12 Trees in Oakshotts: A Finish

  Name:  12 Trees In Oakshots

Design:  12 Trees by Helen Howes

Size:  36" by 64"

Fabric: Oakshotts, colour shot bundle

Quilted: by me with Aurifil  40 and 50 wt in many colours

I finished 12 Trees on the weekend.  On Monday after school, I rushed outside in between rain and before darkness hit.  I just made it.  The light was fading but the colours of the Oakshotts are so vibrant that the lower light levels didn't seem to matter.  So... what can I tell you?  I used so many colours of Aurifil in the quilting.  A mix of 40 and 50 wt.  I tried to match the thread colour to the background of each tree which meant switching threads a lot and I also had to bury a lot of ends.  I kept the bobbin thread an Aurifil light grey 50 wt and also used the light grey to stitch in the ditch around each block and around the sashing to give each tree some dimension.  The quilting is random free motion squiggles which in my mind are supposed to evoke wind.  Just saying.  I also had to stop and start in all those little bits between the branches.  That was a pain but I am so happy with it.

I chose this layout of long and narrow because I made 12 Trees to hang in the stairwell, on the way downstairs to my sewing room.  Before I finished the quilt it was just a big white wall.  The quilt is now visible from the kitchen and adds a wonderful bit of eye candy on the way downstairs.  What can I say about Oakshots.  Oh my goodness, what fabulous glowing fabric.  It was a dream to work with it.

The binding is scrappy leftover strips.  A finish.  Quite satisfying.  Linking up with Amanda Jean for Finish it Up Friday.