Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Riffing on the Tree blocks and Holiday give away!!

THE Holiday Give Away is featured at the bottom of the post!
riff |rif|= noun

(in popular music and jazz) a short repeated phrase, frequently played over changing chords or harmonies or used as a background to a solo improvisation: a brilliant guitar riff.• a monologue or spoken improvisation, esp. a humorous one, on a particular subject: subsequent riffs onthe same themes were hysterical!The inspiration for this post came from these two posts over at Cath Hall's blogspot, Wombat Quilts.  Check out the pix of the tree quilts she posted:http://wombatquilts.com/2015/07/31/just-one-tree-in-the-forest/http://wombatquilts.com/2014/06/19/a-wonky-tree-forest-and-tutuorial/My small quilt group decided to make a quilt for our Guild Auction using the pix on Wombat Quilts as inspiration.  Each of us were going to make 7 blocks and then we'll combine them to make a lap quilt.  I started making tree blocks and it turned out to be sooo much fun I just kept on going!I started by getting out my GREEN scrap basket and one thing just lead to another... Most of the construction is pretty self explainitory but here are two techniques you might find helpful! Here's an easy way to frame a cone shaped tree. Measure the base and height of the cone.Cut a rectangle that is at least 1 inch wider and taller. Position your tree on the rectangle as you like. Cut one side. Pull the tree about 3/8 th inch off the left side of the back groundand cut along the left edge. 

sew left side and then right side. add a trunk and square it up! 
Curvey trees
The trick about curve piecing is to place all your patches face up.then  cut nice gentle curves free hand.                                 more curvesIn this block the trees were so narrow I drew in the trunks.  I will go back and use an embroidery                                                 stitch to cover up the ink. Or not, lol!                                        I had a bunch of HSTs left over from some project so I used those to make some more conventional blocks.      
                                
Some patches seem just perfect the way they are just put a trunk on them and frame them and you are good to go!

A tree without a trunk?  Why not!?

And here they are all together...(the flying geese aren't sewn just placed on the flannel.) The spaceing and sashing needs work but it's a start!  

And it was so much fun!!!!

And Now For The Give Away! 
The first prize is 8 Fat Quarters of Batiks in Holiday colors!

The second prize is 1.5 yards of this really cute Holiday fabric!
All you need to do to is leave a comment on your favorite tree block and if you sign up to follow my blog by any one of the modes; listed in my side bar I will enter your name a second time!
I'll pick 2 random winner's next Tues.
Have a wonderful week!
Cheers, Claire W.







23 comments:

  1. I love all your trees, but I'd like to try the cone shaped one.

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  2. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I follow you through Bloglovin'. Thanks for this giveaway. I'd love to win one of the fantastic Christmas presents.

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  3. Hi I like your "more curves" tree block the best. It's got a little wiggle in it!! You always try things I'd like to try and that gives me courage to try...or at least a smile!! Thanks, Pam

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    1. Hi Pam, Thanks for your comment! Absolutely, try things! If you use scraps there's very little risk except a bit of your time and I genereally have fun regardless of the finish! You show up as a no reply blogger. If you could send me your email then I will have a way to contact you if you are a winner! Good luck! and thanks for stopping by! cheers, cw

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  4. Ooops...I have followed your blog for a very long time.

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  5. My favorite of your quilt tree blocks is the little row of rectangles with the drawn truncks -- so simple, but so cute! sarah@forrussia.org

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  6. I follow you with bloglovin. sarah@forrussia.org

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  7. What fun trees, Claire! Thanks for showing us the variety and how you make some of them. I love the geese around the edge and, of course, the Christmas tree shapes. (The others are great, too, but since it's Christmas time....)
    -Nancy. (ndmessier@aol.com, because my comments usually don't arrive in email boxes)

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  8. I just love your trees! What fun it will be to put them all together.
    And, since I'm shameless, please enter me in your giveaways...

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  9. Just when I was thinking I need to start collecting some fabrics for a Christmas quilt. That batik bundle would be an excellent start!

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  10. I love how you set them together with the flying geese.
    But what I want to know is where is the japanese maple tree, that's red/orange right now??? Who says trees have to be green?? You have so many beautiful trees in your yard that are not just green!! Branch out... HEE HEE

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  11. Love your trees and geese!!! Thanks for the tutorial for making the trees...how about one for the geese??!! Heading up to become a follower so I don't miss out on any more of your great ideas!!

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    1. I've been thinking about those Geese! I think they should be kind of wonky! When I figure it out I'll let you know! cheers!

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  12. Love the conical and curvy trees...very different. This quilt will be amazing. Love the batiks too.

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  13. I love the mixture of trees and the addition of flying geese. My favorite is the triangular one that has curved sides.
    I just started following through Bloglovin.

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  14. I like the three curvy trees together and the snowball tree the best. These look like fun! I have you on by blog list on my sidebar.

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  15. Amazing. So glad I found this post, and you! My favourite tree is the triangle one-piece one that has a little wave to the top, haha, this just came to me: a little "jazz" to it! :-) I REALLY like the first triangle tree method for making the side triangles, will definitely be saving your post in bloglovin' and following you through bloglovin as soon as I'm done typing. I really like the shape of the entire quilt, Claire and thanks for sharing your method and ideas as well as for the awesome giveaway!!

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  16. Those are cute trees! Thank you for linking up to #scraptastictuesday!

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  17. I like your curvy cone tree.
    I have been following with GFC.

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  18. I like the curves, but I think the perfect hedging of the four identical trees is my favorite, because I don't think I would have seen them without you making them.

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  19. They're all cute but I love the little rectangles with the trunks best... with the trunkless a close second. I'm following you via email.

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