FRUIT SALAD SAL: WEEK 5 – APPLES

It’s time for this classic…APPLES! Do you have a favorite variety? Personally, our all time family favorite is the PINK LADY. But I am happy for you to tell me another crisp but sweet apple in the comments below. We are always looking to see if anything can beat a PINK LADY. Contenders?

The quilt debuted at the front of the FRUIT SALAD book (click HERE for the book) is CANDY APPLES. Mix and match your favorites reds – and add in a few Granny Smith greens, if you like – to create a quilt full of crisp, sweet apple goodness!

I may be a little bias, but those taupe floral sawtooth borders (A.K.A. “shelves”) add just the right amount of color balance and visual appeal. They are created using my trusty SEW & FLIP method, which the book talks about in detail on page 4, in case you are new to my patterns or this method!

If you, too, love this quilt layout – fruit shelving and all – be sure to note that the ORANGE, PINEAPPLE, BLUEBERRY, and CHERRIES blocks are direct substitutions, and finish the same size!

Mix and match or pick your favorite! Wouldn’t a shelf of different fruits be kind of lovely?

Hint of the Week

I arranged CANDY APPLES to have the leaves and stems alternate facing left or right. You can, of course, make them all go the same way, but alternating helps add some movement to the quilt. Be sure to pay close attention to the LEAF UNIT and STEM UNIT instructions, which begin at Step 4.

The handy diagrams at the bottom of page 11, next to the written steps, are also helpful for those visual learners. I got your back!

SPECIAL PROJECT

This week’s project is a fun one! Susan made up these adorable APPLE MUG MATS…mug rugs…snack mats…whichever name you prefer to call them! It uses a singular APPLE block from page 37 of the book, along with some fun flying geese or diamond block accents, which make for a super *sweet* make…and it’s great for scraps!

BONUS: we’ve got a free pattern for finishing your own HERE (you will still need the FRUIT SALAD book to create your apple). THANK YOU SUSAN for this great and timely [see below] idea!

A bit of a coincidence, but Teacher Appreciation Week runs May 8th-12th this year (which…let’s be honest…needs to be every day!) and if you are looking for a handmade gift idea, I think this could be your answer!

Meet the Maker

The CANDY APPLES quilt photographed in the book was pieced by Erica Ericsson and quilted by Susan Vaughan. I met Erica on INSTAGRAM a long time ago when she asked me to come and teach a retreat for her. It was a long time coming but we got to do that very thing this past year in Carlsbad, California and it was divine. One of my all time favorite retreats ever. Thank you Erica for coming on board and helping us with the piecing of this fun quilt.

Erica shared her tips with us, so we are sharing them with YOU!

Tomorrow and Next Week

As has become tradition throughout the sew along, we encourage you to come join us over in our Facebook Group. Search: Fig Tree Quilts Friends. Here, we will continue on with the apple festivities by announcing our FIG TREE FRIEND feature. You will also be treated to a fruit-filled feed (say that 3 times fast) of photo inspiration from all those sewing along and sharing their own makes. Don’t miss out!

After this week, we have but THREE WEEKS LEFT in our sew along! Can you believe it?! We have two fruit blocks yet to appear (ORANGES and PEARS), and then a week to work on the assembly of your chosen project.

You are always welcome to work at your own pace, and don’t feel discouraged if you are “running behind”. There’s no such thing in quilting! These posts will stay on the blog indefinitely, so you can always refer back as needed.

Keep tagging me on social media: @figtreeandco. I love watching all of your fruit projects grow!

-Joanna

About The Author

joanna@figtreequilts.com

3 COMMENTS

  1. Diane Ruby | 4th May 23

    Love love the apple mug mats! Thank you Susan. But I have to say that our favorite apple is Honey Crisp!

  2. Karen Sanford | 4th May 23

    Love this beautiful quilt and such an adorable mug rug! Before you mentioned teacher appreciation I was thinking the same thing. Great Job Susan!!! I’ll definitely be making me one or two 😊

  3. Shirley Pearce | 5th May 23

    Thank you so much for the Apple Mug Rug! What a perfect pattern for this group of beauties!

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