Though it’s still warm, summer is over.  The kids are back to school and the weather will be changing soon.  And before we know it Halloween will be here.   Here’s some cute Halloween patterns.

Hang this Trick or Treat Banner on your front porch or in your window to let the neighborhood kids know that you are “open for business” – you have candy and are welcoming ‘trick-or-treaters’!  It’s a felted wool design with hand embroidery…. cute and colorful, and just a little wacky.

There’s quite a dance going on here with the Goofy Ghosts leading the way.  The Circle of Friends includes pumpkins, owls, bats and even the brooms are taking part, dancing around the center of black cats.  The applique can be done by hand or machine – your choice.

October Jacks is a quick, cute 12″ x 12″ project with a 3D look to it.  The button bat, the eyes on the tree and even the rope on the fence give this quilt a unique look.

Would real Bats In The Belfry give you the shivers?  They would me!  I’ll take them contained in this table runner, thank you very much.  Instructions are included for place mats, too.  Perfect for a halloween party.

BFF Trick or Treat is one of a series of Thistledown’s unique “Swap-lique” patterns. The clothing and accessories can be all be changed.  Pattern includes 6 costumes, 5 hairdos and fun accessories.

Grab a glass of cider and browse the rest of the Halloween patterns.  Beware of the goblins!

Susan Knapp and Mary Jane Mattingly of The Quilt Branch have written a series of books titled “Six Halves Make A Whole”.  Each book has several projects each of which can be made with six half yard cuts of fabric.   Fabric Bundles are bundles of fabric from a fabric collection - you can choose 1/4 yard cuts, whole yard cuts, or half yard cuts – perfect for pairing with “Six Halves” books!

Six Halves Make A Whole Christmas has patterns for Christmas Stockings, a tree skirt, pillow shams, and lap quilts.  The Holiday Medley fabric bundle would pair with this book nicely.

The first book, simply Six Halves Make A Whole.  Try the Farmland fabric bundle with this book.  The Farmland Bundle has 7 fabrics.  Make your quilt with 6 of them and use the 7th for the binding. Or, for your resident sports fan, use the Sports Xtreme Patch fabric bundle.

Six Halves Make A Whole Lot More has patterns for five quilts and a set of placemats.   Pair this book with the Petite Odile fabric bundle.  The 7 fabrics of Petite Odile feature greys and muted reds reminiscient of 19th century France.  Enough fabric for your quilt and for your binding.  Or use that extra piece as part of your backing.

Two more books in the series are Six Halves Make A Whole Sampler

and Six Halves Make A Whole Starburst.

What fabric bundle would you use for these two books?

>We might not be having fall weather yet, but it is September so we all know that it’s coming.   The summer adventures are behind us and we’re looking ahead to fall activities and holidays.   During the ‘in-between’ you have time to make a wall hanging to dress your home for the season.  Here are just a few suggestions . . . .

This scarecrow looks like he is thinking about job security!  If the farmer sees all the birds hanging around he just might be getting his pink slip, so he’s hollering Shoo!, apparently to no avail.

Nothing says fall like apples and apple picking.  This Apple wall hanging measures 22″ square.   A combination of patchwork and applique, this quilt pattern is also available with fabric: Apple Complete Kit.

Soon we’ll be treated to the annual Autumn Cascade of colorful leaves.  We love to see the colors on the trees, and watch the colorful leaves floating to the ground.  Raking them, well that’s another matter altogether!  Enjoy them on your wall – no raking required!

Book 3 in the Table Topper Series is Fall.  Susan and Mary Jane of The Quilt Branch provide instructions for three fall themed table toppers.  You can make one for each fall month.

This Fall Sampler wallhanging pattern also includes instructions for a scarecrow table runner pattern.  Two patterns in one!

Visit the Fall Quilt Patterns section of our website to see lots more patterns.

Country Manor is a collection of  beautiful deep browns, roses, creams and a touch of sage.   And we’re giving away five fat quarters!

And the winner of the five fat quarters is…..  VickiT! 

When we posted our Country Manor Fat Quarter Giveaway we asked you to comment and tell us your favorite fabric collection and said we would choose a winner with a random number generator.

Vicki said “There are so many beautiful fabrics that it was very hard to choose just one. I think Carolines Collection is possibly my favorite. I could see that being used to make adorable dresses, a little quilt and other things for my 6 month Granddaughter”

Congratulations, Vicki!   Happy sewing!

You’re working on your first quilt.  (HURRAY!)  You have your basic tools: sewing machine, cutting mat, ruler, rotary cutter.  You have a pattern.  And you have your fabric.  Time to dive in!

Here are a few tips for cutting successfully.

• Make sure your work surface is steady.   If you don’t have a dedicated workspace, your kitchen or dining room table are better options than a card table.
• If your rotary cutter doesn’t close automatically, always retract the blade and put it in the closed postition before setting it down.  Make it a habit.  The blade is extremely sharp.
• Read your pattern cutting instructions all the way through before beginning.
• Cut the larger pieces first, then move on to the next smallest and so forth, cutting the smallest pieces last.
• Some designers includes tips on efficient cutting – use them!

Let’s begin…

First you will need to square up the end of your fabric to prepare it for the first cut.  Fold your fabric in half with the selvedges together and smooth it out.  Have the folded edge nearest you.

Lay your fabric on your cutting mat with fold nearest you, and the selvedges farthest away.   Place your ruler close to the cut edge with one of the lines even with the folded edge.  Cut to trim the edge of the fabric straight.

Turn your fabric over so the fold is still nearest you but so that the trimmed edge is on the left side instead of the right.  Don’t worry about the lines on the mat – you won’t be using them.

In this picture, a 2 1/2″ strip is to be cut, so 2 1/2″ of fabric is placed under the ruler with one ruler line (the 2 1/2″ line) along the cut edge, and another ruler line (one of the ones that goes across, not up and down) is right along the fold line.

Cut.

When you need to subcut your strips into smaller pieces, repeat the process of getting one edge straight as you cut off the selvedges.   In the picture below you can see that the 10″ line on the ruler is lined up along the edge of the fabric strip.

Then turn your strip and cut the correct size.  Below an 8 1/2″ piece is being cut.  Again, notice a straight line on the ruler lined up along a cut edge.

Continue until you have all your pieces cut.  It’s helpful to pin a piece of paper to some of your cut pieces so you can easily identify them as you are putting your quilt together.

Next step, sewing.  WooHoo!

Country Manor by Paula Barnes for Marcus Fabrics is a collection of browns, roses, and creams with a soft romantic look.  

 They would look great in a living room or bedroom.  And we’re giving away a bundle of FIVE FAT QUARTERS!  All you have to do is leave a comment (the comment button is just above the title of the post), and tell us what is your favorite fabric collection – besides this one, of course!  

If (when?!) you win, here are a couple patterns that only require four fat quarters.  That leaves the last fat quarter for the binding – perfect!

 This is the original Fat Quarter Table Runner by Out of the Blue.   With strip piecing it’ll be finished before you know it, and since it is quilt-as-you-go, when it’s finished it’s already quilted!

Sondra Davison designed several more Table Runners in this series.  Each of them only needs four fat quarters.  Here’s a few of them.

Fat Quarter Table Runner V

Fat Quarter Table Runner III

Fat Quarter Table Runner VII

Remember, to enter the giveaway, just leave a comment telling us the name of your favorite fabric collection - besides this one, of course!   The comment button is just above the title of this post.

Do that and you’ll have a chance at winning FIVE FAT QUARTERS of these beautiful fabrics…

Giveaway is open until midnight (CST) Thursday, August 30th.   Winner will be selected by random number generator.

 US residents only.