My December 2024 Quilt Block Mania design is a tree… Some may wonder why I picked that for a Sparkling theme.
Well, that is because I wanted to add sparkle to the design throughout the month.
And I promised to share my ideas with you. So, please mark this blog as I will keep adding to it as I am inspired.
First, A Confession
One of the rules for the QBM, is that all blocks must be 12″ square…And I stuck to that. The free block is 12″.
However, I did not want to make 12″ blocks. I shrank the design to 6″. To do this, tape your layout together and copy it at 50%. Also, print your template page at 50%. That is what I did!
This made it a little easier for me to play with the notions I had in mind.
Preppy Block
I started with something a little outside the box. I envisioned a lime green tree. I have no idea why, but today that is what spoke to me.
Thankfully, I had a few scraps laying around that were perfect for this. There were two lime pieces, just enough different to make the branches.
Then, I had to pick something fun for the trunk. The fabric I chose was from a coordinating collection of batiks. This fabric was also used for the backing.
All of the pieces for the tree were fused together first. The resulting motif was pealed off my non-stick mat and transferred to this white batik fabric.
I cheated and used a straight stitch around the edges of the pieces to secure it to the background,
The next step was quilting! I kept it very simple – an echo around the tree and some straight lines. I used my foot as a guide for the distance between the lines, If I wanted it to be a little more perfect, I could have drawn the lines with an air erase marker and ruler…. but that would have ruined my improv vibe.
Then, I added the binding. Since this was a small block, I used a 2″ binding,
When I added the binding, I inserted four “triangles” on the back of the block. Each triangle is in a corner and is sewn under the binding. These triangles are perfect for a small dowel or pencil, which will help hand the block. I will be adding a link for the video on this.
The next step was to add a little glam. I found a length of sparkly ribbon to add as “tinsel”. I used a very narrow zigzag stitch with white thread to attach it to the tree.
Next, I added a few blue faceted beads for “ornaments” on the tree. When I add the beads, I use a doubled thread and go through the bead twice. I make sure to bury the stitches in the batting rather than have them go through the backing, It just looks nicer in the end.
Finally, I had to top the tree. I started with clear beads, but they just disappeared on the white background. So, I switched to pink! I used five pink beads and strung them together with a white thread, Then, I wove five silver beads around the outside of the pink beads to make a bit of a star. This was then stitched to the top of the tree. I tried to record the process, but all you could see were my fingers! I will try again so you can see how it is made.
What do you think of this first Tree??
Stay tuned for my next experiment!