Free falling leaves

Free falling leaves



This challenge travelled with me and kept me calm and busy at a difficult time.

It was started in Manjimup western Australia. I was once again on holidays with my grandchildren. They are three boys and they had chosen to go to an adventure park so I was left with time to myself while they climbed trees, played armies and spies and generally amused themselves.
 
I found several leaves which had just dropped from the trees as we head into winter. The Leaf on the bottom was traced from an actual leaf onto two different colours of felt. I embroidered and beaded over some snippets of crystal organza which was held on by wash away fabric. I put this aside once finished and continue my time with the boys.

After a week we headed home and I sat down on the lounge chair enjoying the peace and quiet only for the phone to ring. My dad had taken sick. To cut a long story short he was in hospital for 3 weeks and I kept him and my mum company over that time. The two leaves at the top right came along the third day and took me on and off 2 weeks to embroider with different stitches. I enjoyed playing with the threads and just getting lost in the joy of creating. The large maple leave is my favourite. I painted an actual leaf then printed it onto a velvet curtain sample. I then filled in the painted area with matching threads.

This was all completed without knowing how I was going to use them. Once Dad was released from hospital and I could get near my sewing room I found the background fabric in my stash. I had bought it many years ago in Canada. I decided to cut, sew and recut then sew again to give the impression of twigs on the ground. The three tiny wooden buttons were a present from my hubby when he was working in Tasmania many moons ago. I had always wanted to use them but there never seemed the right project for them. This one called for some wood, something to represent the trees that give us the beautiful leaves. I hunted through my big button box with glee to find them and placed them on a piece of "tree" print fabric from my stash.

This piece will always be special to me with so many memories and momentoes in it. Thank you for a lovely challenge. I am now on a 3 month caravan tour heading towards Victoria from Western Australia and look forward to the new challenge quilt to come.