Prairie Paws wall hanging

Hello there, quilting friends! Have you been sewing much in these early weeks of summer? We like to be outdoors as often as possible, taking full advantage of this fleeting season. However, Minnesota (like much of the country) has experienced several stretches of rainy days, as well as days that have been excessively hot and windy. During those times, I don’t feel guilty about hunkering down in my sewing room. One rainy weekend in June, I stitched up this cute and easy table topper from Lori Holt’s new book, Prairie Home.

This small quilt, called Prairie Paws, is really just an oversized bear paw block. I’ve always loved this classic design. Lori’s sample features red and white prints from her Prairie collection. I used black and taupe fabric that I had on hand. The black gingham is from Lella Boutique’s Farmer’s Daughter collection (2017). The black you see in the paw points is Moda Bella Solid Charcoal (9900-284). For my neutral background and my backing, I used two taupe prints from the Honeybloom collection by 3 Sisters.

Since this pattern is bold but simple, I decided the quilting could be simple as well.  I did my own straight-line quilting on the diagonal, two inches apart, using my walking foot and a longer stitch length. (I hopped over the charcoal paw points. I decided I didn’t want quilting stitches running through them.) For thread I used Aurifil Light Sand (2000) in 50wt.

The sweet little floral you see on the binding is from Lella Boutique’s past collection called Olive’s Flower Market (2016). That print is another oldie but goodie I have been saving in my stash. The binding print brings in a touch of color, with wee bits of pink and green.

Lori’s pattern calls for the finished quilt to measure 37 ½” square. I made mine a little smaller because I wanted to hang it in a particular spot in my sewing room. I cut my sashing strips, the center square and my borders all a bit narrower than Lori called for, and my finished quilt measures 32 ½” square . . . just right for this spot on my sewing room wall!

I’ve placed a few meaningful objects on my ledge beneath my new wall hanging. This area is where I do my pressing, so it’s fun to have pretty things to look at. The antique quilt you see is actually my Grandpa Ray’s baby quilt!

My sewing room isn’t fancy, but it’s decidedly cozy. When I’m in this space, I feel productive and happy, even on the rainiest of days. I hope you feel those same things in your sewing space as well! Whether we sew in a nook or a decked-out studio, it’s a blessing to be surrounded by fabric and thread!

Thanks for stopping by. If I haven’t told you lately, be sure to get carried away quilting!

~Taunja

Note: I highly recommend Lori Holt’s new book, Prairie Home, published by It’s Sew Emma. Several times since I purchased the book, I have enjoyed a cup of tea while leafing through the pages. Prairie Home features 41 projects, ranging from table toppers and runners to full sized quilts! The book includes beautiful photography showing the quilts at home, surrounded by pretty décor. At 256 pages with spiral binding, it is of the highest quality. You definitely get your money’s worth in this book. This is not a paid advertisement, it’s just me sharing my recommendation with you all.