A Log Cabin and Batik Leaf Wall Quilt

Neutral log cabin blocks make a calm canvas for a burst of fall color. This post covers piecing and quilting the blocks, then string-piecing batik scraps into leaves. It also covers prepping needle-turn applique, then stitching the branches, leaves, and berries by hand. A label, binding, and a birch branch for hanging finish this 28″ x 28″ [71.1 x 71.1cm] wall quilt.

materials

fabric

• assorted neutral scraps in cream, beige, and pale yellow, for the log cabin blocks
• green batik scraps, for the string pieced leaves
• yellow, red, gold, and pink batik scraps, for the berries
• brown batik, for the bias branches
• lightweight quilting muslin, for the string piecing foundation
• backing fabric and batting, about 28″ square
• binding strips

thread

• silk thread in coordinating colors, for the applique
• contrasting thread, for basting
• brown thread, for the label

notions

• bias tape maker and an awl
• finger pressing tool
• template plastic and freezer paper
• spray starch, pressing spray, and a small paintbrush
• temporary basting spray
• fabric glue stick
• lightweight fusible web, for the label
• air-erasable marking pen
• size 10 hand quilting needles, a 24″ hoop, and a thimble
• clips and pins
• birch branch and 8 clip curtain rings, for hanging

Piece the log cabin blocks

Cut seven 2½″ strips from each of eight neutral fabrics. Then sub-cut the strips to length. For one block, cut two 2½″ squares. Also cut two strips each at 4½″, 6½″, 8½″, 10½″, 12½″, and 14½″.

Join the two squares first. Then add the strips around them in order, pressing after each one. Try to keep each block as flat as possible. That makes quilting easier later. Make four 14½″ blocks. Join them in two pairs, then join the pairs into a 28″ x 28″ top.

Layer the top with batting and backing. Spray baste, then pin the corners. Quilt wavy vertical lines with free motion quilting. Add leafy squiggles along the lines if you like.

String piece the leaves

Cut about 80 strips, 2″ wide and at least 10″ long, from assorted green batik scraps. Keep the strips from each fabric in separate piles. That makes mixing colors easier later.

Cut eight rectangles of thin muslin, each 9″ x 13″. Place one strip right side up, at a slight angle, in the center of a rectangle. Pin it. Lay the next strip on top, right sides together, aligning the raw edges. Sew with a short stitch and a ¼″ seam. Finger press, then add the next strip. Keep going until the muslin is covered. Make eight rectangles. Press them with a generous spray of pressing spray.

Prep the appliqué

Preparing for needle turn applique takes time. A firmly pressed edge makes stitching much easier. That matters most here, since each leaf has two layers.

Download the free leaf and berry templates. Trace them onto template plastic. Place the leaf template on the string pieced fabric, cut at an angle for interest. Add a ¼″ seam allowance, and cut.

Iron four layers of freezer paper together to make a sturdy, reusable foundation. Clip the leaf edges. Pour spray starch into a small cup, and use a paintbrush to soak the edges. Turn them over the freezer paper and press. Work the top points first. The other edges follow more easily.

For berries, trace each circle onto fabric. Sew a running stitch near the edge with a knotted double thread. Pull it tight around a freezer paper circle. Paint starch inside the edge and press. Let it cool, remove the thread and paper, and press once more.

For the branches, cut three 1¾″ strips of brown batik on the bias. Feed each strip through a bias tape maker, pushing it with an awl. Press as it emerges, slowly and steadily. Wind the cooled strips around card to store them.

Stitch the applique

Plan a layout, perhaps from a small sketch. Start with the branches. Cut on the bias; they bend into gentle curves. Glue the curves into place with a fabric glue stick, tucking the raw edges under. Pin them. Then pin the leaves and berries.

Baste everything to the quilted base with one strand of contrasting thread. Hand stitching takes days, so thread basting holds up better than spray. Stitch with a tiny appliqué stitch in matching silk thread. Keep the tension even to avoid puckers. The stitches show on the back, but no one will see them on a wall.

Finish and hang

Press the quilt from the top with plenty of steam. Press, lift, and move, rather than ironing. That avoids stubborn creases. Trim the edges even. Bind with six 2½″ [6.4cm] strips, left over from the log cabin cutting. Slip stitch the binding to the back by hand.

For the label, write the details with an air-erasable marker. Drop the feed dogs, thread brown thread, and trace the lines with free-motion stitching for a sketchy pen-and-ink look. Stitch mini leaves and berries the same way. Fuse the label to the back with lightweight fusible web.

For hanging, attach eight clip curtain rings to the top edge. Thread them onto a straight birch branch. Hang it from two curtain rod brackets.

Original series by Nancy Devine on QUILTsocial.com. Photos by Nancy Devine