Australia Tree Block Tutorial

Australia tree block, 13" X 13"

Australia has been suffering through months of devastating bush fires. Fire-fighters (called firies) have lost their lives, residents have lost homes and livelihoods, and wildlife have died and lost their habitat. It will take decades to recover.

I have a special place in my heart for all things Australia because between 2008 and 2010. I visited four times and spent a cumulative total of four months there. Our daughter lived in Sydney (Five Dock) for several years, and gave birth there to our first grandson. During one visit, I taught beginner quiltmaking at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Darling Point, and on another trip traveled around the country. The countryside is beyond beautiful! Whenever I'm in a situation where I want to take my mind away, I make a mental return visit to the Twelve Apostles along the south coast. There's just no place like it.

Anyway... When I learned that the Wollongong Modern Quilt Guild is collecting blocks to make into quilts for families who suffered through fires, I wanted to help. Again.

When I lived in Iowa, a group of us made two quilts for families who experienced bush fires in the Ballarat area. In 2009 I delivered those quilts to Ballarat, and saw the destruction first-hand. I also wrote a "Bush Fire Quilt Relief" article for the October 20009 issue of Quilter's Newsletter magazine (a now defunct publication).

Tree Quilt Blocks

Tree blocks have been requested. Quilters are free to interpret a tree as they wish, including colors, but the block background must be white or gray. An unfinished block must be a generous 12-1/2" X 12-1/2" to allow for trimming.

These are some of the blocks I've seen on Instagram. Appliquéd leaves is by @lorena_in_syd

Foundation paper pieced block is by @centerstreetquilts. This is a purchase pattern.

The patchwork tree block is by @sewbrainy

This one, by @bonjour_quilts, is the same as the patchwork block, but made with only four fabrics for the leaves.

Check out #bushfireblocks if you'd like to see more.

For my own design I decided to use an outline of the country as the "leafy" part of a tree.

Australia Tree Block Tutorial

First, an outline of Australia is needed, and a mirror image of it for appliqué.

Download both images here.

Australia not mirror imaged (for later reference for placement on the background) and a mirror image of Australia and tree trunk.

Trace mirror images of Australia, Tasmania and the tree trunk onto Steam-a-Seam 2.

Cut out each shape, leaving a small margin around the drawn outline.

Using scraps, create a piece of fabric approximately 8" X 9".

Remove the paper from Steam-a-Seam2 and place the sticky side to the wrong side of the created fabric. 

Use fine scissors to cut along each drawn outline. Don't forget Tasmania! Repeat with the tree trunk.

Prepare the Background

Either cut a single piece of fabric 13" X 13", or piece a background.

For this nine-patch block, cut each patch 4-3/4" X 4-3/4". The unfinished background square is 13-1/4" X 13-1/4".

With monofilament thread in the sewing machine top, and cotton in the bobbin (I used Mettler monofilament and 50-weight Aurifil), adjust your sewing machine settings for a short, narrow zig-zag stitch. This is the setting on my Bernina 770QE. Choose stitch #2 and set at a 9.0 stitch length and 2.1 stitch width.

Use an appliqué foot (Bernina #20C) to stitch around Australia, the tree trunk, and Tasmania.

Press well. Do not trim!

Several more blocks are in my future. They'll be delivered to QuiltCon in Austin, where they are being collected to send to Australia. Linda