Fall… living in Arizona, we don’t really get “fall.” We get comfortable temperatures for a few weeks, and then we are in Winter- no beautiful orange and red trees, no crunching leaves underfoot. Pumpkin picking usually involves several water bottles and a spray fan to keep cool.

So it is easy to see why I often skip fall decorating- it just doesn’t fit with the world outside! But this year, I couldn’t help but sew up some tiny pumpkins using Allison Harris’ Mini Pumpkins pattern! This quilt (and the full size) inundated my Instagram feed this season, it seems like everyone is making one!

I didn’t want a white background, so I went with a dense polka-dot… I believe it is Moda? I could be wrong. Anyway, it turned out great and I am only sad that I am now out of the polka dots. Orange fabric isn’t a popular one in my stash, so I had to dig deep in my scrap bins for the right colors for these pumpkins! I know I wouldn’t be able to make it again from my stash- I’m basically out of oranges now. I also backed it in a black chevron print that has been taking up residency in my sewing room for several years- I always planned to make a fun Halloween quilt and wanted to use the chevrons in it, but I figured that if I used the black and white on the back, and pumpkins on the front, this quilt would be appropriate from Halloween through Thanksgiving.

As I was sewing this, I would look out my window in my sewing room across the street where my new neighbors are- and the wife is a quilter! They are in a different season of life, and retirement keeps them busy. I decided that I would give this to my neighbor, Sue, and show a little “welcome to the neighborhood” love! She appreciated it, and I still don’t know how close she inspected it to find all my mistakes 😉 I quilted it myself and had a few ripples try to make their way into the backing- noooooo! But with a little manipulation I think it is passable even for a quilter 😉 And still, I don’t have many fall decorations. Ha! Next year I’ll make one for myself!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!