Halloween Figs Sampler Quilt Progress
I’ve been steadily working on a new sampler quilt from Fig Tree & Co. called Halloween Figs. I’ve rarely made anything related to Halloween because for decades I went to an ultra-conservative church that forbade us to have anything to do with that holiday.
Now I’m more middle-of-the-road and I think it’s fine if children want to dress in costumes and ask for candy. It’s only evil if you make it evil. Anyway…
This is the original quilt and isn’t it wonderful? I like it a lot but I wanted to sew from my stash so mine is going to be scrappy. I pulled fabrics from the color drawers a few weeks back.
I’m too impatient to start at the beginning and work my way through the instructions, so I started with blocks that appealed to me most.
Star Bloom from Halloween Figs
I’m not an applique expert and speed is a priority for me, so I window-fused the patches and machine stitched around them. (Window-fusing means that you cut the fusible out from the center of the shape before you iron it to the wrong side of the fabric. It keeps things from getting too stiff.)
Goose in the Pond from Halloween Figs
And who can resist a Goose in the Pond?
Milky Way from Halloween Figs
I made Milky Way and Flying Geese Cross early, too.
Flying Geese Cross from Halloween Figs
I’ve learned that before I go too far, I need to put everything up on the design wall to see how it looks.
I loved all of the blocks but it felt flat and lifeless to me, like it needed some hot sauce. So I expanded the palette of oranges and kept on making blocks.
Above is the first reddish orange I tried. I liked the zing it added!
Bear Paw Star from Halloween Figs
In every block, I asked myself how I could make it more interesting. I added a dark saturated orange to the Bear Paw Star.
Nutmeg Star from Halloween Figs
If you’re going to add crazy, then you have to add it in many places over the surface of the quilt. If you add it in just one or two areas, it will stick out like a sore thumb. So I deliberately continued adding in dark oranges, saturated oranges and reddish oranges.
I went to town on these little stars. So easy and so much fun.
The sewing continues. I love where it’s headed and I’ll be back to show you before long!
This week I’m heading to Colorado to see my son, who has a new job in Carbondale, about three hours west of Denver. It’s not far from Glenwood Springs.
Quilt on!
Diane
This quilt will become part of “Taste Test,” my new trunk show of sampler quilts. I’m booking it for spring of 2021. I have a lot of sampler quilts in my collection now but I have quite a few more I want to make before I offer it to guilds. It’s going to be good!
Give me a buzz and Let’s Talk Quilts!
Tags: color for quilters, halloween figs, make extraordinary scrap quilts, sampler quilts, scrap quilts
Kaye Mattson
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I like the dark, reddish orange fabric, it adds a lot. It’s fun to look at all the different prints that you are using, you have an amazing fabric stash!
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LeAnn Frobom
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Love your blocks! And the addition of the orange red was genius.
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Robin Klein
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I like that you added the richer colors. It certainly gives it depth. The original quilt is beautifully designed but as a teacher told me you need a “zinger” and that is you’re red/orange. Something unexpected but looks like it was meant to be in the quilt. Looking forward to seeing the entire quilt.
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Beverly
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WOW how I love Fig Tree for Halloween, but you have put more excitement into the color pallet – lets say dangerously testing. I know you have the touch to make it perfect in pizzaz- looking forward to your results!
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Linda Ferguson
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Looks Fabulous! The images make me want to run in my sewingroom and start! But then I want to make your candle quilt too! Keep sewing!
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Caren Cooke Ryan
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How totally cute this Halloween quilt is. Hope Diane teacher at Glendale Quilt Guild very soon.
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