Leaf Quilt Wedding Present

6/19/2007
My cousin emailed to say that it arrived and she has put it with the other gifts to be opened on their wedding day.

6/7/2007
I don't know why I drug my feet mailing it, I suspect because I had so much fun making it. I took a lot of pictures and can make another one if I want to... I could have sent it Monday, but I waited until today. I wrote a nice card and sent some washing instructions too. I really hope they like it.... I think they will... I always feed odd giving hand made gifts, even when I know they will be liked.
Timon had to put in his paw of approval on my wrapping, or maybe he just wanted to eat the raffia. I shooed him off when ever he tried to snack on it, but I know he sure would have liked to.


6/2/2007
All of it, Label and Sleeve. Now I just have to write a nice card, include some care instructions, find a box, and put that puppy in the mail!


5/31/2007
I just finished the binding for my Leaf Quilt. Now for a sleave and label.....

5/27/2007
Just got the center/middle done this morning. Still need to quilt the border and of course the binding and an appropriate label.

Carefully quilted around the 3-D squares so they came out even more puffy than when I first made the top. Did a leaf vein on the leaves themselves, and then echo quilted aroun each leaf. It made the most sense...


5/15/2007
I couldn't quilt the Leaf Quilt as planned through the middle of the square "thingies" because they were so thick that the quilting line looked forced and jaggie rather than elegant and straight the way I imagined it. ....urgh!... more stitch ripping. So I drew up a complex path of weaving around the squares in my sketch book and am using it as a guide to sew around. May look cool, the squares appear like they will be puffy. I sure hope so!


5/8/2007
It is bigger to fit the bigger top...


5/6/2007-
I am much happier with the larger size, just have to do some quick modifcations to the backing and I can Sandwich! It is about 61 x 45", just right for a TV snuggle. Need to finish it before the 31st so I can mail it to the Bride in time for her June wedding.


5/5/2007-
Sewed the back for my Leaf Quilt

BUT..... Now I am second guessing myself into thinking I need to make it bigger. I think will add an extra border to the top and bottom so it could be used a lap quilt, besides as a wall hanging.

Regardless, I've already planned my quilting of the leaves and the sashing.

4/22/2006-
I finished the Leaf top. All I need to do is make the back, sandwich it and quilt it (yup, that's it). I had no idea how it would turn out when I started and a pleased with where it ended up. Should I do another? Maybe, I like this technique, but maybe something different than leaves. I should sketch for a bit about it. Something more abstract? Less symetry, I dunno... I like it when the fabric tells me what to do, this one sure did.


4/21/2006-
A detail of the square in my quilt top.


4/19/2007-
I added some squares to the sashing and am now choosing my border. Because of the way that the squared are inserted into the seams I will have to cut the border the same length of my blocks. I think this fabric (which I just love with the blocks) will be okay with seams. I will have to let it marinade a bit more...


Technical note:
the squares were introduced to me on a Simply Quilts episode (QLT-743) featuring Ami Simms

4/15/2007 Evening-
Last bit before bedtime.... these trimmed to 12-1/2" blocks, unfinnished and are currently pinned to my design wall.


4/15/2007 Afternoon-
I plopped the blocks I made up on the wall to arrange...

I think I like this arrangement best, so I will add some purple sashing. (I am still apprehensive of what I've got here, but want to finish it so I can make the next ones) The good thing is that I don't hate it, and already have ideas of what I will do next. It will be just the right size for a challenge my guild is having, so the tea cozy will have to get made out of something else, or from the left overs...

4/15/2007-
Well, the voices and I have been having a conversation again... I've been contemplating making a leaf block for a few weeks and was inspired by Sande's Tea Leaves blocks and the technique I learned last fall at my guild's retreat "Stack a new Deck". Briefly what happens is: Layers of fabric are stacked up, cut, shuffled, sewn back together, trimed to a uniform size, sashed, batted and quilted. My Onion Peal quilt was a result of that class.

So here is my twist, is it good? I don't know yet, I will mess around with these blocks today and see what happens. I am hoping they may become a gift for my cousin's wedding, but as a back up I might just turn what I have into a tea cozy ... or something.