Pumpkins on Parade in APQ
Today I’m happy to introduce a new quilt design, Pumpkins on Parade, which appears in the Sept/Oct issue of American Patchwork & Quilting.
Quilted by Julie Lechner @beenquiltin
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2023 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.
This issue is on newsstands now and there are lots of great quilts inside. I love the cover quilt by Joanna Figueroa. Get a digital issue instantly right here.
A few years back I had the idea of putting an object at the intersection of an Irish Chain-type of block, and I fleshed it out in this new design.
Quilted by Julie Lechner @beenquiltin
Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2023 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.
I used a variety of autumn-hued fabrics from Northcott and Figo. I wanted the details like windows and doors to show up nicely so I chose mostly tone-on-tones and small, subtle prints.
in Pumpkins on Parade.
There are five different pumpkin designs. Each has a different little block at the center. The piecing is small enough to give a wow factor without being so tiny as to scare anyone off—kind of a sweet spot!
I’m always adding to my trunk shows that I present to quilt groups across the US and Canada. Because of the different pumpkin blocks (and the houses, too, come to think of it) this quilt qualifies as a sampler.
Now it goes into my “Taste Test Trunk Show: Unexpected Sampler Quilts.”
(I’d love to share it with your quilt group!)
One thing you might not see immediately is that I made some of the houses different. You can easily move the door and/or the chimney from one side of the block to the other.
You can make two chimneys if you like! And the window right above the door is optional—leave it in or remove it, as you wish. These little details make a quilt more engaging, more fun to look at!
One thing to notice is that the colors in the quilt do not “match.” Orange has red at its core, and all reds clash well, so I mixed it up a lot with these oranges.
There is brick, rust, salmon, pumpkin and orange-orange. I even went out on a limb with hot pink and they all look great together! Here’s a tip:
Matching is for getting dressed, not for making a quilt. 😊
A little clash goes a long way with a scrappy quilt like this. Clashing adds interest, vitality and texture.
Don’t shy away from a bit of clash. It is your friend!
You know how I love a great border to finish off a quilt, and I seriously considered a scalloped border here. I decided against it because I thought there was enough going on in the middle. But you don’t know unless you audition on a design wall and really consider what it would look like.
One other thing to notice is that I used two different backgrounds. The house ground is slightly gray, and it stands out from the pumpkin chain ground. I wanted them just slightly off from each other to add depth and interest, and I think it worked. The quilt looked pretty flat with just one background.
But maybe you like it better this way, and that’s all right. These differences of opinion make the world go ’round!
In quilting there is room for all the ways of thinking, seeing and doing.
Be sure to pick up this issue when you see it at the store, as I have fun things in store but you’ll need the pattern. Don’t miss it! It’s on newsstands until Oct 6 but sometimes they run out. 😊 Or grab a digital issue right here and have it instantly!
Happy Quilting,
Images used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2023 Meredith Operations Corporation. All rights reserved.
Tags: american patchwork and quilting, APQ, fabric savvy, fall quilts, house block, house quilts, Irish Chain, make extraordinary scrap quilts, quilt design, scrap quilts, stashbandit, trunk shows
Jan
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I’m liking the quilt with the ‘clashes’ in it. Not sure I would have been brave enough to do it!! Now that I see it done I’ll have to try it.
Jeanne Prue
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My first thought when seeing your quilt in the magazine was, how clever! Sort of a sampler of houses, plus a pumpkin sampler. All scrappy goodness – of course, it’s yours! Love it!
Amy Falise
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Oh Diane! I just got my copy of APQ magazine in the mail today and I’m so excited to dive into it, especially now that I know you’ve got a quilt in it! I did notice the slightly different backgrounds and I do like it, it gives the quilt dimension. I did not, however, notice the difference in the house until you pointed it out, and I like that too! Great color combinations, and the small detail inside each pumpkin really gets my attention. What a great quilt!
Diane Harris
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Thank you, Amy!! I appreciate your enthusiasm!! 😊😊😊
Jennifer Grist
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A great way to tweak and combine two well known blocks, excellent result.