For some people applique work is daunting. Yet, they are not!!! You only need to know a few simple hacks. Thus, I created a number of tutorials to help you with applique. 

To learn the quickest applique technique there is, see my raw edge machien applique tutorial. If you want your appliques to look more like traditional needle turn applique, just you don't like hand stitching, check out two methods for fast turned edge machine applique. The first one is turned edge machine applique with interfacing and the other method is with fusible web. There is no better time to learn appliques than now! Check out the tutorials and start growing your own cotton forest!

I hope "Our forest. Spring" quilt will bring spring to your heart and will make it come sooner!

Happy quilting!

Rugile from Magic Little Dreams 

2020.11.28

Just before we go into winter of 2020 of this bizarre year, I am releasing the "Our Forest. Spring" quilt pattern. Waiting for the spring to come has a special meaning this year. With many people one way or the other affected by the spread of covid-19, we all hypothetically and quite directly are waiting for the spring to come and to relieve us from this grave global pandemic. And let it come indeed!

"Our Forest: Spring" is the second quilt from the "Our Forest" quilt series. This series is dedicated to the beauty of our forests that manifests in different ways throughout the seasons of the year. In each quilt from this series, I use a set of two different tree types, a unique animal and a season specific color scheme to depict the beauty of our forests. To read more about the first quilt from the "Our Forest" series, go to the "Our Forest. Winter" blog post. 

In the "Our Forest. Spring" quilt, linden and chestnut tress light up in vivid green or bloom in cheerful pink. In the middle of that blooming forest, two funky birds sing their love songs.

Each "Our Forest" quilt is composed of three types of applique quilt blocks - two tree blocks and an animal block. In the Spring quilt, tree blocks are geometric cone shaped linden and artistic Chestnut trees, also available in the standalone "Trees from the Forest" applique pattern. In the quilt top the two tree blocks nicely checker together alternating between straight and curvy tree crown shapes.

The two birds in this quilt are very easy to make. They highlight that spring is the time of bird songs.

When choosing fabrics for the spring quilt, I had an image of a blooming cherry garden with brown tree trunks and a green grass in mind. Thus I chose brown, green and rose colors for this quilt. I used a total of 11 different fabrics: 2 brown, 3 green, 4 pink and a couple of light fabrics that combine all of the above colors. The quilt pattern offers 6 more quilt color ideas and a coloring page to try out your own color scheme!

All "Our Forest" quilts are for children. The spring quilt is especially suitable for girls due to its rose color. For boys, one should choose a green-yellow or green-orange color schemes, which you can find in the color inspiration guide in the pattern. Also check out the "Our Forest. Winter" quilt in modern colors for further color inspiration for boys.

My little niece loved the color scheme of the quilt. She said it fits perfectly her pink room!

This quilt is designed for babies and children alike. The pattern includes 3 different layouts, each coming in 3 different sizes, ranging from a baby quilt to a large throw. So, you can make a quilt one can grow up with.

To further ease the applique process, the pattern comes with a variety of tree trunks to choose from. Among them, there is a geometric tree trunk without any branches. This trunk makes appliqueing the trees real simple. 

When making a quilt, always add a label with your name and a date when it was created. I always add a quote fitting the quilt story to my quilts. For this Spring quilt, I chose a quote by Doug Larson. 

"Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush."

(Doug Larson)

Bird shapes are very simple and easy to make. Little embroidery of legs and eyes is also explained in a similar project - the Bear from the "Our Forest. Winter" quilt. See the Bear sew along video for a detailed step by step explanation, how to easily embroider lines and little circles with your domestic sewing machine. 

To help you with tree appliques specifically, I made a comprehensive tree sew along video. There, I take you through all the steps needed to make neat tree appliques with turned edges. You only need your sewing machine and a few simple hacks. This method is simple and quick compared to the needle turn applique. And gives great results every time!

After growing out of the quilt to sleep under, my little niece is now using it for yoga sessions together with her mom.