Harmony Blooms

It was love at first sight for me with  Sweetwater's Harmony fabric.  

The hard part was deciding what to make with the fabric.  I thought about it for a couple of weeks before deciding on Fig Tree's Halloween Blooms pattern.  I actually pieced this pattern using Halloween colors the fall of 2016.  It's not very often I piece the same pattern twice, (so many patterns, so little time)  but for some reason I thought this was a good fit, and it's not like I'll have both quilts out at the same time.

Unlike my original Halloween Blooms quilt, I did not go with a scrappy background and kept the center squares the same color as the outer ones.

I thought this combo resulted in a cleaner look, and I like it.  Like most of the US, it's been dreary, rainy, and cold here, we're past ready for spring, but working with this fabric made it seem like spring in my sewing room.  I loved piecing the blooms so much I added an extra block to each row.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 225

I've named it Harmony Blooms

The fabric is Harmony by Sweetwater for Moda

The pattern is Halloween Blooms by Fig Tree

It finished at 71" x 71"

It has approximately 1,609 pieces.

And here's a little reminder of Blooms Number 1.

I love this Harmony fabric so much I"m going to use my leftovers to make another quilt top.  I'm usually ready to move on to different fabric once I finish one project, but I love this fabric so much and it makes me so happy I'm just going to continue to sew with it.  That's my goal to work with this fabric until spring shows up on my doorstep.

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Halloween Blooms - A Finish . . .

I've finished Halloween Blooms.  Besides being fun to make, I think this top turned out very festive with a great Halloween vibe.

This is Lifetime Quilt Number 187

The pattern is Halloween Blooms by Joanna Figueroa for Fig Tree and Co.  (click here)

It finished at 61" x 70"

It has approximately 1,374 pieces.

The fabric is from several companies, designers and families of fabric, some Halloween themed, ,most not.

I've also pieced my end of project scrap houses.

Four very definitely Halloween houses,

and two not so much.  I love them all.

Next up, do you think I can whip up a pumpkin project in a week?  I'm going to try.  

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Halloween Blooms Update . . . .

The bloom blocks are all pieced and the sashing attached for my Halloween Blooms project.

I went with a scrappy background for my blocks, a change of pace for me.  I don't mind a background with a design, but several in one project is usually too busy for my taste, but I think this scrappy background worked fine.

The hard part, once I decided I could live with  a scrappy background, was deciding on the sashing fabric.

I didn't want the sashing to stand out, but at the same time, I didn't want the sashing to blend in, shockingly I found this sashing fabric in my stash that I think does the job.    It's from the line Bungle in the Jungle, an animal print themed line of fabric.

I just need to add three rows of border fabric and this top will be done.

Halloween Blooms is going so well I'm thinking I'll have time to squeeze in a pumpkin project while it's still pumpkin season,  hurrah!!

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Annual Halloween Sewing

I got a late start on my annual Halloween project.  If you've followed my blog for very long, you may remember that I like to sew my Halloween projects during the Halloween season. Over the years I've pieced some great projects.  In 2014 I pieced Lucy, last year it was Rise and Shine-ish, and this year it's

Halloween Blooms was designed by Joanna Figueroa for Fig Tree & Co.  Available here. It finishes at  61" x 70".  Joanna is also selling a very nice Halloween Bundle of fabric,  available here.  

All three of these last projects have the same theme, orange, black and grey fabric, most of which is not Halloween fabric.  

And here is where I am right now, 15 blocks pieced.  The blocks are fun to make but take much longer than I expected.  I'm lucky if I can get 5 done after an afternoon of sewing.  But it's not a race and I'm enjoying every minute.

On a completely other unrelated topic, I ran across a wonderful pattern that I'm eager to share with you and also eager to make.  It was going to be my next project but all the wonderful pumpkins quilts I'm seeing on social media are testing my reserve.

This is what I love about this pattern, besides just the look in general, it meets a very specific need!  You know all those charm packs that you bought, and love, and wish you had bought layer cakes or fat quarter bundles instead, they are the center of these blocks!!  So  you can turn a favorite charm pack into a 72" x 84" quilt top!

The pattern Candy Bar is by Vanessa Goertzen for Lella Boutique and available here.

Several times I have blogged about a finish and get comments saying they love the fabric and wish they would have bought more, with this quilt you don't need more!  It even works with some scraps you had leftover from a favorite line that you can't get enough of, or maybe gave away and wished you hadn't!

Or maybe you're like me, hoarding a fat quarter bundle for a perfect project, but also have a charm pack you would be willing to use,  I plan to make my Candy Box with Persimmon, after I finish Halloween Blooms, and maybe after that perfect pumpkin quilt.  I must sew faster!!

PS - this is not a paid endorsement, Joanna and Vanessa did not give me free merchandise to promote these patterns, I doubt they even know who I am, just saying.

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