Jumping on the bandwagon - Modern Maples

Here it is, 6:30 am, I don't have to leave for work for 15 more minutes, and I've been awake for an hour. I assure you, I'm as astounded by this turn of events as you may be. 

But hey, that's just enough time to share the start of my Modern Maples project!

I like the idea of this project. I love the leaves, I love autumnal colors, I love decorating for the seasons. What do I not love? My finished item looking like everyone else's. Don't get me wrong, sometimes that's what's needed. But I try and make sure that the fact that I'm on blogs and Flickr and Pinterest doesn't extinguish my sense of innovation.

I was stuck, though. I couldn't think of what I wanted to do. So I just decided to cut up some fabric and see where it led me. I cut 2.5 inch strips to be my leaf colors [side note: I think those two florals up there might be the only florals in my stash!]

And then I thought about putting the leaves into other saturated colors, instead of just neutrals or low-volume. So I paired the strips up with another fabric.

I even got a helper for a little bit. He's very autumnal, he tells me. Pair him with red, he tells me.

My idea was finally starting to take shape a little...but I was having a really hard time picturing exactly what it might look like, so I turned to some trusty markers and a little bit of coloring. So, as you can see, we've got some 3/4 log cabins, inspired by Ara Jane's tutorial. And some leaves interspersed in there.

I only got as far as cutting out the leaves before I started waffling on whether or not I should keep the leaves in a saturated color background, or whether all the leaves should have neutral backgrounds. As you can see in the drawing, not all the leaves would be at the center of the log cabins, so I think the neutrals would be spread out through the design, but I'm just not sure.

What do you think? Leaves in saturated colors with 2 or 3 in a neutral background, or all neutrals?


**Linked to Fabric Tuesday and WIP Wednesday