Tree of Life Wallhanging

Paper pattern

     A client contacted me wanting a wallhanging made for an upcoming auction.  Her students had made flowers yo-yos from fabric and buttons.  She needed a tree to put them on.

Brown trunk and branches ready to cut

 

     The art teacher at the school drew the pattern for the wallhanging on brown craft paper.  I then traced the pieces onto the paper back side of a fusible web.  I numbered the branches and leaves so I could put them all back in the same positions.

Checking to see that I have all the pieces

     I then fused the web to the wrong side of the fabric and carefully cut out all the pieces.  I then used the paper pattern to make sure I had all the pieces before ironing them to the background.

Brown pieces all fused in place

     Because of the method I used the final tree was going to be a reverse image of the pattern.  I embroidered the dying and then ironed the brown pieces in place.  Then I ironed on fusible batting and the backing.

Stitching down the brown

     Next I stitched all around the brown.  Then it was time for the leaves.

Ready to cut the leaves

     I used four different green fat quarters for the leaves and when ironing the pieces on I tried to choose some interesting shading on the leaves.

Completed wallhanging waiting for the flowers

     After ironing on the leaves I stitched around each of them.  I also added three flower stems to represent the three teachers of these children.  Then I trimmed the wallhanging square and applied binding and added a hanging sleeve.  The teacher then was going to place the flowers with the children.