Happy Little Trees

For the longest time, I have wanted to make a quilt with trees. Inspired by the pine-laden mountains of the western US, a tree quilt seemed a good way to recall the trips DH and I have taken across the vast, wild west.

Yesterday, with Sharon along for the adventure, we made our first "happy little trees." Here are the beginnings of our forests.

My first tree shows you the ancient background I've decided to use. Lord only knows how long this has been in the stash - maybe 20 years?  That's as good a guess as any.  Here are some of Sharon's. Her background gives her blocks a decidedly fresh, spring-like feel.

 The blocks are supposed to finish at 8" x 6.5" and we need 64 for the pattern we are using.

I bought the pattern at Mae-Lynne Makers in Nelsonville last fall while on retreat at Needles 'n Pines. The shop always offers a discount to retreat participants, so I didn't feel too guilty about buying yet another pattern!

The directions call for using a special ruler, and Sharon bought that. We just didn't trust ourselves to get it right using any other method. I think that was a smart move. 

We really enjoyed making these tree blocks. So I guess that makes us happy little quilters making happy little trees! How can a quilter go wrong with such wonderful results? Our growing forests will be a joy to create.

The pattern is layer-cake-friendly, however I am using scraps from my stash, so it is adaptable.

 I hope you all are enjoying your creative endeavors whatever they may be..

Happy Quilting, Friends!