Pitter Putter Stitch: decor

I've been wanting to branch out a bit and decided to join round 4 of the Pillow Talk Swap. Here's my inspiration mosaic. (I seriously had to set a time limit for myself on Flickr. I could look at quilts and pillows all day.)

1. Scrap Happy Quilt Top, 2. The Pillow Talk {swap} 3 Received!!!, 3. pillow talk swap finished, 4. DQS9 - Sneak Peak, 5. Angel Pillow on It's Way, 6. Modern Times Quilt folded on crib, 7. Your Parents Are Cool, 8. Finished Nine Patch Quilt, 9. Pacman, Red Letter Day Style, 10. Quilt for Mrs Z, 11. Double Wedding Ring - Finished Top (Modern Meadow & Hope Valley), 12. Sultry Squares, 13. Star Light Star Bright, 14. mod mosaic quilt, 15. Quilt Front Using "1974" Moda Fabric, 16. project improv quilt top, 17. Log Cabin Baby Boy Quilt - Orange - Detail, 18. modern quilt, 19. That 70's Girl, 20. Scrappy Happy

I'm so stinking excited for this! Although I have a ton to do before Christmas (gift-wise), I know this will take priority since I'm so excited to participate. I know there are others in the group who are pretty much professionals so it's a bit intimidating, but I know if I want to grow, I have to stretch myself.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Halloween Decor: Bunting

Since my last post was of a more serious nature, I thought it was time for some lighter fare.

I've been seeing tons of cute Halloween decorations popping up in preparation for October (tomorrow - eek!) and thought I'd make some of my own. I bought this Sheri Berry Trick or Treat Street panel a little while ago at my LQS and wanted to make a simple quilt out of it for Halloween. But, after taking a look at my to-do list for the rest of the year, I knew that a quilt that would only be used for one month out of the year was not something I could afford to spend time on, so that idea quickly fell by the wayside.

However, I was persuaded to at least make something Halloweeny after browsing around online yesterday.

I pulled out the panel and started brainstorming. Ding (enter lightbulb)! I could cut up this panel and make not one project (a quilt), but four!

My image is a bit messy, but you get the idea. Today I'm going to show you the bunting I made out of the "Trick or Treat" letters on the panel and the outer "Trick or Treat" border.

On the panel, there are dotted borders around each item, which made for easier cutting. I paired the letters with 5" orange squares of fabric from my stash. (It's actually a really cheap cotton that worked great for a project like this that doesn't necessarily require the best materials.)

I put the two sets of fabric right sides together, sewed 1/4" seam all the way around, but left a 2" section unsewn for turning. Then I clipped the corners, turned the units inside out, and topstitched all the way around them.

Then I pieced the "Trick or Treat" border into one long strip and laid it face down on the squares after I spaced them how I wanted them. I folded the strip back up and topstitched the side I just sewed and then made a finished seam on the opposite side.

I really like how it turned out, but it took much longer than I anticipated. I thought I'd be able to whip this up in a jiffy and it ended up taking my entire night's worth of sewing time.