Trying New Techniques

Fall has always been a favorite season of mine.  Two years ago I decided to combine my love of fall color with learning something new.  For years I had said, "I'm not making any more full size quilts.  I want to do smaller projects so I can learn new techniques."  So I came up with the idea of making a pair of wall hangings to go on either side of a chest of drawers I had.  The new techniques I was to explore were trying my had at a landscape, needle turn applique, and free motion quilting (something besides stippling). 

I found some large butcher paper and drew my landscape.  Then the fun part came of locating just the right fabrics.  Living in a rural community at the time, brought some challenges in finding the appropriate fabrics there so I turned to on-line stores.  I felt so lucky to have found the bark like fabric for the trees and a grass like fabric for the foreground.

Two years ago, I began the process of appliqueing the tree and the foreground for both wall hangings. Next I began making the leaves for one of the trees using fusible interfacing and a small Clover iron to turn under the edges.  Then life happened and the project was packed away for two different moves.  Late last summer I finally found the project and finished one of the pair in time to hang it for this autumn season.

The second piece was put on hold until after the holiday sewing was completed.  So this week I've pinned the leaves in place for it and hope to begin appliqueing the leaves in place.  Maybe I'll  have the pair by next fall.

This has been an interesting project due to trying so many techniques that were new for me.  And with any project I always see things that I had wished I had done differently.  But that just means I'll have to dream up a new project.  Oh, what fun!