A New Leaf {Quilt}

 "Everyday is a new opportunity. Another chance to make it.
Better, brighter, happier.
Please never forget.  Promise you'll hold tight.
Because wonderful surprises await you and everything
will turn out right"

On May 1, 2016, a wildfire began southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada. 

On May 3, it swept through the community, destroying approximately 2,400 homes and buildings and forcing the largest wildfire evacuation in Albertan history. 

It is the costliest disaster in Canadian history.

And my good friend Sherry had to evacuate her family.  

But not only evacuate, but leave her husband behind to fight the fires.  He is a firefighter.

To say she was terrified and anxious during that time is an understatement.

I'm always unsure if a quilt is the right gift during these moments. I've done charity quilts before.  But this one was different.  This was a fellow babyloss mom that was in need of a hug.  And if a quilt isn't a hug? I don't know what else is! 

I knew I wanted to do a leaf quilt for her.  Something that was "Canada" but also something that reflected all the photos she was posting.  The area is gorgeous and I knew a modern maple quilt might work the best.  I raided my stash and literally pulled all the colors I saw in her "before the fire" pictures. 

The blues were for the skies, but also a color I've seen in her home decorations.
The pattern I used came together really easily.  But I was a bit stuck on the quilting.

All I could think of was wind and movement and went with it.

I originally wanted to do a blue or black binding to match her home decor, but sometimes you just have to accept that it may not be their color, but a color the quilt needs.  An orange tone on tone leaf print was begging to be used!

I had a paisley blue 108" wide backing that fit the bill from my stash.
And I had to make an embroidered quilt label with a Canadian Leaf!

 Quilt Stats:
Measures: 59" x 70"
Pattern: Modern Maples by Lark Craft
Fabrics:  Complete stash
Quilted: Free motion on HQ Avante longarm

My favorite moment was seeing the quilt on her couch.  

The couch is in her home.  

They were one of the "lucky" families that finally were able to return to the area.

  I hope they find their way to recovery and the area returns, especially the leaves in all their glory, just as beautifully as it was before the fire.

Tree Quilt {School Auction Quilt}

"Like branches of a tree our lives might grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one"

This quilt started out super easy but ended up being the most time consuming "little" quilt I quite possibly have ever made. 

I was approached by the auction chair from Button's school to see if I could take all the fabric that the kids tissued dyed and make a tree quilt.  The fourth graders dyed theirs very multicolored and the kindergartners and preschoolers did greens, blues and yellows. 

She envisioned a tree with birds and leaves with their names on them. I told her it would be "easy" to design bird and leaf appliqués in my embroidery software. I may now regret that word choice. 

I, first, pulled out my trusty ole freezer paper and started sketching a tree. I ironed it on back of some textured brown fabric that I had in my stash. I then, awkwardly, cut it out and appliquéd it on some Kona white background. 

And then. It hit me. What I thought were only a handful of green fabrics were more going to be more leaves than my spindly tree could handle. There were 20-ish pre-k 3 and 4 year olds, but 30 kindergartners!!!!!

Thankfully, I quickly came up with the idea that I could use the Kindergarten green blocks as border and started piecing them. 

Then I laid out my paper samples of birds and leaves laid out for size and placement.

 I embroidered. And embroidered. And hooped. And unhooped. And embroidered. And snipped stabilizer. Hooped. And embroidered. Not to mention a few thread color changes. 

What I thought would be a few hours slowly and excruciatingly became....

36 hours. 

Thirty-six. 

HOURS. 

  After that?  Quilting was easy peasy. I used a flannel plaid green from my stash for backing since it was a wall hanging.  

Quilting in negative space white what is now one of my favorite fillers. I happened to have some old green dyed muslin in my stash for binding.  The fabric was from my JJ's pre-K4 class auction quilt I made in 2006. 

How's that for a full circle?

Leaf quilting in the border seemed appropriate and is one of the first free motion quilting patterns I perfected on my domestic machine. 

I had to do some fun wood grain quilting on the tree trunk and branches. 

And of course, I'm a firm believer in labels. I made a label that I printed.

 I love putting clip art that reflects the top and a good quote or poem. 

Quilt Stats:

Measures: 36"x 48"

Pattern: none

Fabric:  Brown, kona white, tissue dyed by kids

Thread: Omnithread Bright White, So Fine Variegated Green by Superior Threads

Quilted: Freemotion on HQ Avante

**important note: this quilt cannot be washed!  The dye WILL disappear!***

 Despite the incredible amount of time it took, it was worth all the work. Stewardship isn't just about money, but time and talents. And I'm always eager to share all three with my boys' Catholic schools.