Autumn at Last, at last.

As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I find the colours of Autumn leaves inspiring. When I first moved to Maleny seven years ago, after a fairly long spell in the tropics, I made a quilt called Autumn at Last (you can see this in the Quilt Gallery on my website). It was inspired originally by my ex-husband's home country, Canada. After splitting up with him and moving here at the end of Autumn, I ended up making the quilt for myself. I exhibited it and it became my first magazine project commission. It was made from traditional Maple Leaf blocks and quilted intensely in the Indian Kantha style with multi coloured variegated Perle #8 cotton.

Recently I was commissioned to make a similar one in earthier tones. These are some photos of the progress. As I was sewing, I started on the dark green fabric of the block on the left.

I was suddenly transported to the beginning of my quilt making journey! The fabric was one I bought when I first started quilting at City fabrics in Darwin. Just the flimsier feel, small geometric pattern and even the smell of it as I cut it, took me instantly back there. It's only 12 years, but the fabrics have really come a long way in colour, texture and variety. The chartreuse one next to it also came from the late 1990's.

The blocks as they were made, put up on the design wall.

Auditioning the borders - I decided on the mottled cream , same as the block background fabric. Felt that the dark red was too heavy.

The quilt top is finished now and ready for quilting. It took me 65 hours of sewing to finish the piecing... all those little six inch blocks and two inch triangles!
Look forward to seeing the finished quilt with its predecessor in a future post,

Ann.