The proclamation states that 'tens of millions of Americans sew at home. Their efforts demonstrate the industry, the skill and the self-reliance which are so characteristic of this Nation'. For more information about National Sewing Month, click here.
Looking for inspiration to begin sewing and to celebrate this month? Use the Quilt Index, a joint project of the Alliance for American Quilts, MATRIX; The Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online at Michigan State University and the Michigan State University Museum. You can go the 'about' page and browse by category or look at the entire index. There are over 53,000 quilts to look at (I know, nobody has that much time), but surely just a few pages will get your creative juices flowing!
This is an 'inspiration tool' I didn't even know existed!
So, speaking of inspiration, here's a fall project that I've been working on, 'Pumpkin Square', and I promised to show you my progress:
I use the 'flying geese x 4' ruler to make the flying geese. The ruler will tell you how big to cut the large and small squares to end up with the size of flying geese you need. Easy, easy! Sew 1/4" on each side of a line drawn down the wrong side of the middle of the smaller squares. You can see where I'm cutting down the middle line to make 2 pieces.
You press out the triangles and add another square in the corner.
Sew a 1/4" from the middle line on each side. You cut those apart and viola, there you have 2 flying geese from each unit! It's much easier than trying to sew together tiny individual pieces that will end up in a 1 1/8" x 2 1/4" finished flying goose!
Here is the center block.
And the rest is easy piecing of the pumpkins to complete the square.
As you can see my white pumpkin and light colored flying geese are quite a bit brighter than the pattern shows ;-( I think I'll tea-dye the whole piece when I'm finished with the quilting. It might also tone down the brighter orange on the pumpkins. Our kits will have a darker fabric in place of the fabric I used for the white pumpkins......we live and learn!
There you have a cute table mat for the fall season.
This table mat finishes in an 18" square so I haven't decided if I will quilt this on my home machine or on the long-arm - it'll be done in a small stipple stitch. I guess it will depend on how much time I have.
Okay for now, gotta' get this baby quilted, tea-dyed and kitted to be ready for next week's show in Oaks PA, then on to Cincinnati (Sharonville) OH.
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