Started a Leaf and Star Quilt

In my last blog post on the experimental doll, I said that if I did not complete the doll's costume by today that I would be blogging on my latest quilt.  Well, my first attempt at making the doll's dress was a total fubar, so I had to start over.  I think I am back on track now, but it will take a few days to get the dress completed.  So today I am showing off the latest quilt, or more specifically, where I am on making the quilt.

This is one row of my leaf and star quilt.  I have completed all the star and leaf block.  Each block is twelve and a half inches square (31.75 cm).  The leaf blocks are needle turned applique.  All of my piecing is done by hand.  I rarely make a machine made quilt.  I generally made quilts in the evening while sitting and watching television or when I meet with my friends at a sit-and-sew.  We all bring some sort of hand work and spend a few hours together each week.

The quilt will consist of five rows of the stars and leaves.  The next row above and below this block will have the stars and leaves in reverse positions.  There will be an inner border and an outer border as well.  All in all the quilt will be 72 inches  x 72 inches.  (182.88 cm. x 182.88 cm.)  This will be a fairly large quilt. 

I am considering, but have not yet committed to making some smaller foundation pieced leaves from scraps to applique in, along, and crossing the two borders.  I guess it depends on how the leaves look once they have been made.  I saw this quilt pattern in a magazine some years ago and it is so striking that I have wanted to make this pattern for some time.  However, I really hate making a quilt that looks like something that has already been done, so I had to make some changes.  I think adding the foundation pieced leaves to it will give some depth to the quilt while continuing the color scheme of the quilt.

Once I have everything together I will begin hand quilting the piece.  The veins for the leaves will be quilted to help attach them to the quilt.  I plan to quilt around the leaf and also have some decorative quilting in the areas of negative space.  As yet, I have not given much thought to how I will quilt the stars.  I will probably use a neutral color for the quilting so that the back of the quilt will show as one consistent color.  I expect that this will take a while, but I hope to have the quilting complete before Spring.