fall freebie

To all of you fall and autumn lovers out there, here is a freebie featured on Craftsy. I intinially intended for this 10 x 12 inch block to be an add-on to the "Bad Kitty" pattern, but you can use it as a stand alone mini quilt, large mug rug or small placemat.

I really enjoyed making this and love how you can design things by sewing small squares and flipping to make new edges. I was tempted to design it with foundation paper piecing, but thought everyone (new quilters and experienced) would benefit more from the sew, cut and flip method. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Freebie from easypatchwork found on Craftsy

Here is what a quilt could look like by exchanging the cat and bat blocks for the double pumpkins and a stand alone pumpkin block:

Design Idea

There is no free tutorial for the "standing alone" pumpkin. If you are interested in this version and would like to buy the printed Bad Kitty in the Pumpkin Patch pattern (no PDF), I would be happy to give the dimensions to you. Please contact me karen@easypatchwork.de

If you make something with the free mini double pumpkins, please post on social media using the hashtag: #easypatchworkminipumpkins

Thank you and enjoy your fall!

bad kitty in the pumpkin patch

As a good "American," I decided not only to get ready for the Halloween season early this year, but I also designed a new table topper that everyone can make. You see, my husband is getting onto me every year that I don't decorate the house a little bit better for Halloween. He knows this is one of my favorite holidays, but I am a bit lazy when it comes to decorating for a specific season other than Christmas.

This whimsical table topper features two applique kitties, one on each side as well as four FPP bats, one intertwined pumpkin stem block and four log cabin pumpkins. I tell you, it is really fun to make something using all of your skills as a quilter. I am not too fond of applique, but this is the easiest way to make that kitty. It is all raw-edge applique, but you can just add 1/4 to the templates using two pencils taped together and outlinging the original shape to make your turned-applique templates. The kitty is truly made of minimal parts and the accent quilting is just gorgeous! A big thanks goes out to Sabine of Quilt-Oase in Nersingen, Germany who did the most specatcular job on the spider web, cat legs and dangling spider quilting!!

The new pattern consists of 12 pages with a handout of all FPP and applique templates scaled at 100%. Once again, there is no need for scaling on my patterns. You can find the new pattern in my Etsy Store (easypatchworkshop) or at your local German quilt shop. If you own a quilt shop anywhere in the world and would like to sell this pattern, please contact me directly. This pattern is available only in English.

I used fabrics from the Hocus Pocus collection from Sandy Gervais for Moday and Riley Blake Fabrics - Eek Boo Shriek Creme Dot for the background. The acid green eyes are actually Chartreuse from Kona Cotton by Robert Kaufman Fabrics.

Material Requirements:

1 yard background fabric
1 yard 2 1/2" strips various prints for pumpkins and border
1 yard black for cat, bats, stems and border
scraps of acid green and pink for the applique kitty nose and eyes
1/2 yard of each - fusible web and applique interfacing

This pattern is for intermediate quilters.

Have fun and thank you for stopping by!

halloween quilts

Hello Everyone! I would like to share with a quilt I received from my Doll Quilt Montly Swap partner, Lorna. We decided not to go with the monthly theme of "Back to School" and make Halloween Quilts for each other instead. Lorna lives in the UK and doesn't really celebrate Halloween, so it gave her a chance to be a little creative and jump out of her comfort zone. She made this really beautiful Halloween Dresden using Halloween and linen fabrics. I was totally happy to have received it! She did a really fantastic job at quilting it as well! Thank you Lorna!

Halloween is just around the bend, and it has totally escaped me this year, again. I have hardly decorated at all and don't know what to dress the kids up as. I guess I should ask them, shouldn't I? Every year I think about Halloween costumes and never make one. And then, I decide I will make them at Fasching or Mardi Gras. That doesn't usually happen either! One of my goals for next year is to make clothing for my daughter, so costumes are also included. I think I will ask her today what costume we should sew for her for Kinderfasching! It will probably be a princess since she still very much likes pink! ;-)

Do you celebrate Halloween? Do you decorate your home? Do you scare Trick or Treaters or turn the light out when they come around?

Enjoy your week!
Karen

happy halloween

Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year and is slowing starting to come here to Germany. About five years ago, no one did anything for Halloween. Now, you can find parties and some of the kids even go trick or treating. I passed out treats in Kindergarten one year and even told about the tradition and how it came about. It is actually a very old Celtic holiday.

We will carve our pumpkins tonight and light them to scare away the evil spirits who lurk the darkness before "Allerheiligen." If my kids decide to dress up, I even have a few ghostly treats for them.

Here is a table topper I made for Halloween a couple of years ago. I never quite finished it, but I still wanted to share. It is one of those patterns that you just have to make, and it doesn't matter when - just do it. It was featured in the September/October issure of Quiltmaker in 2009 No. 129. It was designed by Marilyn Larson of of North Dakota. Mine is still lacking the finishing touches such as the eye lashes, backing, quilting..finishing.

I also made a Scribbles Monsters II wallhanging last year. The panel is from Clothworks. And yes, it isn't finished either. I added some "Juggling Summer" fabric to it which gave it a nice modern feel. Hope you enjoy. You can see the rest of the photos on my flickr feed here.

Happy Halloween! Stay safe. Don't eat too much candy! Give out some healthy treats too such as tattoos or pencils.