Sunday, November 13, 2011

Leaf Quilt, Turning Over a New Leaf

Laura Heine Pattern - HERE
"Turning Over A New Leaf"
It is fall here is the US.  Do you love fall colors?
We're enjoying some fall color here in Southern California, and I saw snow on the high peaks this weekend.

It made me think of my 2002 quilt, "Turning Over A New Leaf"
This is a queen size - the fun of a block like this is you can as few or as many as you want - play with borders...and the fabric choices are unlimited.

I chose to set mine on point and add two borders.

It is machine all the way - including machine embroidery.  The only hand work was the final sewing down of the binding.

It needed a refolding!

                         KB, this is your quilt someday ;-)



Leaf detail
The fabrics were hand dyed in a class at my local quilt shop.

We did gradations so I was able to get many colors in fat quarters.

When I saw the pattern I thought it would be a great use of the fabrics and every leaf is unique.

Besides variation in color, I used various threads and stitches on my machine to 'enhance' the leaf veins and outer edges.  I rarely use 'all those' stitches, so it was fun to give them a try.

I also dyed the 'sky' background.  That was a backyard project, even the backing is the blue dyed sky.

The binding is various pieces of the leaf fabric for a scrappy look.



Needle Book with three names
I was looking through the sewing goodies for something leaf or fall themed....so these are a stretch...

I love the leaves of this needle book.
One side is soft wool where the pins and needles are.

The other has three hearts cut from an embroidery piece.  Each is labeled with a name:
   Squirly  (Wonder who Squirly was?)
   Betty
   George



Happy Lefton Turtle



The turtle is a Lefton (Number 2042) piece.

She's a thimble holder (hat)
A pin cushion (shell top)

Made of porcelain she still has her original label on the underside.  I'm not sure if the thimble is original.





I gave all the dye supplies away - it was a fun 'phase'.  This week I'm be photographing some more of my antique quilts and will post those again soon.

What was your creative 'phase' 10 years ago?

Happy November - Have a great week!

7 comments:

  1. I love that little needle case! Yes, fall is here, but it still seems a bit like summer with the warm weather.

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  2. Fall is just starting there and coming to an end here. In my neighborhood the leaf blowers were going all weekend.
    This is a lovely quilt. I really like the detail you added to the leaves and the sky blue background.
    I never tried dying fabric. I did start knitting and crocheting and found it was too hard on my hands and wrists. I'd rather save them for quilting! My daughter picked up the knitting needles, too. She hasn't done anything while in college but I'm saving all the yarns and needles for her. Hope it isn't for naught.

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  3. I never thought of you as a fabric dyeing type. Ten years ago I was probably in a class doing the soft romantic reproduction thing.

    I really like the look of the leaf quilt. It was a clever use of your dyed fabric and a great result. You must have deep drawers with all the goodies you keep coming up with.

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  4. How gorgeous is that quilt! I love it, love all the hand dyed fabrics too. You have made so many wonderful quilts! Love your two sewing tools too.

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  5. 2001!
    I had made 2 quilts. A Candlewick quilt,cream with a zillion colonial knots and a quilt I saw in a magazine with 1/2 square triangles that I cut with scissors and I sewed the seams one at a time. I then took myself to a LQS and made a Sampler quilt and used a rotary cutter. Yay! I still have the first 2 quilts but the sampler is long gone. My next was a Thimbleberries. Thank goodness I've now moved on. I think this year has been my most creative.

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  6. Your Fall quilt is lovely. The hand dies and special stitching make it really special. That is something I've never tried to do - hand dyeing. I have my hands full with all the fabric and projects I already have without adding something new to the mix. The same reason why I didn't by an expensive embroidery sewing machine.

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  7. Beautiful leaf quilt. Looks like they are falling from the tree on a crisp fall afternoon. Great dyed fabrics.

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Thanks for your comments!