Is it really Fall?

I finally took down my patriotic decor after Labor Day, but with daytime highs still lingering in the 80s it has been hard to get in the spirit of decorating for Fall. Haven't been able to bring myself to drag out the boxes of decorations, but I did hang a few little quilty creations.

Autumn Afternoon (approx. 8x10") now has a home on this Shaker peg rack in my kitchen, along with a little Fall colored basket ornament that turned out a little too wonky to be gifted or sold, so I get to keep it!

I also got the Halloween "Lamb For All Seasons" (adapted from Primitive Gatherings Old Glory Gatherings pattern here) completed and hung (12" square). It is the first thing you see when you enter our living room. Can you even tell there is a crow on the lamb's back? With the dark green background I don't think it is very obvious. The photo makes the whole thing look brighter than it really is.

On Tuesday I signed up to take a class from Kim Diehl on Friday, but it turns out the class isn't until next month, but that is a whole 'nother story!! But it got me thinking about my favorite Kim Diehl patterns, one of which is "All In A Row". I love churn dash blocks, and there is just something about this version that grabs me. I have made a table runner in this style, but never the full quilt. Do you know what is coming next? Could I miniaturize it? Well, you know I have to try.

 The blocks will finish at 1 3/4". The 9-patch centers are 3/4". I think I will sash it with the fabric they are laying on, but I haven't chosen a cornerstone fabric yet.
                                                 

I prepared a couple of them to be ornaments, trying out a pinwheel in the center of one, instead of the 9-patch. I haven't yet stuffed and backed them, but they will be about 1/4" smaller than my pineapple, log cabin, or basket ornaments.









The structure of the churn dash on these blocks is different from the ones in the Disappearing Hourglass. The DH block is divided into three equal sections, so on the bottom one in this photo I tried the DH method. Raewyn threw down the gauntlet when she made a little Disappearing Hourglass block that was only 1 3/8". But I didn't even try to go that small, let alone smaller. This one will finish at about 1 5/8", a whole quarter inch larger than Raewyn's! See, I do make big stuff! : )






There are a bunch of these little 9-patch blocks left from making the centers for those blocks. I have a plan for them that I hope will work. More to come on that.

Kathie Holland (Inspired By Antique Quilts blog) makes the greatest little quilts. Well, she does great bed quilts, too, for that matter. I am so glad she is back blogging. I really missed her.
Recently she posted a sweet little pinwheel quilt which you can see on her blog here.
She sent me a little kit to make my own copy of it. I'm sorry, Kathie, but after making the HSTs I got carried away and cut two small HSTs from each large one. Now, instead of 6 4" finished pinwheels, there will be 12 one and a half inch finished pinwheels. I just get started cutting things down to size and I don't know when to stop. But I am loving these vibrant reds and bold blacks. And what a great border fabric. Thanks, Kathie. I hope you don't mind me messing with your design. I have really enjoyed working on this and hope to have it finished soon.

This beautiful little quilt arrived this month from Doniene. She really has me pegged where color and design are concerned. It went right up in my "Quilts from friends" corner. There was a beautiful scarf that she had made that came, too, but I just realized I didn't have a photo of it.
Such sweet gifts from a generous friend. Thank you!














Well, I am still woefully behind on my UFOs for the year. That mini trunk show in May really derailed me and I am having a hard time getting back on track. My Garden Maze Quilt still languishes on my design wall because I can't find a border fabric I like, so I distract myself with minis. I am a sorry case!

Just thought of how I can tell it really is Fall. Dad's pears are ripe and we enjoyed a lovely pear pie recently. Yummm! I shared the recipe a couple of years ago, but if you missed it and are interested, let me know and I will email it to you.



Until next time,
Janet O.






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