Botanically Correct

Materials:
1 fat quarter of dark solid background pretested fabric*
1/2 yard of border fabric
5 bright fabric scraps for leaves
5 simple leaves, oaks, maples, etc.
1/2 yard of paper-backed fusible web
bleach (see warning guidelines at end of article)
Anti-Chlor
rubber gloves
newspapers
2 buckets of clear water
respirator
1 yard of backing
28" x 28" batting
1/2 yard of binding
* To pretest fabric to ensure that it will discharge (discharging removes the color from fabrics and is the opposite of dyeing), fill an eyedropper with a mixture of 50/50 bleach and water solution. Saturate one-half piece of a fabric sample and let set for one to two minutes. Let dry. Store the discharged swatch with the original fabric.

• Prewash all fabrics.
  
• Flatten five to seven simple leaves in a phone book for a few days.
  
• Leaves are used in two steps--first as templates for fusible leaves, then in the discharge process to create a shadow effect on the background fabric.
  
• Gather all supplies prior to the discharge process.
  
• Finished quilt is approximately 24" x 24".

Prepare Fusible Leaves

1. Trace each leaf on paper-backed fusible web (figure A) with leaves right side down.

2. Roughly cut each fusible leaf apart.

3. Iron the fusible web leaves to the wrong side of bright fabrics. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for fusible web.

4. Cut out the fused fabric leaves carefully along your marked pencil lines.

Discharge Background Fabric

• Follow bleach safety guidelines listed below.

2. Prepare bleach discharge and stop bath solutions.

• Bleach solution: Mix a solution of 50/50 bleach and water and pour into a spray bottle.
  
• Stop bath: In a tub, mix one teaspoon of Anti-Chlor to 2-1/2 gallons of warm water.

3. Place the background fabric flat on newspapers.

5. Spray the bleach solution from one direction onto the fabric (figure C).

6. Remove the leaves carefully.

7. Monitor the leaves as they develop as they will discharge quickly (figure D).

8. When the fabric is discharged rinse it carefully in clear water (figure E).

9. Place the fabric in the stop bath and allow to soak for five minutes, stirring occasionally.

10. Wash with mild detergent, dry and iron as usual.

Add Leaves to Background

1. Remove the paper backing from the fused fabric leaves.

2. Place leaves on background fabric with their corresponding shadows. Move each leaf up and to the right of its shadow (figure F). Try to maintain a consistent angle and distance. Use a reducing lens (figure G) or step back from your work to attain the desired shadow appearance.

3. Press each fused leaf to the background fabric according to the fusible web manufacturer's instructions.

4. Trim the background fat quarter to approximately 18" x 18" and center the fused wreath motif, not the shadows. The actual size of the background piece is not critical.

Borders

1. Cut four border strips four inches by the width of the fabric. Measure the quilt through the center vertically to calculate the length of the side borders. Cut two border strips to this measurement and sew to the sides of the quilt. Press the seams toward the border.

2. Measure the quilt, including the side borders, through the center horizontally to calculate top and bottom borders. Cut two border strips to this measurement and sew to top and bottom of quilt. Press the seams toward the border.

1. Layer and baste the quilt top, batting and backing together.

2. Quilt by hand or machine and bind.

Bleach Safety Guidelines

Caution: Bleach is a common household chemical that is extremely harmful if inhaled or comes in contact with the skin. Handle with care and follow these safety precautions when working with bleach:

• Discharge fabrics outside or wear a respirator with an acid gas cartridge in a well-ventilated room. If you can smell bleach you are in danger.

• To protect skin wear rubber gloves and old clothes with long sleeves and long pants.

• Avoid accidental contact with the eyes or face and random discharge spots on fabric by frequently rinsing gloved hands in a bucket of clear water during the discharge process.

• Resist the urge to hover over your creation while it is discharging. Do not breathe in the chlorine gas. Keep a safe distance.

• Bleach deteriorates fabric over time, and residual bleach will continue to deteriorate fabric. Because washing the fabric will not completely remove the chlorine bleach or stop the damage, the reaction must be chemically neutralized using a stop bath. Colleen Wise recommends using Anti-Chlor.