Quilting designs from nature

Here is how I go about creating new quilting designs from leaves I've collected. After gathering and pressing the leaves (usually by just sticking them in an old phone book) I trace around the shapes onto a piece of card stock, lightweight cardboard or other stiff paper. Here I've re-used the cardboard from a box of tea.

I trace around the shapes, and sketch in the veins as a reference.

After the shapes are cut out I trace them onto the dull side of freezer paper. After these are cut out I can press them onto the quilt top, and stitch around them. I don't worry too much if I stitch through the paper. The pieces are then pulled off, and the veins can be free motion stitched.