October’s arrival always has me a bit wistful, accepting the fact that we are indeed saying good bye to the long days of summer, and ready for warm socks, hoodie sweatshirts, favorite fur-lined slippers, hot beverages, and darkness arriving much earlier in the day than we’d like it to.
Though that dark-before-dinner change of things also leaves much more time for hand stitching away while tucked into my cozy chair.
Last night I was sharing this chair with Zoey, who has this adoring behavior of plopping her head right on top of whatever I’m stitching, usually pinning my leg to the ottoman at the same time.
While I pulled some fall décor items into the house decorating in September (which was merely a nod at wishful thinking! LOL!) With October's arrival comes the desire to pull to the forefront all of those autumn themed things.
I have even added a second quilt to the bed as nights are now getting chilly.
My favorite lighted twiggy pumpkins of years past bit the dust last year so I am falling a bit short in the autumn décor when it comes to some favorite things - but opening up new ways for me to find new things.
Some of my other favorite autumn things have been moved over to Quiltville Inn for others to enjoy. And the desire to make more table runners with holiday and seasonal themes is calling to me.
Backing from the newly filled “Use it until it’s gone!” bin.
I picked up several pieces of toile fabrics while in Paris many years ago. They have sat. I have come to realize that for me toiles are a bit of a problem.
Not only are they directional, but if you cut it down into smaller pieces you are going to end up with people’s heads cut off – arms and legs disembodied, sometimes it’s animals who are sliced apart. Disturbing!
It’s a personal weirdness thing I can’t get over. LOL!
But can I leave it whole? And use it up on a backing? YES!
And I did have to piece this – but it is so busy that you really can’t tell, can you? I didn’t even try to match the print, but it came close. You can see that there is a flaw in the print at the far right side, but that was all margin and cut off after quilting.
That’s 3 yards GONE from the “use it up” bin. Let’s keep that productivity going! (And I need to admit that I also bought more toile in other colors also. Yep. Going to be using it up as backs!)
Another shot at the orange stripe binding pulled from the newly installed stash cabinets.
Oh, how I love a striped binding, don’t you?
Yesterday in the studio was spent mostly at my computer dealing with graphic drawing and coming up with nothing more than problems. But I did find some time at the end of the day to sew some of the Snails Trail blocks into fours.
The issue came when trying to draw the Traveling Star block – which I could no problem in QuiltPro, but couldn’t find how to do a half-block drop layout in their quilt layout portion. I can do the half-block drop layout in EQ7 easily – but drawing the BLOCK with the hexagon (60 degree angles) on top of the string block (45 degree angles) was just not playing nice with the snap-grid.
My manuals for both programs are back in Wallburg and on the list of things to "bring up next."
A call to a friend may have resolved the situation, and I will see what we can do with that when I get back to the QPO computer today.
But all in all – I think what is going to happen is that I am going to force myself to upgrade to EQ8, and then sign myself up for some online learning. All that I know about quilt design software is what I’ve learned on my own from poking here and pressing this, and clicking that and seeing just what it does.
I have Swiss Cheese learning as do most of us. There are holes where things I don’t know are. Maybe I take some of this winter down time and really learn how to do this.
For those who have asked – I love QuiltPro for many things that EQ can’t do. And I love EQ for the other things that QuiltPro makes harder to do. Sometimes you need both.
She writes:
"Thank you so very much for “Appalachian Autumn”. I had a pile of orange batiks that were meant to be made into something special and this was it. I only used my stash and didn’t realize that I had more than enough grays to have a nice variety, but I did.
Since we met back in September of 2019 at the Quilt Odyssey Retreat in Pennsylvania I have finished 5 of your wonderful quilts. I look forward to seeing you again soon, perhaps even on one of your Crafttours, if we can ever travel again.
Until then, thank you!"
I love seeing your beautiful projects! Please keep them coming, and don't forget to tag your photos with #appalachianautumnquilt and tag me @quiltville_bonnie on Instagram.
You will find the PDF pattern for Appalachian Autumn in the digital patterns section of the Quiltville Store.
Quiltville Quote of the Day -
Happy October, Friends! I love this month! Bring on the pumpkin flavored everything!
This pumpkin quilt was made by my friend Lisa and I believe it's a pattern by Lisa Bongean.
I love having it front and center as part of my cozy autumn décor!
Enjoy your Thursday!
19 comments:
I forgot all about Quilt Pro, I did buy it but only after I had been using EQ since the 90's. It was so different and I just didn't take the time to learn it. I do remember liking the printed out step by step directions on construction of the blocks though. I can see the need for both programs if you are designing quilt/patterns often.
I completely understand your love/hate with EQ. I also bungle along with that program. Never heard of Quiltpro, will have to check it out. Zoey is being her own adorable self in all your posts. Makes my heart sing. Have a great day quilting.
This is such a great reminder of what goes on behind the scenes to bring us such high quality patterns and instructions in so many formats. I am a technophobe and the thought of learning new software skills is daunting to say the least. I admire your tenacity to dig in and make it work, so that so many quilters can enjoy the craft. Happy October (aka color reveal month, whooo hooo)
I love EQ8, and there is a coupon code on Autumn Jubilee on my blog today that will give you 20% off, good for the entire month of October. Thought you'd like to save some money if you are going to upgrade.
I sew agree!!!
How timely .. I've just spent an hour or so in EQ7.. resizing a hexie quilt. I don't use it often enough to be proficient. But it's handy when you need it!
I love today's quote! I'm a huge Anne of Green Gables fan, such simpler times. A beautiful way of using toile fabric. I also have issues with cut off heads...just an ism, I guess. I purchased EQ8 last winter and purchased the workbooks at the same time. There are some wonderful teachers out there teaching lessons to work on at your own pace. Keep learning new things, it keeps your brain young. I'm just a few years off your age!
You are highlight of my day, Bonnie.
October came to my house yesterday while I was visiting my best friend. The lady who cleans my house, also a very good friend, decorates for me. She did my mantle and other areas. I love to come home to her decorating. We are having cool weather and I have a wall hanging and 2 quilts to bind. Perfect weather.
October is a sensationally beautiful month, I agree. And the coming winter doesn’t really bog us down until around January. Good idea to dig into EQ8 during the dark months! I’ve been meaning to since it was released but haven’t managed to overcome my inertia. Hoping for some cues from you for inspiration!
I made your pumpkin quilt and it is my favorite. It is on the back of my couch and everyone loves to see it when I Brit out in the fall. Thanks for all you do!
Thanks for the many things that you do for all the quilters all year. I love my pumpkin quilt. It is one of my favorite quilts I too enjoy the month of October and the fall colors.
I look forward to your blog posts every day. They hit my mail at midnight. Sometimes I am still up to read them. They bring a sense of "sanity" with them in this world of chaos. Your shared thoughts and activities are grounded, and that is a good thing to be these days. What would we do without having fabric and animals and quilt patterns to bring us pleasant thoughts and handwork? Thanks for sharing a little piece of your life.
It is so odd to see someone binding from right to left. I bind from left to right! Of course I'm left handed. We are coming up on the one year anniversary of my quilting life. I have finished 11 full sized quilts since Frolic and one baby quilt!! I am on to #13 and hope to squeeze in Appalachian Autumn before Black Friday. It's been great fun. Thank you.
lol about your toile. i have a funny toile story. when my granddaughter, who is now 17, was a toddler, i wanted to make her an old fashioned dress and pinafore. i purchased some toile, which is still in my stash because when i got out my 1980's pattern i used for my nieces, i discovered the toile design had naked women. my son, daughter-in-law and i got a laugh. i used different fabric and the dress and pinafore was adorable.
Such a lovely rendition of Appalachian autumn so nice to see other people’s interpretations of your quilts. Thank you so much for sharing all these beautiful quilts you design with us.
Stay safe
Love and quilty hugs
Anne xx
I have a hard time with chopping off heads, etc. as well, even with just quilting lines. I do longarm meander quilting for my customers so I can go around and avoid having a line go right through a face.
EQ7 was the first iteration of Electric Quilt I bought and I really did not like it. I took a chance on upgrading to EQ8 when it was first released and it is MUCH more user friendly. Still have lots to learn but it's no longer endlessly frustrating.
Swiss cheese knowledge--great! my husband use to call it garbage can knowledge and I like your term much better.
Fall is also my favorite season--I'm from New England. But, I also lived in Utah for nearly 40 years and I ache for the red rock country in the Fall. Not as many bugs as spring, cooler than summer, and the sun light everything gorgeously!
Enjoyed your blog especially much today.
I love October. Warm sunny days , beautiful colours provided by Mother Nature. Too bad it is followed by November, my least favourite month. I love seeing your critters. I thinks they are wonderful.
Post a Comment
If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.
Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.
Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)