Your Little Forest quilt is about to grow with the latest Maple Tree quilt block!
You’re four blocks into the Little Forest Block of the Month Quilt Along featured in Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine, and you’ve already learned:
- Needle turn appliqué on the maple trees featured in the Little Forest block
- Half Rectangle Triangles (or HRT) in the pine tree featured in the Twin Peaks block
- Curves and Foundation Paper Piecing in the cherry blossom tree featured in the Cherry Tree block
- Small and strip piecing featured in the Bonsai quilt block.
And this month it’s all about raw edge appliqué!
You’re going to love how quick and easy this one is to pull together. It’s so quick to piece, you might just be tempted to make a few 😉
*This post contains affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission.
INSPIRATION BEHIND THE MAPLE TREE QUILT BLOCK
Growing up, I never knew how much the trees surrounding our property and the small town would have such an impact on my appreciation for trees.
My mum is an avid gardener and she not only planted flower gardens but veggies too. She created most of the beds, so they bordered all the trees surrounding and dotting our property. It was pretty and there were always fresh blooms in the home during the summertime. Come Fall, I remember my brothers dreading having to rake up all the leaves that would fall from all the maple trees 😉
To say I have a soft spot for maple trees would be an understatement. Even though they’re super common here in Quebec (and why we make so much maple syrup!) they’re a big part of why the Fall leaves changing colours is so impactful.
Their large leafy canopies turn from their fresh green to all the deep and vibrant red, orange, yellow and brown shades. It’s truly spectacular. If you have the chance to visit Quebec at the end of September/ early October, I highly recommend it!
It wasn’t until I moved to the city that I realized just how lucky I had been to grow up in a small town. My love for trees, though, that’s stuck with me no matter where I live!
QUILT TECHNIQUE FEATURED IN THE MAPLE TREE QUILT BLOCK
You’ve been doing the rounds of all the different quilt techniques and I would be remiss if I didn’t introduce you to raw edge appliqué. This is the friendly and easy-going cousin to needle turn appliqué!
The concept is the same in that with both approaches your patchwork sits on top of your pieced block. But unlike with needle turn appliqué where you have to tuck the seam allowance under, with raw edge appliqué, you guessed it, you leave it raw.
There’s a couple of ways you can approach these raw edges.
You can leave them as is and just stitch around the edge with a blanket stitch or straight stitch.
The latter will result in some frayed edges. If this bothers or concerns you, you can use a fusible stabilizer to help reduce this happening. This is the approach I used for my own block and it’s what I’ve outlined in the pattern directions.
If the thought of raw edges doesn’t appeal to you, feel free to add a seam allowance to the pattern so you can use your needle turn appliqué experience you picked up stitching the Little Forest block 😉
TIPS FOR QUILTY SUCCESS
The main thing with raw edge appliqué is sometimes the patchwork will shift on you while stitching it down at the sewing machine.
If you’re using the fusible stabilizer, then shifting probably won’t be a problem, but feel free to pin to keep things secure and in place if you opt to go without the fusible stabilizer.
Just make sure you add the maple tree canopies in the right sequence! Otherwise, this one is pretty straightforward to quilt up.
Oh, and do sneak in some fun with your thread colour choice!
MATERIALS AND FABRICS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THE MAPLE TREE QUILT BLOCK
Here’s an overview of everything I’m using to make my Maple Tree quilt block:
- Maple Tree Pattern – Available exclusively in Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine Issue 115*
- Ruby and Bee Solids in the colours:
- Linen White for the background, although this* Ruby and Bee solid would work perfectly too!
- Sewing machine*
- Sewing machine needles*
- 50wt thread for piecing*
- Square ruler*
- Rotary cutter*
- Cutting mat*
- Tailor’s Shears*
- Iron*
- Pressing table or wool pressing mat*
- Fusible interfacing*
- Pins*
- Pincushion
- Small snips*
- Design wall – tutorial to make your own here
MONTHLY GIVEAWAY
Since you’re diving into raw edge appliqué this month and your stitches will be showing, I thought it would be fun to share an Aurifil Thread Colour Card*! This is my go-to tool when I’m planning my threads for a sewing and quilting project. You can leave it intact or cut it up – the choice is yours!
Participating in the monthly Little Forest BOM giveaway is super easy!
All you need to do is:
- Follow @shannonfraserdesigns @lovequiltingmag
- Post your finished block on Instagram by September 28, 2022, at 11:59 pm EST tagging @shannonfraserdesigns and @lovequiltingmag
- Include the hashtag #LittleForestBOM
- Instagram account must be public
The giveaway is open internationally. The winner will be selected at random on September 29, 2022.
The Maple Tree quilt block pattern is exclusively available in Love Patchwork and Quilting Magazine Issue 115* available on newsstands in the UK and heading internationally in the coming weeks. If you’re like me and based outside of Europe, the quickest way to get your hands on the monthly quilt blocks is to get a digital subscription here*.
Can’t wait to see your blocks pop up on Instagram under the #LittleForestBOM hashtag!
Happy quilting!
xo
Shannon
PS did you notice the cute Bonsai and Little Forest stickers in the shop?!
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