Happy September, quilting friends! Have you begun your autumn decorating and sewing projects? The fall decorating flourish hasn’t happened around my house yet, but I did take some glamour shots of an autumn-inspired fat quarter bundle I’ll be using for my next sewing project! My friend Ibby and I recently curated and purchased matching bundles at one of our favorite quilt shops, Sweetwater Cotton Shop in Paynesville, MN. Doesn’t this fabric grouping give you all the fall feels?
A few weeks ago, Ibby and I met at the quilt shop to view a gorgeous new collection called Le Petit Bonheur by Kim Hurley for l’ucello, a fabric design studio in Melbourne, Australia. (Apparently le petit bonheur translated into English means “the small happiness” or “the little joy”. What a lovely name for a fabric collection!) The caramel-colored prints in Le Petit Bonheur stole our autumn loving hearts, and we zipped around the store pulling bolts from several different fabric companies until we were quite happy with our autumn grouping.
Here are some flat shots, including the selvage edges, so that you can see the glorious prints and who designed them. Sweetwater Cotton Shoppe made up a few similar bundles and listed them on their website (search Taunja’s Autumn Bundle). I am not sure if they are still available, but check out their website or give them a call.
With our pretty bundle in hand, selecting a pattern was our next step. After much pondering and texting back and forth, Ibby and I decided to sew the Folk Fables Quilt by Tamara of Remi Vail Studio. Tamara’s sample was made in similar colors, so we could totally envision our bundle shining with this pattern! Plus, she’s a fellow Minnesotan, and so we are supporting a local gal. After this choice was made, I pulled out some left-over yarn from the autumn granny square pillow I crocheted last year, deciding that this project may call for a crocheted pin cushion!
On YouTube, I found a pumpkin granny square tutorial by “More Than Yarn.” Thanks to Alexys’ step-by-step demonstration, I was able to conquer this granny square on the first try! It came out so cute, don’t you think?
This past Sunday, I cut strips for the Folk Fables quilt and made a test block. Then I finished my pin cushion. I crocheted a simple granny square for the back (or bottom) of the pin cushion. Using a slip stich method, I joined the top and bottom squares around a “pillow” of crushed walnut shells. For yarn, I used Basic Stitch by Lion Brand Yarn in the colors honey, blush heather and nutmeg. My hook of choice was a Clover Amour H 5.0 mm.
The Folk Fables quilt will be so quick and easy that I doubt I’ll do any pinning. Still, there’s no harm in having a cute new pincushion sitting near my sewing machine, providing autumn inspiration!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Taunja
