Leaves--post 1

The fabrics and pattern

A couple months ago, I started washing and prepping fabric that I had purchased about a decade ago. The purpose of the purchase was to make a bed quilt for my daughter, N.

It is a Valori Wells fabric design that I loved because of the large scale; but, I had no idea of what sort of pattern to use. I purchased some additional fabrics because the colors or textures went with the print. In all, I purchased 22 yards. Looking back, I was crazy to purchase so many yards of fabrics with no idea of how to stitch them together! The fabrics are bright, bold, fun and beautiful which are all adjectives I would use describe my daughter!

Testing the block sizes

Over the years, I looked at Pinterest, quilt shows and websites for ideas. Yet, nothing excited me. Meanwhile, daughter N let me now how cold she was. You may remember her "thoughts" in comments to a variety of posts I had written!

A couple years ago when I visited her in London, I brought her a wall hanging. She appreciated the "art;" but explained the piece wasn't large enough to even serve as a shoulder warmer!  Earlier this year, she moved into a flat that she purchased. She let me know that she had several beds and a couch that needed a quilt. She took a twin size quilt back with her after a visit last spring.

I had seen a quilt a friend had made hanging in the local guild show that used a large scale print. She shared that it was a BQ pattern that she had enlarged. I asked her more about her process and she freely shared answers to all of my questions.

Top left block isn't correct

A few months later, she gifted me the pattern! Fast forward another year, I decided that I would get started on the project. I started with prewashing all of the fabrics. It takes a while to prewash and test all that yardage!!!

Correct orientation for these blocks

Once I had finished prewashing, I pieced a couple blocks to try out the pattern. I decided the small block was just right;
but, the print fabric in the large block scale was too large. I scaled down the size and restitched the block. I liked it. I made more.

Of course, I made errors at every step of the process! For a simple set of blocks, it sure took me a long time! I decided that I wanted the red flowers in the print to orient in the same direction. I ripped a few panels because the red flowers were in the wrong direction.

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When I started, I liked the profile orientation of the blocks. When I had stitched several panels, I viewed them on the bed. The day that I chose to do the viewing, the wind was blowing hard enough that the leaves were blowing across the lawn. I happened to lay the blocks on the bed in the landscape orientation.

I liked it better! I made a few extra panels thinking it might be nice if the quilt was large enough that it could be tucked under the mattress. I ran out of the dark brown. I pieced
the leftovers together much like our quilting ancestors would have. I was excited to have the

top finished. I put it on the bed. It was way too BIG! So, I ripped off two of the panels. Those panels will find a home on the quilt back! The top measurers about 108 inches long by 100 inches wide. This size will fit well on N's bed which is more like a queen size.

So far, I have about 30 hours of work in this quilt! The next step is to construct the back for the quilt.