LeChallenge 22 - Wood

Can't See the Wood For The Trees was the title of the run up post to this post for LeChallenge 22  this is now extended to be Can't See The Wood For The Trees, Can't See The Trees For The Leaves.

Falling Maple Leaves

This my longest running project, off and on some 20 years more or less, and more recently off and on over the last year in particular. Without rehashing the whole thing again, I bought the fabric on first American holiday, our children were young, so finances were tight, and it seemed as if it cost me an arm a leg. A drop in the ocean, really, compared to what I have spent on craft crap, sorry stuff, since, but at the time it seemed an arm and a leg. And it kept coming back to haunt me over the years. Again and again. I had gone off the fabric, I had since learnt the importance of seam allowance, trimming, ironing and all the things I winged at that stage.

Each and every time I get a fabric delivery, or go to a fabric shop, there it is, that little angel, or is it the devil, on my shoulder whispering, what about the maple leaf quilt. I am sure my husband has paid these little folk especially. And I did feel guilty, in all good faith he allotted a fair whack of our holiday spending money to buy me the fabric and also metres and metres for the back. Oh yes, I have several metres of brown for the backing.

And so when Lucy and Nat announced Le Challenge would be wood, well, I had no option but to finish this quilt top, Luckily the lovely Lucy and nice Nat allow us to submit a completed quilt top, basting and quilting to follow. (in another 20 years?)

Each of my squares averages out at around about 7" or so each, approximately. I have 11 rows by 13 rows, so that's a quilt top by my reckoning. I have just run out of the shadow cream fabric, from all those years ago, and used up my supply of kona cream as well. So enough's enough. Now my big decision is whether to back in brown and use up what I have, or to use ikea numbers to try to bring it up to date a little. I am tending at the minute to using the brown. It actually blends in quite well and I do quite like it. But ........... I do have a rather strong leaf print set for the binding. (oh yes, I bought the lot on that holiday) and I feel the print and the brown may be a bit too autumnal. But ........... if I use ikea numbers then I can use binding. I think I'll probably use the brown backing and get a stripe for binding, but ........ then what to do with the strong leaf binding fabric? Any thoughts anyone????
As decisive as ever!

Can't See The Wood For The Trees,
Can't See The Trees For The Leaves

In the end I have decided I really quite like this. It may be a little old fashioned and not pass the quilt police, but you know what, it is part of our family story now and has crept under my skin almost without me noticing. And, think how many brownie points I will have scored to get this far with it! Thank you Lucy and Nat.

Helen
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