It is coming! Fall that is.

      I love Fall even though it brings winter. I love the colors and scenery. I love Fall leaves. As I was going through UFO projects, I found the pieces of Applachian Autumn (Bonnie Hunter pattern) that I started last year. I took the bag apart and tried to remember what in the world I was doing. I definitely needed to cut more HSTs, much more.

     As I dragged out more fabric scraps to get ready for die cutting, I found a freebie  maple leaf pattern. It took 5" Squares, and I have lots of 5" squares cut and sorted by colors. Squirrel!

    Ok, but I needed more and I hate square quilts.

     Ok, more please with the colors.

     Yes, that is it! All from stash. And the backing was a wide piece from Gwen with a strip added on.

Truly magical time

     One of my favorite spots on the planet is the Adirondack area  near Old Forge, NY. We have traveled there every summer for a week in August for over 25 years. In the past 5 years, we have spent 3-4 days in September there also. It is about a 5 hour drive from home in Buffalo, NY. The past couple of years, in fall, we stayed in a tiny cottage on 1st Lake. This year, it was golden- I was able to take over 200 photos that I use as reference for my paintings. Waiting for them to come back from Snapfish.
    One of the best places is the cottage's porch where we eat and drink coffee and just stare at the lake. Every moment, the light changes and enthralls. I can't believe I actually am so blessed to be there.

    The lake has so many faces and nuances depending on the sun, the time of the day, the wind, and so on. Campfires are phenomenal by the lake.

    Nearby, the Moose River as it meanders through the area, has gorgeous marshes and views. Saving those photos for another day. The other lakes in the Fulton Chain (8) are all beautiful as well as Raquette Lake and Blue Mountain Lake where the Adirondack Experience (museum) is. Fall was evident everywhere.

Adirondack Experience (museum)

Seasonal finishes

     I am thrilled that I could finish all the seasonal fall pieces I was working on. I normally give away what I make, but I kept these small items and hung them in my house. I can't believe how much they perk me up and my surroundings. I have always resisted home decor stuff, probably because my mother used plastic and phony flowers everywhere at all seasons. I always try to go for the clean, uncluttered look (except for the studio). These bits of color throughout the house make me smile.

Claimed before FMQ finished

And a couple of blocks that I want to add some more to, but not right now based on free pattern, Rising Star. I have some more different fabrics to cut for maybe 6 more stars.

Fall Fever

     I am not sure why I have resisted making quilts that are seasonal. I know I don't like cutesy. Well, that is over. Fall is coming and it is the only time of the year I enjoy using orange and brown, my least favorite colors. Except for fall.
    Last year, I made some pumpkins from a Bonnie Hunter pattern and made a small wallhanging. And it sat all year unquilted. Originally I was going to big stitch hand quilt it, but I decided it was too busy already. So it sat.
    Inspired by the candy corn that suddenly appeared in the store, I pulled it out and FMQ it on one of my Singer 301s (the mocha one). I just have the gray border to finish and bind it. It is nice to work FMQ on a domestic machine from time to time.

    And then, someone gave me a couple bags of fabric and pieces. There were a bunch of not quite 5" squares sewn together by hand. Really weird hand stitching. The fall colors hooked me even though I normally never look at fabric like this. Here is a photo of a block I did not rip out because the color was wrong.

    I spent one evening sitting outside picking out those seams. After pressing the squares, I chain pieced the blocks in a long chain. I ended up adding 5" squares I had in my box of squares (trimming each one) in chains and pressing them.

    I sliced the blocks down the middle making rectangles. I chain pieced the short sides and then sliced them into 4 patches. I adapted this technique from Missouri Star on Katie's Quilt.

    Once I had 4 patches, I sewed them together and decided to use a cool print for the center and group the 4 patches around it.

    Now I was on a tear, finished sewing this, grabbed the extra pumpkins from last year to make a skinny hanging, and then more 4 patches with black wonky stars for a small table decoration. I plan on buying and adding black rickrack to the bigger one around the center fun fabric. Then I will bind in a black print with a yellow orange flange. Lots of neat seasonal quilt work from someone who was reluctant to do this. I have never been a decorating type or cutesy. However, I bought fall fabric every fall.
    I think Quiltdiva Julie gave me a kick in the pants with her arrangement of holiday pieces on a mantel. Then it fomented in my brain and grabbed some repurposed squares. You just never know.

 

Reflect on fall

      Today is the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday was a blur of cooking and cleanup. In the past, I was out the door very early at Black Friday sales chasing down fabric bargains. This year, there does not seem to be those in person sales. The few local fabric stores here are selling online and shipping or curb pickup next week. Most of the joy in fabric shopping is doing it with real people and feeling fabric. I have looked at some fabric online, but no big bargains for the day. I miss shopping with friends, seeing other people's ideas in the stores, and discusssing ideas for fabrics. I am not a loner and although I work alone alot, I am not ashamed to say I need other people, real, not just virtual.
      To cheer myself up, I looked back over the photos I took this fall outdoors. I still have some snapdragons inside in a vase that I saved when I emptied my pots this week. Maybe I should pull out my paints and work up some magic on paper.

My lacey Japanese Maple

My ginko and other Japanese Maple

My Endless Summer hydrangea

My Sunset Maple

Landscape from Saegertown, PA

Across the street at my son's house- Sunset maple, Tulip trees

My Mum

One of the last Zinnias

And lastly, the last hydrangea flower which resembled a heart- very encouraging to me!

Squeezing out every bit of color

     On Sunday, the rain and wind hit. Saturday, for a brief period, the sun was out so I ran to photo the trees around my street. We have not received a killing frost yet, so the leaves were slow to turn and flowers still blooming. I refuse to yank out the flowers so I can plant the bulbs. This means I will probably be planting the bulbs in very cold weather, but I am not letting one flower get by me. It will be a long winter with nothing.
     When I look at the fall leaves and see the great variety of shades and colors, I know why I am a scrap quilter- I just don't want to see just one single shade or hue. If only I could make my quilts sparkle as wonderfully as these trees.

The best shaped coneflower I had all year

The biggest grouping of hydrangea blooms all year

Lace cap hydrangea

Leaves of lace cap/endless summer variety

Hardy mums that actually come back every year

My neighbors rose that always saves some blooms for late fall

The last snapdragons

I can't pull these out to plant bulbs