From my earliest memory I could not resist picking up beautiful colored fall leaves. I love the shapes and I am so delighted when the colors begin to change from summer’s cool, 40 shades of green, to the warm palette of reds and oranges and browns. In the past I have decorated Sunday school rooms with dancing bears jumping in piles of fall leaves. And Christmas wreathes of red Bradford pear leaves, and on and on.
I have felt a collage coming on, you know that is how it works, and they creep upon you. I had in the back of my mind a Fall Quilt as well. When I was in Smithville a couple of weeks ago my friend bought for me a present of a table runner of cutwork. It was the inspiration for my latest endeavor. So this week I got out my stash of fabrics in fall colors and some glitz as well my daughter says “Mama’s favorite color is sparkle.”
Armed with the inspiration I went to my local GOODWILL Inc with eyes wide open looking for whatever popped up. I found a three piece polyester (faux silk) dress. The design would work well as the under “painting” Being as frugal as I am I tried on the blouse when I got home, it made me look like a pumpkin. I was not about to wear it. Now the process has begun in earnest. I searched out the base and began to cut up the blouse and sew it to the base. When that was finished that I took out the bright colors that I would for leaves and iron on the wonder underA
For my patterns I used real leaves. I put them on the scanner and made copies. When that was complete I sat right down and cut out the leaves in different colors. I began with the cut work in each corner and a small amount in the center.
then I began to pin the leaves remainder. The under painting looked like the under part of a pile of leaves so I did not need bunches and bunches. When I had attached all the cut leaves on to the quilt,
I auditioned it to see where to go from there. I determined that it needed direction and focal point. I achieved that with the striped lame’, cut with the striped forming a point
So when you look at it, it seems to be going in a circle, or a swirl, as if the wind was blowing the leaves. Now all I have to do is put on the border which will be rich maroon velveteen. And I will probable do some embellishing knowing me.
Be Blessed.
I am going to be sitting for several months with recovery from knee surgery, so I am into making 2010's , because I am going to want something to occupy my mind and hands since I just finished quilting this year’s. Early, I know, but I have been sitting for 2/12 months from a sprained knee. I Quilted 4 quilts already while recovering.
I then went to the fabric store and purchased a navy blue pin dot for background fabric.
I have several colors of pin-dot in my stash. I chose dots because of snow. I thought I could make larger white dots for snow in the night scene. I also chose a multicolor funkie stripe fabric and the pin-dot fabric for the border. I decided to use the organizational principal of repetition in all the blocks and using the border fabric as accents in all the blocks.
