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Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Pesto Mushrooms

I have a new finish and I am so excited to show it to you!

Meet Pesto Mushrooms :-)

Pesto Mushrooms


When I was asked to make a Birthday Quilt for a 6-year old boy who loves the color Green and is fascinated with Mushrooms, I said Yes, please :-D

The Pesto (Green Fabrics) was the easy part.  I wasn't sure how to incorporate mushrooms.

Pieced or Appliqued? Small or Large? A mix of large portabellas and tiny enokis?

I turned to EQ8 and found a template for mushroom applique.  BINGO!!!! In EQ8, the dots are applique as well. I think I can do with using dotted fabric instead of adding each dot. Insert eye roll here.


EQ8 Mock-up


I had fun raiding my box of green scraps and I found plenty of 2.5" strips in various lengths. 

Variety of Greens!!!


Chocolate Dots Added


Making the base blocks was a simple process. Making the mushrooms was a fun albeit a multi-step process.

I transferred the three shapes - the mushroom cap, the gills, and the stem on to a thin cardboard from a box of cereal. I cut out the three shapes and traced them on to the Steam-A-Seam 2 sheets. Repeat 24 times :-) It took six sheets.

I then rough cut all 75 shapes out of the Steam-A-Seam 2. 

Then I chose fun fabrics. Bright dots for the caps, light yellow/beige for the gills and brown for the stems. The next step required peeling the 75 paper slivers and sticking the sticky side (of Steam-A-Seam 2) to the wrong side of the fabrics.

Now I had to carefully cut the exact shapes, ensuring the slight curve of the mushroom caps and the gentle line of the gills. This took a while. Oh but it was so worth it.


The first Mushroom

The second one!


One 5" square

Two Mushroom Caps (very carefully cut)


Was I ready to add the mushrooms to my blocks? Not yet. 

I arranged the base blocks on my design wall in the desired layout, making sure that no two white squares were touching.

I did not add the mushrooms to the individual blocks until after the layout was finalized. I wanted to make sure that all mushrooms were upright, whereas the blocks could be oriented in any way.

Once I was happy with the layout, I started adding the mushrooms, one column at a time.


Adding Shrooms

I added one mushroom at a time, peeling away the paper, ironing and stitching in place and returning it to the design wall, before picking the next block.
 

Stitched in place

Step 1 - Make the Base Blocks. Set aside.

Step 2 - Make the Mushroom Parts (Cap, Gills and Stem). Set aside.

Step 3 - Finalize the Layout, separating the white squares.

Step 4 - Working with one block at a time, place and iron the Mushrooms. Gills first, followed by the stem and lastly the cap on top of both (I messed up the first one). Stitch in place.

Oops NO!!!

Step 5 - Stitch the mushroom blocks into a flimsy, making sure that the layout stays intact.

It is fun and looks simple but there are many steps and the order of the steps is important! Here is the completed quilt!

Such a happy quilt, 50" by 50"

Honestly, I think the whole quilt is a tad too busy, with so many greens, chocolate dots and all the bright mushroom caps. I could have used fewer greens, or a solid brown instead of dots. But for a six-year old, who needs a lot of stimulation, it will do just fine.

Pesto Mushrooms finished at 50" square. The backing is pieced from a directional mushroom fabric. I added narrow brown strips (when joining two pieces) to avoid the weird look of an ill-matched pieced print. All mushrooms are upright - even in the backing!


Pieced Backing

A yellow striped binding completes the look. 

Yellow Striped Binding

Let me show a few close-ups. These mushrooms are so stinking cute.

Labelled




Bright and Dotty



Thank you, Kaffe


Who says mushrooms grow in damp, dark places. Look at these beauties thrive in the bright sun :-)

My Happiness Mushrooms



Red and Pink



And one last look!

Such Fun Guys!


Once the quilt reaches its intended recipient, I will add another picture. I am hoping for big smiles. If Pesto Mushrooms made you smile, please let me know. 

Sharing with all my favorite linky parties. See full list on the sidebar.


20 comments:

  1. This quilt is so cute! The 6 year old is going to LOVE it! I'm not a green person but I don't think there is too much green in this quilt. This is very much a happy quilt.

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  2. Pesto Mushrooms is so adorable--beautiful work on this one--it made me smile when I saw it... no way is there too much green--especially since your little friend loves green...;))) Nice work hugs, Julierose

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  3. Oh my - what an amazing and adorable quilt. Those mushrooms are so cute with their dotted caps. And the dark squares scattered in there give it depth. Fantastic finish!!!

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  4. I think it's perfect! I imagine it'll be a big hit.

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  5. It is usually very helpful to get a few hints about the recipient. You really pulled it off with this mushroom quilt and I didn't realize I could find stuff like that in EQ. I have had EQ since its earliest stages and always get the upgrade but just never dive into it headlong. I need to find a way to get it off of my "to do" list and on my "done" list! Thanks for the encouragement.

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  6. Cute quilt that I'm sure that little boy is going to love! Imagine being fascinated by mushrooms. Gotta love how kids think! Makes me smile. Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
    https://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2024/10/23/wednesday-wait-loss-403

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  7. That is an adorable quilt, Preeti! Cute mushrooms and happy greens. It's going to be loved!

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  8. Pesto Mushrooms absolutely made me smile, and I'm sure it's going to the perfect forever home where it will be well loved. Thanks for linking up with Favorite Finish!

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  9. Oh yes, Pesto Mushrooms made me smile! I love these cute appliqué, colors, dots, everything is fun and cheerful! The sweet backing is perfect too. Bravo ! Thank you for sharing your lovely baby quilt, and linking up!

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  10. Pesto Mushrooms did indeed make me smile, Preeti. Everything just shouts fun and whimsicality. Perfect for a boy who loves the colour green and is fascinated with mushrooms.

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  11. An adorable quilt, Preeti. I know the process for making those mushrooms, lots of labour.

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  12. For sure it made me smile! Now, how did you cut out your mushrooms? So perfect!

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  13. Beautiful mushrooms. . .the recipient ought to be full of smiles! --TerryK@OnGoingProjects

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  14. J'aime beaucoup votre salade de champignons Preeti !

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  15. It is a lovely quilt, and yes, it did make me smile. I am sure that munchkin who is getting it will love it!

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  16. What a fun quilt! I'm sure that it will be loved for years to come.

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  17. You created a darling quilt. It’s clever to use dotted fabric and much easier than appliquéing circles. Ann at FretNotYourself

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  18. Hi Preeti, what a gorgeous quilt - I don't think that it's too busy lol Thanks so much for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks. Happy Spooky day :-)

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