Monday, September 18, 2017

Fall Starts This Week!

Time For Pumpkins Again!

I am reposting this pattern since it is pumpkin time again!  I am going to Missouri Star Quilt Shop in Hamilton, MO this week to be part of the big Birthday Bash and I will be making some of these beauties with my Pumpkin Patch fabric line by Benartex.

This is my Pumpkin Patch pattern from 1996 that Keepsake Quilting carried for years.  There have been many pumpkins out there similar but here is the directions for original painted pumpkin! You can also make them from any cotton fabric, chenille, burlap, wool or felt.

1. Cut a rectangle from batting, say 9" x 18" wide. Too big? try 6" x 14".
2. Fold in half and sew the two short ends together, one seam in the back.
3. Hand-gather one open end with string, floss, pearl cotton or linen thread, pull tight and knot several times.
4. Turn inside out and stuff with poly-fil until firm, but not too firm.
5. Hand-gather the top and knot several times.
6. Using a long doll needle (say 8") and a long piece of the thread you used in #3, go in and out from the center top to the center bottom to pull the center in tight. Knot again.
7. Then proceed to go top to bottom around the outside of the pumpkin to create the veins, pulling tight each time.
8. Knot the thread each time on the center top which will be covered by the stem later.
9. Mix orange paint with water, coffee or tea and slop it on using your hands (pre-manicure not post). It washes off your hands eventually and I would remove your rings first!

*** Using coffee or tea makes the colors separate once dried and gives a wonderful aged look.

Make different sized pumpkins from cotton batting, muslin, or chenille and paint each one a different shade of orange. Mix colors- it's fun!My husband went int the woods and cut old gnarly grapevine for me to use as stems. He cut them about 2"-3" and I hot glued them to the center top, covering the knots.  It makes a wonderful fall decoration and costs so little for so many, a small package of batting, a bottle of paint, some stuffing.   Happy Fall!

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Summer is Ending Too Soon!

It has been a busy summer and gone by way too fast.  The local schools start in 2 weeks and it just seems so early but the weather has turned cooler and I guess fall is really on the way.  I did a lot of traveling and goofed off more than I should have all summer but I don't regret it.  I went to Memphis twice, Nashville, visited my aunt in Arkansas, and made several trips to St. Louis and Southern Missouri to see grand kids. I visited Hannibal, Missouri this week with a friend and I am headed to the Iowa State Fair next week with my cousin.  While it's always nice to come back home after a trip, it's also nice to get away!

Sunshine Garden is finally here and shipping to stores this month.  Here is the panel-

and the coordinating fabrics-


We recently updated the website at www.prairiegrovepeddler.com and added quilts for sale. 
You can see them here-

There are two new patterns on the website using the new fabrics.  
This is a remake of #381 Garden Charm using the Sunshine Garden fabrics.


This one is called #419 Indigo Song 


Both patterns are simple piecing and quick fuse applique.


Saturday, April 29, 2017

Ready for Fall?

The new Pumpkin Patch fabric has shipped and the whole line includes beautiful, rich, fall colors. I especially love how the panel turned out.  Lisa from Sew in Love {With fabric} interviewed me and posted it on her Blog.  See the interview at http://tinyurl.com/SewInLoveWithPumpkins


Here is one of the free patterns on our website- http://prairiegrovepeddler.com
Scroll down the main page to Free Pattern Downloads
and this pattern is called Sunflower Wall hanging. There are lots of free patterns offered so take a look

We used the fabrics on some new and old quilts and posted them on our website at http://prairiegrovepeddler.com/autumnq.html
The first is #322 Autumn in New England.  A beautiful new look to one of our Classics! The pattern includes directions for a 28” x 28” wall quilt, 12” pillows & 14” x 35” table runner.


#415 Midnight Pumpkins has directions for the 48” x 60” Quilt shown plus we added directions for a 16”x 30” Table Runner.  Its so easy and looks so good!


 #377 Harvest Song is the third in the Bird Song series and has directions for a 52" x 52" quilt plus 16" x 36" table runner included.


Incidentally we are working on another pattern in the Bird Song series- It is coming soon!

Monday, April 10, 2017

Liberty Hill is Here

I am woefully behind in posting and I apologize!  This last year has been crazy at best and I have  struggled to keep up mentally and physically. I had shoulder surgery& torn bicep repair last fall and I am almost done with Physical Therapy.  Glad that is behind me. I didn't really take any time off but I enjoyed a light schedule for a while.

It all started last year with the Bear Paws fabric line.  No sooner than I got a few patterns ready then the Crafty Cats fabric line came out.  I did a few new patterns and before I could finish A Moose for Christmas was sent to me and I started those patterns.  They were shown at Quilt Market in the fall.
I had to start making lists to keep straight on everything.

I had gone to New York last June and finished the Liberty Hill fabric line.  It is rich and full of color. Liberty Hill fabrics arrived just Christmas and we just finished five new patterns.  We also posted lots of fabric and sample bundles here- Prairie Grove Peddler on Etsy.


This is the full Liberty Collection quilt using three of the patterns.  
I put a free PDF on our website with finishing directions.

32" x 44"
Retail $9.00
It is mostly pieced with the four animals as applique.

\

36" x 45"
Retail $9.00
It is mostly pieced with applique flowers and goose.


This one is #413 Liberty Garden
29" x 45"
Retail $9.00
It is mostly pieced with applique flowers, bunny and bee skep.
We also used two little Monarch butterfly buttons 


I also redid #374 Stars & Stripes in the new fabrics 
Retail $8.00


and a new quickie pieced pattern called #414 One Starry Night
Retail $8.00
This one also includes directions for two different table runners.



The Pumpkin Patch fabric arrived in January and we now have three more patterns being quilted. Pictures posted soon-  I promise!  Panel here.

Down the road-
Chicks on the Run fabric line will be shown in May at the International Quilt Market with a few new patterns. We are finishing models currently and almost ready for quilting. I will post soon.
Sneak peek-

Sunshine Garden fabric line will be shown in July at Bernina U. with the new patterns.
Winter Wonderland will be shown this fall at Quilt Market for next years holiday. New patterns available.

See why I have been so crazy?  Just last week alone I was working on different six different fabric lines, between, proof reading Liberty Hill patterns, quilting the Pumpkin Patch quilts, applique on the Chicks on the Run quilts, designing patterns for Sunshine Garden line, approving color tones on the Winter Wonderland line, and drawing up a panel for my newest line- I can't tell you yet but it might be a forest animal!

I keep thinking I will slow down in my old age but apparently I'm not old enough yet.
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