It's Halloween

I've gone trick or treating...

Golden Galaxy

Yesterday I finished a lovely autumn table mat for our dining room. Shades of gold batik along with brown and black prints show up nicely on a background of toasty taupe.

I used the Star Links die from Blue Wren, which looks complicated but is really very easy to sew. I previewed color placement in EQ8 before cutting.  

A simple quilting pattern emphasizes the block design. I used taupe thread in a straight stitch, making a 1½” grid. Golden Galaxy finished at 36” square.

Dies used:

Blue Wren 6967 Star Links 12” finished

Accuquilt 55017 Strip 2½”

 

Tropical Punch

Tropical Punch, Useful Remnants 2022

It's a sunny Monday here in Tennessee, but a freeze is due tonight. This week's quilt is meant to chase the chills away.

Eye-catching tropical prints and bright solids combine beautifully in orange peel blocks. Most of the fabrics were gifted to me (Thanks, Mary!) and the rest came from my remnant boxes.

Tropical Punch is 48” square. I enjoyed sewing the curvy pieces and arranging the layout on my design wall. I quilted with white thread in a straight stitch, following the curves to accentuate the design.

Y'all have a good week!

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6616 Orange Peel 6”
Accuquilt 55017 Strip 2½”

 

Two For One

I just finished this reversible mat for my living room coffee table. While playing around with placement of the segments in Maple Leaf die, I discovered a southwest style that looks great for fall.

Sedona Maple uses terra cotta and cream prints, with a bit of navy added using 3” half square triangles. Final size is 35” x 24” and fits perfectly on the table.

For the reverse side, I stitched up Crossed Canoe blocks in blue batik with cream, adding rotary cut navy borders to fill out the size. This side is called Moonlight Canoes. 

I quilted in cream thread with a wave ruler, then sewed on navy binding with a serpentine stitch. 

Fun, quick, and simple...two little quilt tops made into one using Accuquilt.

Sedona Maple:
55195 Maple Leaf BOB 8” finished
55001 Half Square Triangle 6½”
55009 Half Square Triangle 3½”

Moonlight Canoes:
55181 Crossed Canoes BOB 9” finished

binding: 55017 Strip 2½”

 

October Vintage Stars

Oh my, how I love this Candy Star die from Blue Wren!

It is a new version of a previously unnamed vintage block, published sometime after 1933 from Old Chelsea Station (magazine/newspaper mail order). I saw an antique quilt photo online, found the block layout in BlockBase+, and suggested the idea to Norma at Blue Wren.  Before long this new die was available. 

I selected two older fabrics from one of my garage sale finds. These autumn colored cotton prints were only 36” wide, dating around the late 1960's. Remember harvest gold, avocado green, burnt orange, and brown? They were the fashionable colors to have back then.

October Vintage Stars

I added a coordinating persimmon solid, black prints, and natural muslin to complete the look from that era. I used twelve blocks, framed with two borders. I really enjoyed sewing this retro inspired quilt, October Vintage Stars, which is 48” x 60” finished size. I quilted using a free motion meandering stitch in cream thread.

The corner sections that form the secondary stars are made with a Y-seam. I did a few test runs since I was out of practice, but only used the seam ripper once.  Key tips: sew precise 1/4" seams, stop 1/4" from edge and lockstitch, flip and sew from corner to edge, press each section the same way.   

It was very satisfying to sew, but the best thing about this die is that Blue Wren includes alternative pieces to avoid a Y-seam altogether and create more design options.

I was so inspired that I finished in only 5 days: die delivered noon Monday, quilt completed Friday. I have already designed more in EQ8/BlockBase+, and each version has a totally different look.

Dies used:
Blue Wren 6958 Candy Star

Accuquilt
55054 Strip 4½”
55017 Strip 2½”

BlockBase ID: 2725