making a tree--with apologies to Joyce Kilmer

This block finishes 16 inches. I developed this pattern, adapting several antique blocks. Use at your pleasure.
I used a Timeless Treasures red--this was on the label:
Timeless Treasures 239930 Tonga red B9390
Here is the thing with red--always buy a fabulous red. And lots of it. I bought the bolt. (14.7 yards)
I used about 7 different green batiks. In the quilt I put one lighter green in a different place on the left side of every tree.
(I use the EZ angle in cutting my triangles and will put those measures in parenthesis.)

Background:
3 triangles cut from two 6 7/8 squares, cut once diagonally--one left over (cut from 6 1/2 inch strip) I see that two triangles didn't make the picture. They will show up later.
24 triangles cut from twelve 2 7/8 inch squares, cut once diagonally (cut from 2 1/2 inch strips)
3 squares cut 2 1/2 inches
2 rectangles cut 4 1/2 inches by 6 1/2 inches
Tree:
30 triangles cut from fifteen 2 7/8 inch squares, cut once diagonally (cut from 2 1/2 inch strips)
4 squares cut 2 1/2 inches
1 triangle cut from one  6 7/8 squares, cut once diagonally--one left over (cut from 6 1/2 inch strip)
One 4 1/2 inch square

Piece 24 squares with the smaller triangles
Piece one square with the large tree and one of the large background triangles
Use the small tree squares to make sew-and-flip triangles on the 4 1/2 inch sides of the two background rectangles.

Lay out the large pieced square, the 4 1/2 inch tree square, and the two backgrounds with the flipped triangles out to make the trunk.

Lay out the tree, watching placement and directions of the triangles.

Piece the rows, put the rows together, and put the large background triangles onto the rows.

Assemble and press and admire!
I used this block for a pillow to be presented to the Schuenemann family. I added 2 1/2 inch strips on each side before quilting, trimming it all to about 20 inches after quilting then making a lap-back pillow.

Here it is on our new white sofa--are we crazy soon-to-be empty nesters or what?

The quilt has 9 blocks, with 4 alternating plain blocks plus setting triangles. I used an 8 inch border and used the red in the binding. It measures about 82 inches square.

morgenrot (red sky at morning) 2012

Morgenrot (Red Sky at Morning) is a quilt commemorating the Schuenemann family and their contributions to the City of Chicago and to St Pauls Church. They sailed the Christmas tree ship on Lake Michigan for many years. The Rouse Simmons went down in 1912 and all aboard were lost.

St Pauls is having a Shuenemann festival this month and asked me to make a quilt to help raise funds for a plaque honoring the family and the ship on the 100th anniversary of the loss. The plaque will be placed on the Clark Street bridge.

Quilt is about 82" by 82".  Block is 16 inches finished.
Quilted by Suzette Fisher.
It was a joy to make.
I'll post soon with block instructions.

how to make a tree block--part three, sashings

Finished sashed block size is 8" by 9" (8 1/2 inches by 9 1/2 inches unfinished).
(Both blocks in the photograph are the same size--they don't look so partly because of my pressing, but also, there is an optical illusion caused by the colors.)

I make a block A and a block B so that when I put them together, there is no matching of seams between blocks.
Block A
Cut two pieces 2 inches by 6 1/2 inches to sew to sides.
Cut two pieces 2 inches by 8 1/2 inches to sew to top and bottom.
Press towards sashings.
Block B
Cut two pieces 2 inches by 5 1/2 inches to sew to top and bottom.
Cut two pieces 2 inches by 9 1/2 inches to sew to sides.
Press towards sashings.

Make half of the blocks A and half B, alternate them.

Next time: blocks of four.

how to make a tree block--part two, sewing

Sewing

Tree top
Sew one of the 3 inch cut EZ angles to each side of the goose. Note the position of the pieces.
Press towards tree.
(I show some with dog ears on and some with removed--you may find your piecing more accurate with one way or the other--whichever way you choose, make sure you remove the dog ears before the last step to reduce bulk.)


Lower branches
Sew one of the 2 1/2 inch EZ angles to each side of the decapitated triangle.
Press towards tree.

Trunk
Sew a 2 1/2 inch square to each side.
Press towards trunk

Sew tree together. Press treetop towards lower branches, and lower branches towards trunk.
It should measure 5 1/2 inches by 6 1/2 inches at this point.

Next time: Sashings

how to make a tree block--part one, cutting

There are lots of tree blocks out there. This simple, primitive tree is based on one that I saw about 25 years ago on a Ladies Circle Patchwork Quilts magazine. What a wonderful magazine that was.

I use the EZ angle and the Companion Angle rulers by Sharon Hultgren. When I have a choice when drafting a block, I try to get the geometry to work with these rulers. These are very useful rulers that are well worth the investment (and re-investment as I lose them in my sewing room...)

Cutting

Plaids:
Cut a strip 2 1/2 inches by about 12 inches long.
Cut from left to right, one EZ angle at 2 1/2, one Companion angle at 2 1/2, one Companion angle at 3, and one final EZ angle.

Let's look closer at that second Companion angle patch. The first one was a goose, but the second is a decapitated triangle.

(The two EZ angle triangles are set aside. They are not part of the block, but I may choose to use them in the border. If not, they are ready to go for another project. By starting and ending your cutting with the EZ angle around the cutting for the Companion angles, you have two half square triangles of a usable size, and no waste.)

Trimming dog ears:
use the EZ angle to trim the dog ears off of the goose and decapitated triangle pieces.
(You may find your piecing more accurate with or without the dog ears in place--whichever way you choose, make sure you remove the dog ears before the last step to reduce bulk.)

Solids:
Cut a strip 2 1/2 inches by about 17 inches long.
Cut two EZ angles at 3, two EZ angles at 2 1/2, two squares at 2 1/2.

 Let us look closer at those cut at 3.

Trimming dog ears: (not shown)
use the EZ angle to trim the dog ears off of the triangle pieces if desired.

Trunk fabric:
Cut strip 2 1/2 inch. Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces for trunks.

trees

On Friday, November 22, 1912, the Rouse Simmons, heavily laden with 3,000–5,000 Christmas trees filling its cargo hold and covering its deck, left the dock at Thompson, Michigan. Some eyewitnesses to the Rouse Simmons's departure claimed the ship looked like a floating forest. Schuenemann's departure, however, coincided with the beginnings of a tremendous winter storm on the lake that sent several other ships to the bottom, including the South Shore, Three Sisters, and Two Brothers.
Each year in early December, the final voyage of Captain Schuenemann and the Rouse Simmons is commemorated by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw, which makes the journey from northern Michigan to deliver a symbolic load of Christmas trees to Chicago's disadvantaged. Captain Schuenemann and the crew of the Rouse Simmons would be proud.
from http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/winter/christmas-tree.html

The Schuenmann family were members of St Pauls and we are having a festival in November commemorating the voyages of the Christmas Tree Ship and the centennial of its loss.
We had a similar festival in 2004 and I made this quilt for the event.


The committee has asked me to make a quilt again, and I have decided to make a more playful quilt this time, based on this little quilt I made years ago. My original quilt had the tree blocks about 4 by 4 1/2 before sashings. The new blocks will be 5 by 6 before sashings.

My mom had some beautiful solids in her stash that I claimed; I also have some nice Kona cottons. I will keep you posted on my progress.