Monday, September 24, 2007

Falling Leaves Quilt

Leaves Quilt

I haven't gotten this wall hanging quilt out of storage yet, but this is a photo I took last fall before I had this blog. I made this quilt a few years ago. I hang it up in the fall until Thanksgiving. I never actually got around to quilting it because I hate that part. One day I will finish it, but for now I don't care because I hang it up. I get a puzzled reaction from some people when I tell them I hang up unfinished quilts, but I think this has lots of oomph even without a backing and stitched up edges.

The pattern was in Quiltmaker Magazine. I did really love making this one. The colors were luscious to work with. I had a link to a place to purchase the pattern, but for now that link isn't working. I used batiks and tone-on-tone fabrics.

I used freezer paper and a blind hem stitch with invisible thread to do the applique leaves. The pattern is really not very difficult. I tested a couple of methods for the applique, but freezer paper was the most successful. You can sew the leaves on with the freezer paper still ironed on to the back of the leaves. Then when you slice each block in half diagonally, you pull out the paper, before sewing it to it's complimentary half.

I remember that when I made it, I had to fill out my fabric stash. I took a long time at the Hobby Lobby fabric counter getting 1/4 yard cuts of the ones that I liked. A weary woman behind me finally asked, "what could you possibly make with such small cuts of fabric?" A quilt!

Pumpkin Wallhanging

This is a Pumpkin Wallhanging quilt I did about 13 years ago with a quilting group I was in. This was the first time I ever used fuseable web. What a revelation! You just trace your shapes onto the web. Iron it to the back of your fabric then cut out your shapes and you have your own iron-ons! I used hand blanket stitch around the raw edges. I now have a machine that does a nice blanket stitch so that's what I would use today.

I think it's time to start Halloween Crafting! I'm thinking about Halloween felt mascots too.

3 comments:

Carina said...

Oh, that leaves quilt is absolutely beautiful! Gorgeous colours. :-)

Would you mind emailing me? I have a wee proposition for you... My email address is in the sidebar at my blog...

Thanks! :-)

Rebel said...

I love the pumpkin wall hanging! Such cute expressions. I'm resisting applique, I just don't feel like doing any hand stitching. But I really like how it looks.

IamSusie said...

rebel- The beauty of this is that you do it all by machine! I only like to handstitch wee little things...