Pumpkin Harvest Quilt

It's Pumpkin Harvest time - and with a coupon too!

Just look at all of those pumpkins out there in the field!

This 51" x 69" lap quilt started as a spin off of my Pumpkat Patch table runner, 

since I've always loved the combo of pumpkins and leaves. In case you didn't already know, I do like cats too, and have played around with more pumpkin/cat settings, though they still need work - hah!

Anyway, I love how these pumpkins just pop off the black background! Of course, with all that orange and green, they'd pop off a grey or a cream background too!

That's one of the solid color pumpkins, while here's a pumpkin that's scrappy:

Combining the two styles in the quilt really adds to the interest, keeping the eye moving around that pumpkin field, wanting you to pick out your favorite!

As for the quilting on this: swirls in the scrappy pumpkins (thanks Vicki of Vicki's Crafts and Quilting for that idea!), curved lines on the solids, and veins in the leaves and stems. 

The background is a fairly large stipple, mainly because I wanted this quilt to be soft and snuggly, and anything fancy would be hard to see on the black. The quilting is easier to see on the really pretty backing fabric.

If you look closely, you'll see how I quilted up to the HST's in the border, stitched-in-the-ditch around them, then came out again, keeping the flow of the stipple.

Are you ready for a Pumpkin Harvest in your house? So that you can get started and enjoy the quilt this fall, use the coupon 'Pumpkin25' for 25% off the Pumpkin Harvest pattern at Etsy, now through Oct 6, 2018! 

Happy Quilting everyone!

Midweek Makers #142

Welcome to Midweek Makers!  After a mega focus session last week, yesterday I finally got a chance to do some general housekeeping and catch my breath. Though I don't have any new projects to share, I do have some fun things to show.

First up, is the over 20 yards of fabric I scored at our guild meeting on Monday:
this collection of fun Halloween prints, cause I've always wanted to make a scrappy Halloween quilt but just didn't have the fabrics,

and a random assortment of fabrics - just cause I liked 'em - with some of them a minimum of 2 yards - great for backings!

Do I need more fabric? No. Did I get told that at the meeting? Yes. 
Did I ignore those comments? Yes, and proceeded to make my purchases!

Next up for fun was this really cute addition to one of my birdhouses in the Welcome to My Birdhouse, compliments of Dione of Clever Chameleon Quilting - it so made me laugh!

                                              

In case you didn't know, Dione, while she's not creating beautiful quilts, runs the Tuesday Colour Linky Party, another great place to meet quilters - check it out next week.

                                                                   

But enough about what put a smile on my face this week - let's put one on yours with these pumpkins:

from Vicki's Crafts and Quilting,

                                               

from Quilt Bee,

                                            

and last, but not least, from Desert Sky Quilts.

                                 

And I promise to finally reveal all of my pumpkins on Friday - I'm pumpkin crazy right now!

So let's get movin' on to this week's Midweek Makers - what are you working on? We'd really love to see! 
Come link up, keeping these simple guidelines in mind:

• Please link directly to your specific post, not your main blog page.
• Visit and leave a comment to two links: the one before and the one after your own. Everyone loves visitors, comments, and encouragement!
• Bring a friend! Invite your fellow bloggers to the party by spreading the word! 
• Please link to www.QuiltFabrication.com in your post or on your sidebar with the Midweek Makers badge.

Happy Quilting everyone!

An InLinkz Link-up

Pumpkin Update

The pumpkin quilt is almost done - here's a sneak peek!

This is the scrappy pumpkin block that's in the quilt - and you're the first to see it. And that real leaf? It was one of several that dropped on the quilt while I took pictures. It's definitely fall!

I was so hoping to have everything ready today to reveal the whole quilt, but both pattern editing and a photo re-shoot are taking up a ton of time.

Since I've been tied to either the sewing machine or the computer, it's cut into the social aspect of blogging - absolutely no time for that! Which also means there's not a lot to write about here today. 

So, I'll just keep you in suspense for a few more days until the final reveal, and then things can get back to normal.

Happy Quilting!

Quilts for the Festival

It's September, which means another Blogger's Quilt Festival is underway at Amy's Creative Side!

Quilts to enter, beautiful quilts to see, and prizes to win - such a fun event each year!

I always have a tough time choosing my two entries, as I'm sure other bloggers do to. I have so many favorites this year but I think I'll go with these:

Strawberry Splendor,

with elegant strawberries and blossoms;

and my newest, Welcome to My Birdhouse,

a modern wall hanging to welcome guests to my home.

I'm in love with the clean, contemporary look of these two quilts, which is a big component of my style. A recent comment I received from LJ said it best:  "I love your bright quilts but also their simple complexity - they never look 'muddy' ". 

I strive to make quilts that are clear, make sense, and look more difficult than they are.  I also strive to write clear, detailed patterns explaining how to make my quilts:  they're available at Craftsy and Etsy for you to decorate your own home.

So enough about my quilting philosophy! How about you -  do you have quilts to enter? Pick you're favorite two quilts from this year, write a post about them, and get 'em entered! Don't forget to leave a comment for Amy as an entry for the prizes - there's lots of great stuff up for grabs!

Ready for that eye candy? Then hop over to the Blogger's Quilt Festival to see all of the beautiful quilts on display!

Happy Quilting!

Midweek Makers #141

Welcome to Midweek Makers! October is fast approaching, which means pumpkins, leaves, and the scary stuff of Halloween! 

I'm almost finished with my pumpkin harvest quilt,

though the pieces are still on the design wall. Leaving it in the block stage allows me to double check everything while writing the pattern. 
It's important it all works out!

And I'm not the only one thinking about orange, black, and green. 
Check out these projects from last week:

from Podunk Pretties,

                                           

from Made by Marney,

                                             

and this from JBigg's Scrap Pieces.

                                                   

Feeling the love of those colors yet? Even if you're not, come link up what you're working on!

• Please link directly to your specific post, not your main blog page.
• Visit and leave a comment to two links: the one before and the one after your own. Everyone loves visitors, comments, and encouragement!
• Bring a friend! Invite your fellow bloggers to the party by spreading the word! 
• Please link to www.QuiltFabrication.com on your post.

Thank you for sharing and enjoy the party!

An InLinkz Link-up

In the Swimming Pool - My Happy Place Row

My day has arrived for the My Happy Place Rowalong, hosted by Marian of Seams to be Sew! And here is my current happy place - In the Swimming Pool!

The Back Story

Yes, hard to imagine that anything involving exercise could be a happy place, but after 25 years of swimming with the Stanford Masters program, I'm happy that I'm still there.

You see, 30 years ago, I was treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma, and upon approaching the five year mark, I decided I needed to commit to a life of exercise. Having grown up on a lake, swimming was a natural fit, especially since it could be done year round in CA.

Fast forward to two years ago. After so many years of swimming, I started having neck/shoulder issues, and sought physical therapy. Turns out, I wasn't using the right muscles to swim, causing pain and numbness. 

Now I'm on a mission to change my stroke, and build up the proper muscles in my back. It hasn't been easy, but I'm getting there, and I find that I really enjoy swimming again. Of course, with a Master's workout, I can also let the diet go a bit - I just work harder to burn off any extra calorie intake!

So, yes, in the swimming pool is my happy place.

Fabrics/Construction

This row is really simple to construct, thanks to the wonderful water/wave fabric from Northcott. The company was kind enough to contribute fabric for the rowalong, and this Northcott Artisan Spirit Shimmer, Blue Lagoon (20425M-45) is perfect! Below is their picture,

and this is what it really looks like.

Using Kona Cotton Solids to add a few lane lines and an applique swimmer, and this row is complete!

The In the Swimming Pool row pattern is free at Craftsy thru September 24, 2018 - get it while you can! Notice I haven't quilted my row - plans may involve it becoming part of a larger swimming themed quilt - we shall see.

The Hop Schedule

We are now two weeks into the hop with plenty still to see! Be sure to visit all of these creatives who have rows to share (free for 1 week) and giveaways to enter:

Tuesday September 4, 2018

The Quilt Rambler

Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
Cheryl LaPlante

Patti’s Patchwork

Thursday September 6, 2018

Pretty Piney 

Ms P Designs USA
Creatin’ in the Sticks

Freemotion by the River

Any Pattern

Be A Quilter

Tuesday September 11, 2018

Barbara Dieges

Upstairs Hobby Room
Quilt Art

UlaSewing / SzycieUli

Thursday September 13, 2018

Pumpkin Patch BC

Sew Incredibly Crazy
A Quilting Chick

Patchwork Breeze

Tuesday September 18, 2018

Just Let Me Quilt

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs
Quilt Fabrication

Renee’s Quilting Addiction

Made By Marney

Thursday September 20, 2018

Clever Chameleon

Adventurous Applique and Quilting
Heleen Pinkster Quilt Design

Cynthia’s Creating Ark

Seams To Be Sew

Tuesday September 25, 2018

Songbird Designs/Brenda’s Blog

Powered By Quilting
Kissed Quilts

Happy Sewing Room

Sew Joy Creations

Thursday September 27, 2018

BobbininQuilts

Daydreams of Quilts
The Quilted Snail

Scrapdash

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Words & Stitches

True Blue Quilts
Miss Loreen’s Schoolhouse

Meanderings Along Lizard Creek

Creativeblonde

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Quilt In Piece

Jaded Spade Creations
Mountain Meadow Designs

Masterpiece Quilting

Pamela Quilts

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Show and Tell Day

Words & Stitches

Upstairs Hobby Room
Powered By Quilting

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Clever Chameleon

Creatin’ in the Sticks

Sew Joy Creations

And a big thank you to Marian of Seams to be Sew for orgainizing this yearly rowalong!

The Giveaways!

Another big thank you to the wonderful sponsors who have donated these fabulous prizes! 

Enter via Rafflecopter to win a package of Hobbs Tuscany Cotton/Wool - Throw size, approximate value $16, with worldwide shipping via Hobbs. Giveaway ends Sept 25, 2018.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

But we're not finished yet - enter to win Electric Quilt version 8 quilting software, a $239.95 value! 

I have used EQ since version 6, and find it extremely helpful in designing quilts - and you will too! Prize will be delivered via email as a coupon code to use at purchase. 

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter entry form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For the complete rules of the rowalong, including a full list of designers, sponsors, plus giveaway entry rules, please visit Seams to be Sew, our wonderful hostess.  

Previous Years Rows

And just for fun, here's the row from last year:

Let It Snow

which is now a full wall hanging pattern,

and the year prior:

Silicon Valley Road Home

still available as a free download on Craftsy.

Enjoy the hop and good luck on the giveaways!

It's All About the Birds

On Friday, I unveiled my newest wall hanging pattern, Welcome to My Birdhouse.

And many of you commented how you love birds, watching them outside your window, or participating in bird sightings.

In case you didn't already know, I, too, love birds! Outside my studio window, I have two hummingbird feeders, the dish kind from Droll Yankee (affiliate link), for a total of four around the house. 

Usually, there's only one hummer there at a time - the others get chased off. But you can't beat this style of feeder - they're so easy to clean!

In the backyard, we have a terrific squirrel proof feeder for the finches and such.

Years ago, my in-laws had bought me a traditional feeder for my birthday, and I tried everything to keep the squirrels out.

Frustrated, we found the Squirrel Buster Plus Bird Feeder (affiliate link) online, 

which closes up the feeder holes if there's too much weight on the perch. And no more squirrels raiding the feeder! They're confined to cleaning up what drops on the ground, leaving more seed for the birds.

Now back to quilts. Not only do I have the bird houses above, but I also have a quilt featuring those more traditional bird feeders, though I don't think you'll find any squirrels here.

Winter Feed is my favorite wintertime wall hanging - it can be on display for at least two months. And who can resist seeing pretty red birds during the those long winter months? BTW, this also comes in a kit, if you're interested.

And when I was a more beginner quilter, I made this adorable White Birches quilt, 

another winter favorite.

So yes, I like birds. And as I told Wendy, someday I'd love to have a falcon on my hand -they're such awesome birds - maybe I'll take up falconry as my next hobby!

Happy Quilting, and may your feeder always be full!