Looking for an online photo of a Maple Leaf pattern quilt, and color choices question

I just joined a mystery quilt, a maple leaf pattern is all I know, but I am a beginner and I would like to see examples of what it may-might-maybe- look like at the end; I know there are many maple leaf patterns out there. I also would like to see what colors other people chose because I am afraid that mine will turn out ugly. Let me know of any examples of maple leaf tops you know of online. Thanks in advance! If you want to send the link to me privately, it is: quilt shop hopper (all one word), at comcast dot net.

Also, is it common for quilts to use three colors? ( one light one medium and one dark) I am wondering if I should use only three colors in my maple leaf mystery. Do you think using more than 3 colors will make the end product look too busy or make it look more like an ugly crazy quilt that I pieced in the dark, rather that an organized beauty? Remember, I am a beginner; I have started a dozen projects, finished none because of fear of failure. There, I said it.

The maple leaf directions say 6 darks and 6 lights, but in my mind I see fall leaves that are bright orange, bright red, bright golden yellow, the colors of fire. They are neither dark nor light, they are screaming. Am I misinterpreting the terms?

I need some coffee.

Cyndi

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QuiltShopHopper
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Cyndi,

It is common to use 3 colors in quilts, but maple leaf quilts tend to be scrappier.

I would suggest using the recommended amount of colors 6 darks and 6 lights since this is an organized pattern that you are following. This will most likely give the results that the pattern is written for. Most maple leaf blocks depend on contrast between the 2 fabrics in each block- dark/light. If there is not enough contrast you won't "see" the leaf as clearly.

I would like to help by saying to pick the "screaming" colors that you think about as your darks (if they are darker) or lights (if they are brighter) and then pick 6 fabrics darker or lighter than your leaf fabrics as your background colors. If you like the idea of using 3-4 fabrics instead, I would pick 3 leaf colors and then get 3 more of the same colors but in a different print. For example 1 gold, 1 orange, 1 reddish color (then get the same color (1 each) in a different print so that you have 6 total leaf fabrics. You can do the same for the background fabrics too.

If you already have fabric that will work and you love it, and it is only

3 fabrics- use it! It won't come out wrong. There is no wrong- your quilt will just be different than anyone else's and that is a good thing!

As far as not finishing your projects- just remember that you can finish them. They will be great. There is no failure. VERY FEW quilts are 100% perfect. Those quilts were made after someone made many many "less than perfect" quilts and learned something from each of their finished projects. But if in finishing your projects, you come to a bump in the road, just send out a message and we will advise you on what we did in that situation. And after tackling each "bump" you will have more confidence in your skills.

Happy stitching,

Julie Richmond, VA

QuiltSh> I just joined a mystery quilt, a maple leaf pattern is all I know, but I am

Reply to
<silverbells

If we all stopped cause of 'fear of failure' -------- sure wouldn't be very many quilts made in the world. Treat them as learning experiences and USE them. USE them until they fall apart, but, __keep the first one you made__ and one day you can look back on it and see how much you HAVE learned since you started. Now--you have ONE MONTH to finish that first quilt...lil every day will do it.

Then we all will have a "FINISHED IT" party for you

Butterfly (we're g> I just joined a mystery quilt, a maple leaf pattern is all I know, but I am

Reply to
Butterfly

Reply to
julia sidebottom

Here's several different kinds of Maple Leaf blocks, from my Autumn Colors quilt-in-progress.

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Think of "value" rather than "color" -- for them to look right, each of your leaf blocks will need a dark and a light -- some can be light leaf (bright yellow) on dark background (deep rust-red), and some can be dark leaf (orangy-brown) on a light background (tan). If you don't do this, the "leaf" shape gets lost!

Pick out some fabrics and begin squinting at them. Some should look "light" and some should look "dark"! Otherwise they muddle all together.

If they say 6 of each, I'd go with 6 of each for a mystery. Later you might make it as a non-mystery with more or less colors, but their directions are for 6 lights and 6 darks and it might be nearly impossible to translate that to more fabrics -- for instance, if it's a quilt where the leaves interlock (so the background of one is the leaf next to it) something like this could be pretty much all squares and half-square triangles. The thing that makes that design work is careful planning of color placement -- which you can't do if it's a mystery!

So, as well as you can, pick fabrics that match the directions. If you love it, you can plan another with more colors/bigger quilt/whatever variation you'd like, once you know what it should look like and how it goes together.

Dragonfly

Reply to
Dragonfly

Pam, you did a lovely job on the ones I saw on your site! But I'm curious -- where did you find that 7-pointed maple leaf? I like that version and would love to have the pattern! Thanks!

Reply to
Sandy Foster

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