Well since I'm digging out my fall quilts, I might as well start my diary with them!
This is a very small Maple Leaf Quilt.....only 44 1/2" square. It is one of the earliest "real" quilts that I made and I actually made my first attempt at hand quilting on it. I had no idea what I was doing and I would guess that I only have about 4 stitches per inch....terrible! All I did was quilt around each leaf by hand and then used the machine to go around the outer borders.
It was also one of my first attempts at making half-square triangles. I saw these fall fabrics at Ben Franklin and fell in love with them and rushed home to try making a maple leaf which I had probably just seen on Simple Quilts :-)
I had cut so many half square triangles that I could have easily made it bigger but lost my enthusiasm for making the same pattern over and over. So the left-overs became the border, which was really a happy choice and I think it is what sort of makes the quilt look good. I didn't even have enough sense back then to really plan the border.....I just alternated the left-over half squares with left-over squares.
You can see how small it is with me holding it up! Would have been a good baby quilt, but I was too proud of my finished project to give it away!
I didn't go back and make a label for it until much later, when I found a few extra half square blocks. We are constantly told to label our quilts, but when I make one for a gift, I feel funny about doing that and seldom do. I don't think my quilts are so wonderful that they will last to be treasured items 100 years from now :-) I do enjoy making labels and sometimes that is more fun then making the quilt. The back of this quilt is a nice soft green leafy flannel. I almost always use flannel to back lap quilts for the warmth when snuggling under them.
It was also one of my first attempts at making half-square triangles. I saw these fall fabrics at Ben Franklin and fell in love with them and rushed home to try making a maple leaf which I had probably just seen on Simple Quilts :-)
I had cut so many half square triangles that I could have easily made it bigger but lost my enthusiasm for making the same pattern over and over. So the left-overs became the border, which was really a happy choice and I think it is what sort of makes the quilt look good. I didn't even have enough sense back then to really plan the border.....I just alternated the left-over half squares with left-over squares.
You can see how small it is with me holding it up! Would have been a good baby quilt, but I was too proud of my finished project to give it away!
I didn't go back and make a label for it until much later, when I found a few extra half square blocks. We are constantly told to label our quilts, but when I make one for a gift, I feel funny about doing that and seldom do. I don't think my quilts are so wonderful that they will last to be treasured items 100 years from now :-) I do enjoy making labels and sometimes that is more fun then making the quilt. The back of this quilt is a nice soft green leafy flannel. I almost always use flannel to back lap quilts for the warmth when snuggling under them.I think that I would like to make a new maple leaf quilt or at least a quilt with maple leaves in it. I have changed my taste in fabrics somewhat and would probably choose different ones now.
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6 comments:
Yeah...glad you started this. The quilts are great!
I like the pattern name for this quilt. It reminds me of a maple leaf pattern my grandmother used to use for her quilts but it was a large size actual shaped maple leaf. She must have sewn the shapes on the quilt squares I guess. I like your fabric choices and I like your mention of flannel as I love the warmth and cosyness of flannel. I think I'm going to learn a lot as I read this blog of yours.
Sandy: Thanks for the encouragement!
Ann: She probably did applique the maple leaves on blocks. Piecing them is easier for me! Piecing always has a "boxy" look, but for something like the maple look, it doesn't seem to matter much. I saw a lovely little quilt in one of the exhibits at the Nashville show that had a colorful maple leaf. It was an exhibit that used currancy for the inspiration of each small quilt and this one was based on a Canadian piece of money. Hopefully I will get those photos into albums and linked soon! Too many things I want to do all of the sudden! Flannel is great for small lap quilts and they now sell really beautiful pieces of flannel in the fabric stores that is nice and sturdy. I backed all my early quilts with flannel bed sheets and they are OK, but it is a thinner quality....however you get a nice large piece to work with and don't have to seam it on the back!
I'm loving your new blog. I think it's funny that you like to make labels. That is always the worst part for me. When I finally get done I don't want to keep puttering with it. Lately I've started to make the label first and set it aside so all I have to do is stitch it on. Still don't like it though.
BTW, I love the first quilt and the title is very good.
Jane Marie: I often get more creative on the back of my quilts than the front....as I will show with two wall hangings that I did :-)
I just found this blog through a comment made on your other blog that I visit...shows how observant i am! anyway, this is a good first quilt!
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