surprisingly we managed to get to the convention center just a few minutes later than if we had taken all the right turns. Needless to say we had plenty of road challenges along the way as we drove through unfamiliar territory.

This mini quilt was no different. It was a challenge right from the start as I made my way through unfamiliar territory. And the journey was not without a few wrong turns.

I posted earlier this week about my procrastination on getting started. For various reasons I really waited till the last minute. I knew it would mean more if I pushed the concept further. Further in terms of technique. Further in terms of the underlying personal meaning. I had an idea but had no idea how to piece it so I simply put it off. Hope I've learned my lesson when it comes to procrastinating.  : )

In the end I'm pretty pleased with my results. My quilt represents the craziness of real roadways as it was based on a real highway image. But it also represents the ever changing directions of my personal quilting journey.

I've been quilting for over 15 years and in that time have gone in many different directions. When I first started, I did my share of traditional quilts. I've also explored impressionist style quilts. Along the way I fell in love with Kaffe Fassett fabrics which had a big impact on my style. More recently, I've ventured into the creative world of modern quilts. Looking back I still love them all and am even growing more resistant to the labels. I'm trying hard to make what I like. What inspires me regardless of the label.

Below is the first large quilt I ever made. A traditional 9-patch floral. Please excuse the poor quality photo. It's an old quilt and a pre digital era photo.

This is another 9-patch showing the direction my quilts went when I discovered Kaffe.

With these influences in mind, I incorporated a bit of fabric from both of these quilts to express the journey I've been on. Fabric from the first quilt plays the part of a more distant road while the Kaffe fabric road dominates. The use of grays are a more literal interpretation of the many other roads and also allude to the many directions my quilting has gone over time. I enjoy using solids but after awhile I crave prints, especially the big bold prints.

So with all this in mind, I give you "My Journey".

The paths this little quilt took me on were many. Sometimes simple. Sometimes quite confusing. It looks simple but most definitely was not. A great learning experience that pushed me to utter confusion at times. I'll post next week about the technique, the mistakes and what I learned.

In the mean time, please take a look at all the other wonderful quilts that came from this challenge. There are 7 other very talented quilters in our little group and I am always amazed at the variety of ideas everyone comes up with. That's part of what makes this all so fun.

Amanda at What the Bobbin

Nancy at Patchwork Breeze

Carla at LollyQuiltz

Elizabeth at OPQuilt

Betty at Salt Ayer on Flickr

Rachel at The Life of Riley

Leanne at She Can Quilt

Hope you have enjoyed My Journey!