Once we get to October in Wisconsin, we really can't deny that fall is here. Sure, there are still green leaves on most of the trees, but we know it won't be that way at the end of the month when little costumed creatures come begging for treats.
I'm trying to stay more "in the moment", and enjoy fall without my usual dread of the coming winter. This little "squirrel" is helping me--a fall table runner for the dining room.
I saw one like it on the internet (don't lots of quilts start out like that?), but there was no pattern. So I made up my own, and added the borders on the ends to make it longer and to include a leaf print. Just about any 8 in. block would do for this kind of runner. I made 10 blocks and set them side to side. Many of the pieces are 2.5 in. squares from those little packets you see at quilt shops. Some, especially the cheddar ones, are from the scrap bag I bought at Quilt Expo last month.
The back was a larger scrap I've had for a while. I had to piece it Frankenstein style to make it both long enough and wide enough.
We decorated for Halloween this week, with Little Buddy's help. There are plastic skeletons everywhere.
As long as I'm avoiding working on the big Wagon Trail quilt (see last post), I might as well make some spiky stars. The Rainbow Scrap Challenge colors for October are brown and black. Here are my brown ones.
Brown is a great color for 1800s reproduction quilts. Antique quilts with lots of brown in them were generally made before 1900, when brown fell out of fashion.
I have lots of brown repro scraps in my stash, so I made sure to use two colors in each star instead of just one.
Gotta love stripes.
My windowsill garden is still blooming, except for the poor African violet I am trying to resurrect. Do you see the blunt tips on the aloe plant? One of my grandsons likes to snip off the tip and drink the juice. The plant doesn't mind at all, and neither do I.
I hope you have a lovely week ahead, and if any squirrels come to call, tell them I said hi.
Linking up today with:
So scrappy
Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Alycia Quilts
Oh Scrap
your quilts are charming... and interesting to know Wisconsin is slightly behind us in snow... we're due in Aurora CO this coming week. Oy vey. Let the fun begin. We barely got out of the 90's last week and now snow. Too hot to too cold in one week! Hope your fall lasts longer! Nice to meet you, we'll have to stay in touch... LeeAnna at not afraid of color
ReplyDeleteHi, LeeAnna! We visited Colorado one summer and loved it. But it was definitely hot! Good luck with your snow, once it starts here for real it generally stays a long time. Love your blog, BTW.
DeleteYea for you to make up a table runner! I like it lots!
ReplyDeleteThanks, grammajudyb! I do like fall colors.
DeleteYour new table runner looks great. So nice that you had just enough of the backing fabric, after a bit of adjusting to get it to fit.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jenny! I really wouldn't take no for an answer from that backing fabric. Another scrap bites the dust.
DeleteLove that fall table runner and your spikey stars! I've never been successful with African violets, either. My mother-in-law gave me a giant one of hers when they moved to Florida and I was aghast when it died in my care! :-(
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebecca Grace! My condolences on your African violet. Why is it that my orchid thrives on almost no care at all, and the poor violet has been at death's door for nearly a year?
DeleteThat is a beautiful tablerunner- perfect for fall! I love how the stars sort of intertwine. I think your Little Buddy must be a great help with decorating!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Diann! Little Buddy's enthusiasm makes up for his lack of design sense--he wants to put everything in the same spot!
DeleteWhat a lovely new runner, Sylvia! Your RSC Stars are looking good, too. QAYG is running rampant in my quilt group. One member has made SEVEN quilts that way in recent months and others have jumped on board!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joyful! Wow, maybe QAYG is coming back! It was big in the early 80s, but we did the quilting by hand then.
DeleteWhat a great new runner for the season! And your spiky stars look really good in brown. You're right that brown isn't really "in fashion," and yet lots of furniture is brown: leather couches, wooden tables, etc. So a brown quilt will look good in so many home :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Louise! I have always loved brown, maybe because it was really big in the 1960s when I was growing up. We have mostly antiques in our house, and brown fits in very well.
DeleteEvery time I see those spikes stars I think I need to make them. But I have enough squirrels invading my sewing room right now. Thanks for sharing your lovely projects with Oh Scrap!
ReplyDeleteWatch out for those squirrels! They can be very demanding.
DeleteSay hi to your little buddies skinny friend. The table runner turned out very well and you had good luck with the backing. I love the brown repro fabrics in your stars. I used to raise African violets. What you can do is prepare a fresh pot or two, cut off a couple of the good leaves with stem and try rooting them in the new soil. Lots of luck!
ReplyDeleteHi, Paula B! I'll tell Mr. Bones you said hello. Thanks for the hint on the African violet. I should go for it, I haven't got a lot to lose, poor little plant.
DeleteFun squirrel! Squirrels are very busy right now, you know. I love that you have a helper decorating with skeletons. The one by the table cracks me up— like someone waited too long for dinner, which might be true at the home of a quilter working on a squirrel. I’m voting to bring brown back. I really enjoyed working with it this month.
ReplyDeleteHi, JanineMarie! I love your theory on the demise of Mr. Bones. It's the kind of thing that can happen WHEN SQUIRRELS ATTACK.
DeleteOctober in Louisiana is still quite hot, though I've noticed a few leaves dropping. I'm hoping the cooler weather gets here by the time the rest of the skeletons arrive. I love the table runner with the skeleton on the end of the table. It's a fun surprise.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary! My mom lives in Oklahoma, and she has about the same weather you are having. Fall is really warm there. Once it was 75 degrees on Thanksgiving Day, and we all went for a walk. Here, we're lucky if it doesn't snow.
DeleteIts a perfect table runner and will make fall wonderful!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alycia!
DeleteLove your table runner! Cold weather is coming early isn't it? We'll get it a day ahead of you here in the Twin Cities, but I pulled my geraniums in tonight for the season. Frosty nights for the next week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jean Belle! We're going to need to get out our wool and flannel pretty soon, I'm afraid. I'd better make sure my wool socks are handy!
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