Australia Tree Block Tutorial

Australia tree block, 13" X 13"

Australia has been suffering through months of devastating bush fires. Fire-fighters (called firies) have lost their lives, residents have lost homes and livelihoods, and wildlife have died and lost their habitat. It will take decades to recover.

I have a special place in my heart for all things Australia because between 2008 and 2010. I visited four times and spent a cumulative total of four months there. Our daughter lived in Sydney (Five Dock) for several years, and gave birth there to our first grandson. During one visit, I taught beginner quiltmaking at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Darling Point, and on another trip traveled around the country. The countryside is beyond beautiful! Whenever I'm in a situation where I want to take my mind away, I make a mental return visit to the Twelve Apostles along the south coast. There's just no place like it.

Anyway... When I learned that the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild is collecting blocks to make into quilts for families who suffered through fires, I wanted to help. Again.

When I lived in Iowa, a group of us made two quilts for families who experienced bush fires in the Ballarat area. In 2009 I delivered those quilts to Ballarat, and saw the destruction first-hand. I also wrote a "Bush Fire Quilt Relief" article for the October 20009 issue of Quilter's Newsletter magazine (a now defunct publication).

Tree Quilt Blocks

Tree blocks have been requested. Quilters are free to interpret a tree as they wish, including colors, but the block background must be white or gray. An unfinished block must be a generous 12-1/2" X 12-1/2" to allow for trimming.

These are some of the blocks I've seen on Instagram. Appliquéd leaves is by @lorena_in_syd

Foundation paper pieced block is by @centerstreetquilts. This is a purchase pattern.

The patchwork tree block is by @sewbrainy

This one, by @bonjour_quilts, is the same as the patchwork block, but made with only four fabrics for the leaves.

Check out #bushfireblocks if you'd like to see more.

For my own design I decided to use an outline of the country as the "leafy" part of a tree.

Australia Tree Block Tutorial

First, an outline of Australia is needed, and a mirror image of it for appliqué.

Download both images here.

Australia not mirror imaged (for later reference for placement on the background) and a mirror image of Australia and tree trunk.

Trace mirror images of Australia, Tasmania and the tree trunk onto Steam-a-Seam 2.

Cut out each shape, leaving a small margin around the drawn outline.

Using scraps, create a piece of fabric approximately 8" X 9".

Remove the paper from Steam-a-Seam2 and place the sticky side to the wrong side of the created fabric. 

Use fine scissors to cut along each drawn outline. Don't forget Tasmania! Repeat with the tree trunk.

Prepare the Background

Either cut a single piece of fabric 13" X 13", or piece a background.

For this nine-patch block, cut each patch 4-3/4" X 4-3/4". The unfinished background square is 13-1/4" X 13-1/4".

With monofilament thread in the sewing machine top, and cotton in the bobbin (I used Mettler monofilament and 50-weight Aurifil), adjust your sewing machine settings for a short, narrow zig-zag stitch. This is the setting on my Bernina 770QE. Choose stitch #2 and set at a 9.0 stitch length and 2.1 stitch width.

Use an appliqué foot (Bernina #20C) to stitch around Australia, the tree trunk, and Tasmania.

Press well. Do not trim!

Several more blocks are in my future. They'll be delivered to QuiltCon in Austin, where they are being collected to send to Australia. Linda

Really Random Thursday

I managed a few more hours of sewing this week since being released from my "no sewing machine" restriction. I made these two 15-1/2" (unfinished) blocks for Mary in Ohio who blogs at MollyFlanders. Mary's our December "queen" of the Mid Century Modern Bee. She requested reproduction 30's-type prints contrasted with bone-colored and text prints. Hope she likes the blocks she'll be getting from me.

And my dear friend Carla continues to work on her delicious-looking, orange and hot pink Juicy Fruit quilt, one that began when she was the January queen of our Mid-Century Modern Bee. She's randomly including several Churn Dash blocks in another size, so I offered to help grow her quilt with this 12-1/2" (unfinished) block. Her quilt is going to be fabulous - something she routinely manages to achieve. Fabulous quilts, I mean.

In the hopes of being able to take better photographs of my own quilts, I recently bought a quilt display stand. It came from Pals Products in Hutchinson, Kansas. I spoke to owner, Gary, by phone, before deciding which components I wanted. 

Everything arrived in less than a week from the day I ordered it. I set it up and decided to take a picture of Bloom, a quilt that I've been unable to photograph previously because it's so big - 78" X 78".

You can see that the vertical poles are on a sturdy tri-pod base. Each of those three "toes" can be adjusted for optimum support.

Left: On top of each pole is a four-way connector. In essence that means that if you wanted to set up another quilt beside this one, you'd just need another vertical pole and top rail.

Right: Each of the vertical poles is height-adjustable. Just push on that thumb lever to raise or lower the pole to the next notch.

You can choose a rail that's meant for a quilt sleeve, or one that lets you hang a quilt with clips. I chose the clips. Since I didn't buy the Pals Products design wall fabric (I can easily do that at a later date), I'm thinking to try hanging a piece of flannel from the clips to see if that works. I know it won't have a firm back, but for teaching, it might be good enough.

You're probably thinking this sounds like a sales pitch, but it isn't. Gary probably doesn't even know I'm telling you about this. I just think it's a well-designed product, and hope it proves to be a good investment. You want to ask, so I'll tell you. It was $184, and that price includes a carry bag, and the cost for sending it via UPS.

Have you seen this? The 2014 Pantone color of the year? It's Radiant Orchid.

After seeing it, and thinking it looked familiar, I went back to a November 5, 2009 blog post where I put up this photo of a fabric I purchased when visiting Sydney, Australia. It's suspiciously similar to Radiant Orchid, isn't it?  

I specifically remember buying the fabric after seeing this tree, in Five Docks (a suburb of Sydney). This jacaranda tree inspired my fabric purchase. I've never seen a jacaranda since enjoying it in Australia. That country has such a wonderful variety of vegetation. 

Anyway, I was at first ambivalent about Radiant Orchid being the 2014 Pantone color - I was so sure the color would be some variation of navy blue - but it's growing on me. Anyone know which fabric company produces the Radiant Orchid color in a solid? 

No pictures to share about freelance writing, but I've been doing quite a bit of it for American Quilter magazine. At least three articles will be in print during 2014, and I have a couple more in the works. (Hint: Anyone know who Carolyn Friedlander is?!) It's interesting and fun to write about the latest up-and-coming people and activities happening in the quilting world.

It's just too bad that I can't be three people at once:

one who writes about quilting
one who teaches quilting
and, one who makes quilts.

Have you figured out what's my favorite thing to do? Here's a peep at the MQG Riley Blake challenge quilt that the "one who makes quilts" is working on. Free motion quilting is up next.

But FMQing won't happen until I get past another cath procedure recovery. Friday morning a stent is being put in one leg - not sure which! The doc said, "Right." His nurse said, "Left." I hope they get it figured out. Linda

My Quilt in the Blogger's Quilt Festival

The bi-annual Bloggers' Quilt Festival for Fall, 2011, runs from  October 28 and through November 4. The event is a reason to share and talk about a favorite quilt, even if it's one that's been seen chatted up in a previous blog post.

I'm taking this opportunity to talk again about "Snowflake Medallion" a quilt I finished in June of this year. It's very special to me, for several reasons.

Photo by Craig Anderson Photography

"Snowflake Medallion" is a pattern I purchased while in Australia, visiting our daughter who at the time lived in Sydney. I adore Sydney, and actually know it better than I know our capital city! If I ever win the lottery, this is where you'll find me... permanently.

In May of 2009, Dan and I flew from Sydney to Melbourne. We rented a car, and I'm the one who drove us around Victoria for seven days since left-side-of-the-road driving was more than he could handle. We stopped at several quilt shops, but mostly ogled the beauty of Australia's southern coast. It's simply astounding. Whenever I close my eyes to recollect a favorite view, I envision the beautiful day when we were blessed to see the "Twelve Apostles." Much like the overwhelming majesty of the US Grand Canyon, Australia's coastline is the most ruggedly beautiful scenery I've seen. (Doubtful Sound on the south island of New Zealand is another.)

We spent a night in Ballarat, Victoria. That's when I visited Ballarat Patchwork and met the young proprietor, Emma. Her shop is filled with modern fabrics and bright, fresh quilt designs that, at the time, were quite new to me. One of her quilts captured my attention: "Snowflake Medallion." It's the pattern I returned home with, determined to make.

Emma's "Snowflake Medallion"

Fabrics for my Snowflake were purchased here in Des Moines, but in my mind it's still a 100 percent Aussie quilt. Another reason that Snowflake is a favorite quilt is that I hand-appliqued mine while my Sydney friend, Di, was doing the same with her own Snowflake Medallion quilt. She's also the clever person who came up with an ingenious method for hand-appliqueing teeny, precise 1 mm circles, using sequins as "templates"!

After completing the 78" X 78" quilt top, I pin-basted it, and let it languish for a year before I finally put my mind to quilting it. Quilting isn't my favorite thing to do. That's not because I can't do it, but because I always struggle with what to quilt. Designing quilt patterns isn't my forte. Still, I put my best efforts into Snowflake, at one point using a pizza pan as a template for the large, scalloped feather circle feature in the center of the quilt. Many hours were spent, sit-down free motion machine quilting to make this quilt as special as I could.

quilted using very pale green Sulky thread

from the back

I entered Snowflake in our 2011 Iowa State Fair and was extremely gratified to win a blue ribbon, my first ever Iowa State Fair first place ribbon in at least 15 years of entering quilts in the fair! Stiff competition there.

Then, in October I was again honored to learn that Snowflake was accepted into the juried Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara, California. Snowflake didn't earn a ribbon, but I still consider it a supreme honor to have had it displayed alongside quilts created by extremely talented, celebrity quilters.

More importantly for me though was receiving, for the first time in my 30 years of quiltmaking, an honest and thorough judge's appraisal of my work. To be perfectly honest, I have room for quilting improvement. Still, my journey with this quilt - from Australia to Iowa to California and back to Iowa - has been one I wouldn't trade for any amount of kudos or prize money.

Go to this Flickr site to see all the bloggers' quilts in this fall festival. Inspiration awaits! Linda

Australian Homespun - See page 7!

An unexpected, but very happy surprise came in the mail. It's the latest issue of Australian Homespun magazine sent directly from the publisher. I received it because they printed a bit about me in their "Reader's Showcase."

 See page seven!

I'm so tickled to have my slippers - AKA "Sassy Slip-ons" -  included, let alone find myself mentioned in the company of two very good friends who are both as talented as can be, Di Jobbins and Jenny Reynolds! Wow!

Back in June, I blogged about these slippers. Since then, besides making occasional appearances on my feet, these slippers were also shown at the 2010 Iowa State Fair (alas, no ribbon was won). Now Australian Homespun. My goodness.

Who woulda thunk it!?

Aussie Fabric

Now that I've been home for a week, and have had a chance - but haven't yet! - returned to Iowa time, I thought I'd show you some of the Aussie fabrics I brought home with me. They've been washed and are ready to be sewn into something, but I don't yet know what.

These are some fat quarters (AUD$5.50) from the "Emperor's Garden" collection by "A Day in the Country," Sue Ross. I absolutely adore this color combination - buttery yellow and turquoise.I have Doris to thank for bringing this "Emperor's Garden" collection to my attention. I found it in two colorways at the Remnant Warehouse. Some of these fqs actually belong to Doris.

These mini pin dots are also from Sue Ross' "A Day in the Country." I've never seen pin dots this teeny.

And I couldn't resist a couple pieces of Lecien fabrics that I've read so much about on Aussie blogs. It's fabric made in Japan that I haven't seen in my neck of the woods. Lecien also makes the Cosmo embroidery floss I love so much.

It's a treat to find a few fabrics that are different than what we have at home... even if they cost twice as much! Some things are just worth it.

Sounds Like Home - Not!

When I wake up in the morning, during those moments when I ask myself, "Where am I?", the most tangible way of knowing - whether in Australia or at home - is by the bird calls. At home I wake to light chirup-ping of sparrows, or the mournful coo of mourning doves. Occasionally, there's the clear short call of a cardinal or the waa-ck of a blue jay. These are the sounds of home.

In Australia, morning wake-up sounds are much different! Oftentimes the calls are magpies or noisy miners. A few times I heard kookaburras - most often very early in the morning. But the most obnoxious sounds came from the beautiful yellow-crested cockatoos. They're the prettiest large birds, but they sound awful. It made my grand-daughter and I come to the conclusion that pretty birds make ugly sounds; ugly birds make pretty sounds. See if you don't agree.

What sounds do you wake up to?

Sewing Saturday with Friends

I made the most of extra days in Sydney! Visit my Stitchin' Mission blog to see what I did with these two special friends - Di J. and Di B. - on Saturday, May 8. We made quilts! What else!?

Some Things Were Never Meant to Fly

Since posting this, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the plane's tail clipped the runway during take-off. That explains the loud ka-thunk I heard!

Read more here.

Today it was ME. I was never meant to fly on May 7.

On Friday, May 7, I said my tearful good-byes to family and at 2:00 p.m. boarded my United flight to San Francisco.

In my window seat I took these last looks at Sydney, and Australia's beautiful coastline.

Within 15 minutes of taking off, it was apparent there was a mechanical problem. Not only did I hear a loud ka-thunk, but my ears were continually plugging up. I couldn't swallow fast enough. The captain let us know that the tower in Sydney had seen smoke from our plane during take-off and the problem had something to do with the air pressure system. Continuing to stay in communication with the tower, we were told a decision would be made about completing the flight.

After another 15 minutes or so, we learned we would be returning to Sydney, but all the fuel had to be released first, so our landing would be lighter. For the next half hour, I watched this out my window. Fuel being dumped...


After our 90 minute flight, we returned to Sydney, coming in on a little-used runway, with ground crews ready to assess the plane's need for repair.We waited in the hot plane for an hour before we learned we would be disembarking. But the most frustrating aspect of it all was that we had to go back through customs, queuing-up in the same long lines as the other three flights that arrived when we did! Argh. Everyone on our flight was offered a ride to a motel for an overnight stay and $35 for dinner. Fortunately for me, my family came to my rescue, picking me up and giving me a place to stay. Well, I have mentioned how much I like it here, haven't I?


At 1:00 a.m., United phoned to let me know they could return me home on Saturday via Hong Kong with an eight-hour layover, and a connection to Chicago with only one hour to go through US customs. I declined. Instead, I will be returning home Monday, May 10, on the same combination of flights I first planned - Sydney to San Francisco to Denver to Des Moines.


Whew! Friday was sure a long day. I'd left my daughter's home at 11:30 a.m. and by 6:30 p.m. I was back. God sure had me to praying mightily, and I am grateful that the pilots made the wise decision to return us to Sydney.


The morals of this story? 1) Never stop praying; 2) God hears our prayers and protects us; and, 3) Some things, like Linda, were never meant to fly.

Not Like Home

One of many features that make Australia special is its fauna and fauna. Each time I've visited, it's what captures my interest because it's dramatically different than what we see in Iowa.

If you're the least bit interested in Australia, and you've never read Bill Bryson's book In a Sunburned Country - Bill's a native of Des Moines, Iowa, by the way - you simply must take the time to read it. In addition to being humorous (I laughed all the way through this book), it's an excellent inside look at the natural beauty and creatures in this part of the world.

I'd love to be able to capture on camera all the birds I've seen - ibis, kookaburra, cockatoos, to name a few- but I've had to settle for a not-too-clear picture of this five inch long Fairy Wren. It's such a distinctive-looking bird with it's long blue tail standing nearly perpendicular to its body.

This wren was amongst the grasses along The Gap, a gorgeous ocean-viewing place in Watson's Bay. Sadly, the area has been stigmatized due to the number of suicides that have occurred along the cliff walk. Fences, lights and security cameras have been installed in attempts to prevent people from doing just that. It was the lovely Di B. who took me to see this spectacular view. She's alongside the anchor from the ship Dunbar, that smashed on these rocks in 1857, and left only one survivor.
At Di's house, these gorgeous Bird of Paradise were happily blooming in her garden, along the nature rock sea wall.

And can you guess what this tree is? I'd never seen one. It's a pawpaw tree, and those fruit, when they're ripe, are edible!

At the local produce stand we bought this odd-looking fruit. Then we had to do an Internet search to learn the name of it! It's a kiwano. It's also known as a horned melon. Most often it's used as a decorative fruit. To give you a perspective on its size, it's next to a yellow pepper.

Interesting, isn't it? Sorta pretty. The peel is edible too.
We read that the fruit is good sprinkled with either salt or sugar, but truthfully, I was completely put off by the slimy texture in my mouth.

More new to see in Australia.