Falling Leaves

Designer: Jennifer Sevlie Diederich

• 1⁄4 yard rust felted wool (background)
• 5--6" squares assorted felted wools in burgundy, brown tweed, brown, flecked tan, and orange (rectangle appliqués)
• Scraps of assorted douppioni silks: yellow, gold, rust, and brown (leaf appliqués)
• Heavyweight fusible web
• Nymo or C-Lon beading thread: size B or D in dark orange
• Size 10 or 12 beading needle
• Size 11/0 seed beads: 900 to 1000 (about 10g) each of orange and metallic copper
• Fabric glue

Finished wall hanging: 7 ×32"

To felt wool, machine-wash it in a hot-water-wash, cold-rinse cycle. Machine-dry on high heat and steam-press.

Cut pieces in the following order. Click on "Download this Project" above for pattern pieces.

To use fusible web for appliquéing, complete the following steps.

1.  Using a pencil and a quilting ruler, draw four 4-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangles and one 4×5" rectangle onto paper backing of fusible web, leaving 1⁄2" between shapes.

2.  For leaf appliqués, lay fusible web, paper side up, over patterns A and B. Use a pencil to trace each pattern the number of times indicated in cutting instructions, leaving 1⁄2" between tracings.

3.  Cut out each fusible-web shape roughly 1⁄4" outside traced lines.

4.  Following the manufacturer's instructions, press fusible-web shapes onto wrong side of designated fabrics; let cool. Cut out fabric shapes on drawn lines. Peel off paper backings.

From rust wool, cut:

• 1--7×35" rectangle

From each burgundy, brown tweed, brown, and flecked tan wool, cut:

• 1--4-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" rectangle

From orange wool, cut:

• 1--4×5" rectangle

From assorted douppioni silks, cut:

• 9 of Pattern A
• 18 of Pattern B

1.  Fold under 3" on one short end of rust wool 7×35" rectangle; glue raw edge in place, leaving enough room for a small twig to slide through side openings.

2.  Evenly space assorted wool 4-1⁄2×5-1⁄2" and 4×5" rectangles atop rust wool rectangle. When pleased with the arrangement, fuse pieces in place. (For her no-sew appliqué, designer Jennifer Sevlie Diederich used heavyweight fusible web. If you wish to sew around the appliqué edges, use lightweight fusible web instead.)

3.  Referring to photo for placement, lay out assorted silk A and B leaves in a winding, trailing pattern from light to dark. When pleased with the arrangement, fuse pieces in place.

1.  Use C-Lon or Nymo beading thread and a straw needle to hand-stitch orange and metallic copper seed beads as desired on wall hanging, placing beads in a trailing pattern that loosely follows path of appliquéd leaves.

2.  To make beaded edging, refer to Picot-Edge Beading Diagram. Starting about 1⁄8" from background edge, pull needle up at A with knot on wrong side of wool. Slip one orange bead, one metallic copper bead, and a second orange bead on thread. Bring needle up at B, about 1⁄8" from A, and go back through last orange bead. Thread on one metallic copper bead and one orange bead, then bring needle up at C. Continue in same manner until all visible edges of wool background are stitched with beads.