Good Morning, Patient Quilters! Sorry about the delay this week. A little busy here at the Kennedy household…
Minnesota trees are in full color right now and I am inspired every time I look out the window. In honor of the season, I am offering The Basic Leaf.
Start by drawing three “rails”. In the sample below, the lines are one inch apart.
Begin stitching on the middle “rail”. Stitch a curved line and stop on the middle rail.
Reverse direction and stitch the mirror image back to your starting point. (Leave a small gap–see photo below.)
Next, stitch a squiggly line to create the veins on the left side of your leaf. Keep the lines away from the center line.
At the top of the leaf, stop and then stitch a straight line down the center rail.
Stitch the right veins with the squiggle stitch. Then stitch out of the leaf and you are ready to begin the next leaf in the row!
For variation- replace the squiggle lines with pointy lines.
This motif is a great leaf on ANY quilt. The leaf is a classic motif. It can look modern and it can look traditional.
After you complete the row of leaves, experiment with filling in the open space.
In the photos below, I added a few curls and swirls.
Each one is a little different, so I can’t do a tutorial on it, but if you would like I could design a repeatable pattern for a tutorial. Try a few variations. See what you come up with–and post them on Flickr HERE!–Perhaps a challenge???
Have fun with this design, and try your own variations within the leaf as well!
Happy Halloween!
Lori
PS-All designs, photos and tutorials are copyrighted by Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt. Feel free to pin and re-blog with attribution. Commercial use requires permission from the author.
51 comments
Merche Pardo Andrés
Beautiful! I love all your tutorials. Thanks, Merche
onecreativefamily
You tutorials have really helped me. I am a self taught quilter and now I don’t think I will worry too much about trying something new. Time to practice today. Thank you.
Julie K
Lori, how would you go around a corner with this design? I think your tutorials are the best!
Lori Kennedy
I would stop at the corner and then add a leaf in the square of the corner. The leaf would be at a diagonal in the square.
Sylvia
Love this leaf design, thank you again for the tutorial!
Lori Kennedy
The Basic Leaf is a favorite here!
ruthiequilts
Awesome tute!!! Thanks for sharing!
Judy Blinkenberg
Wow, that is just beautiful. You make it look so easy!!
blanca
estoy encantada de entrar en este grupo, recien comprando mi maquina para patchworks,pero estoy enloquecida de ver tus hermosos tutoriales.comenzare con uno facil, y enviare fotos.Solo quiero preguntarte , en instagram que debo hacer,me encanto un esquema pero no se puede bajar, ni imprimir como tus tutoriales, pueden decirme que hacer.una super novata en patchworks.
Lori Kennedy
So glad you found us! I am working on a way to download the tutorials. I don’t think it is possible right now.
Lorna Ross
Awesome
Mary H.
When stitching these leaves, are you going “north” (i.e. “up) when you continue to the next leaf? Thanks.
Lori Kennedy
Yes. I usually stitch up to the next leaf. After you’ve stitched them for awhile, you may be able to stitch them upside down as well which comes in handy when you are quilting a very large piece!
Christina
What marking tool are you using, it has such fantastic fine lines?
Lori Kennedy
I often use a Clover chalk roller. See our Open Line Friday discussion about marking utensils here:https://lorikennedyquilts.com/2013/10/25/open-line-friday-does-the-perfect-marking-pen-exist/
LUra
Hi, Lori – WOW! You have done such a wonderful job with this blog and I know why. When I read your responses to the many, many wonderful comments, I can just feel tour warm kindness and friendliness that I found (in person) 22 years ago. An absolutely beautiful blog!!
Lori Kennedy
Thanks, Laura! You’re the best!
Kathy Aho in MInnesota
Hello from another Minnesotan! (Rochester) What lovely quilt work you do and I love these leaves. I think your design is simple and lovely. I hope to try it soon. Wish me luck! You make it look easy. 😀
Donna
Wow, I ‘m going to order a free motion foot for my singer sewing machine and try and do this. I’ve never done this before so it will be interesting. Thankyou for inspiring me
Teri
I LOVE these leaves! Thank you!
Karen
Another great design and tutorial!
zipjezopjeShirley
Thank you for sharing, I love to do freehand motion quilting and am always looking for inspiration. And here you are!
Lucie the Happy Quilter
I love it. Thanks for sharing your basic leaf. Breaking it down for us makes the task even easier.
Sheila N
I have recently started following your blog and love your free motion quilting tutorials. However, I love your weekly tutorials but can’t always find them again on your blog, such as the pumpkin. Do i need to keep all your emails or will these eventually be posted on your blog under Free Motion Quilting Tutorials?
Lori Kennedy
Hi Sheila, That is a great question…All of the tutorials are available on the blog and I have no plans to remove any of them at this time. Sometimes I forget to add a link to a tutorial on the Tutorial Page–please let me know whenever you notice this. I will correct it right away. It is still in the Tuesday Tutorial posts if you scroll back far enough. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!
Kitty
Beautiful leaves! Thank you so much for this tutorial! Your tutorials are wonderful and a great help to me!!
labugaiski
Thanks for the tutorials! Found you site about a month ago, and I love it! I haven’t tried anything yet! Sew machine is getting fix and cleaned right know, as soon as I get it back I will start.
Linda Swanekamp
Thank you for your design. Do you do all the leaves first and then come back and add the scrolls? I can’t figure it out. Thanks.
Lori Kennedy
Yes I do all the leaves first and then go back and fill in with whatever you like. The leaves are very pretty on their own as well.
Janet O.
Just followed a link to your blog, and I am so glad I did! This is a beautiful design. I am looking forward to perusing your other tutorials!
Lori Kennedy
So glad you’re here!
Carol
Thank you for sharing. I’m so ready to try this. You are a wonderful teacher!
Lori Kennedy
Thank you!
Kathy in WV
Thank you so much for sharing these tutorials. I just found your blog last week and have been going through your archived material as fast as I can. I’ve been a hand quilter for 37+ years and just started fmq’ing a year or so ago. I’ve got a LONG way to go before the machine quilting is as good as my hand-quilting…but I love the speed of actually finishing things…lol. Thanks again…this is a wonderful tutorial for this time of year…and I’m sure I’m not alone in appreciating a tute on the added swirls to make a repeated version. Blessings….
Lori Kennedy
I love hand quilting–but I have so many ideas swirling in my head–that I need the speed of FMQ. I’m glad you are enjoying the tutorials. I will work on a swirl to add to this pattern. The leaf really stands alone, but I love the fuller pattern, too!
SewCalGal
What a beautifull FMQ Leaf design. Thank you for the excellent tutorial. I’m looking forward to learning to stitch this, and creating such beauty as you can do. Love it.
SewCalGal
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
Lori Kennedy
Thank you! I love your blog and the work I have seen as a result of your challenges!
Ness
Thanks for sharing…this is beautiful! So glad I found you! I’ve been missing out I see!
Lori Kennedy
We’re glad you’re here!
Shirley
Worth the wait and more. Lovely.
Lori Kennedy
Thank you!
Joy Sims
Love it! Thanks for sharing your talent
Judy
Such talent! Thank you for sharing it with us. You make it look so easy!
Lori Kennedy
Thank you! It is easy–doodle first!
Linda Prial
I look forward to your posts nomatter what day it is. thank out so much Happy Halloween
Sharon
Thank you, I love your tutorials!
Lori Kennedy
So glad you like them…have you stitched any of them on a project yet?
Comments are closed.