Some of my fellow Californians might still be in denial, but I say the fall season has arrived here in Concord. Actually I’m sure of it because my car, a black 2-door Honda Civic, told me so. Suddenly I can get into it at lunch time without burning myself on the hot metal of the seat belt and without having to run the AC for a few minutes before I can touch the wheel long enough to actually steer. The sticky-back velcro that attaches my FasTrak® bridge toll transponder to my windshield no longer melts in the sun, so I don’t have to scramble around looking for the thing on the floor before I go through the bridge toll booths on my ride home.
But I am most convinced that fall is here by the fact that today I remembered “I have arm warmers!” and got really excited about wearing them again. Getting warm with the help of cozy coverings in rich, warm hues is what welcoming the fall season is all about right? This week we want to send you on your way to coziness in style, so Kim Schaefer‘s Cozy Modern Quilts is this week’s giveaway!
Hot off the press, Cozy Modern Quilts contains 23 cozy, contemporary quilt projects in an array of sizes, from lap quilts to wall quilts, table runners and placemats.
Leave a comment describing a fond memory of a fall project, and let us know if you’ve come up with a creative way to stay cozy in fall. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Cozy Modern Quilts when a name is chosen at random on Monday 10/12. Comments close at 9am PST on Monday and the winner will be announced later that day. Good luck and keep cozy!
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I live in Georgia now so the fall isn't as 'nippy' as when I used to live in Wisconsin. The crisp air and dropping temperatures told me I'd better get busy so I'd knit, crochet, or sew hats and mittens for my three kiddos so they'd be cozy. Now that I have started quilting, I am looking forward to snuggling under one of my own lap quilts (I haven't moved on to larger ones yet). I welcome cooler weather after the hot summers!
Weather guy on channel 2 noon news said it was 41 in Lafayette this morning and there were 30's in other local protected places. Yep, it's getting a little chilly for the bay area. Nice out here along the bay, though.
Living in Las Vegas we look for any blessed reason however small to celebrate the change from summer. Sewing and quilting due to my schedule has had many fits and starts and thus I am still a beginner at both. One Fall however I found my self empowered by a rag quilt. Our local quilt shop had the most beautiful flannels in autumn colors and that was all the nudging I needed. I thought it turned out beautifully and proudly displayed it on the back of our sofa in the family room. When some out of town guests arrived I proudly displayed my creation only to be told by our guest that I had two identical squares side by side. 8>z Years later I still proudly display this rag quilt and chuckle at my foible. HAPPY FALL even from the desert!
Living in Las Vegas we look for any blessed reason however small to celebrate the change from summer. Sewing and quilting due to my schedule has had many fits and starts and thus I am still a beginner at both. One Fall however I found my self empowered by a rag quilt. Our local quilt shop had the most beautiful flannels in autumn colors and that was all the nudging I needed. I thought it turned out beautifully and proudly displayed it on the back of our sofa in the family room. When some out of town guests arrived I proudly displayed my creation only to be told by our guest that I had two identical squares side by side. 8>z Years later I still proudly display this rag quilt and chuckle at my foible. HAPPY FALL even from the desert!
We are in the low 90's but feels like 100 to 105. No denial here..its to hot!! I live in South Florida. I wish we did see some fall. LOL
Sarasota here, so another South Florida. It's scorching hot out today, but I've been working on my 'florida quilt' which is a lightweight crazy quilt made with cottons in cream, rose, and white. Not fall colors, but still nice.
I made a scrappy pineapple lap quilt out of flannels and rustic calicoes one fall for a friend. She still uses it. :)
I was reading something about seasons the other day and it made me think, again, about seasons of quiltmaking. Is fall in CA really a time to sit down and do the quilting while spring and summer should be reserved for piecing? Perhaps. I was looking at a great quilt that my friend made for my son. I bought all the fabrics in tiny little bits. It is in the Quilts for Guys book. It is a chinese coins quilt all done in flannels. Very boyish.
I have a fond memory of a fall project- it's a project I started in November 2005! I'm remembering that I'd really like to finish it one day!
My fall project memory? It will be the one I am working on now. I am, for the first time, hand-piecing – a lap quilt using a Gobble,Gobble charm pack, and some assorted fabrics to sash with. I am really enjoying hand-piecing – something I swore I would never attempt and thought I would never enjoy! See, it pays to try new stuff! I plan to hand-quilt too…
My fave is still a little Halloween wallhanging with the cutest print I used for the background of a haunted house. The print was leafless trees silhouetted against a purple background, with owls sitting in the branches and a crescent moon in the sky. I love fall!
Growing up, we’d always make scarecrows using clothes that we’d grown out of to include in a spooky path between our house and the neighbors for people to pass through when trick or treating. Now, a cup of hot mulled cider does it for me.
My favorite fall projects seem to center around food rather than quilts – trying out new recipes for pumpkin bread or spiced cider.
I’ve never been a coffee drinker, but visiting here in the Netherlands, I’m giving it a try to banish the cold, damp days.
My favorite fall project was making the pumpkins where you cover a roll of toilet paper with fabric.
My favorite way to keep cozy in the fall and winter is binding a quilt.
My fond memory of a fall project was designing my Hannukah quilt for my first guild challenge back in the 80′s—-the pink and brown fabric which was in then, and trying to draft my own pattern for the first time.
One of my favorite fall quilts was a simple coins quilt that I did in fall colors for a Quilts of Valor project. The border fabric was a great black fabric with fish printed on it. It was a very happy quilt!
I have fond memories of taking family drives where we’d admire the colors and smells of fall.
And I love the arrival of fall, especially when the air is brisk enough to want to snuggle in a quilt.
SewCalGal
http://www.sewcalgal.blogspot.com
a fond memory of a fall project -
seems like all i do in fall is cook, bake and rake..
since i don’t have the memory -
i’ll have to invent one -
perhaps with the help of your book?!?
as for staying cozy for fall?
a beautiful quilt and a glass of wine!
what can i say. . .
A favorite fall project is decorating for the season. And what better way to stay cozy than with a flannel quilt or two. Thanks for the chance.,
My favorite project was a fall project I did in a class with Pat Sloan….new to me was working with wool…
A great way to stay cozy and warm. Turn off the heat, start the fireplace, make hot chocolate and snuggle….
I had just finished decorating for Fall in my home when I sat down and read this post. Decorating and making one new Fall crafty item for the home always gives me a wonderful feeling of happiness. I love the warmth of the rich Fall colors and it always warms my heart to see them in my home and outside as the trees start to turn and give their wonderful vibrant colors
Best fall cozy memory, setting in my Mom’s lap wraped up in one of Granny’s quilts drinking hot coco.
Best fall project…………..cooking, cooking, sewing and sewing.
I’m planning on making a few quilts this year.
I made a hallowe’en wall hanging when my first child was born and put it up every year. I love pulling out the warm quilts for the winter and putting them on couches and chairs
My first thought when it comes to memories of fall projects is remembering when I was a kid in Northern California. We would go through our neighborhood collecting a variety of leaves and then go home and flatten them on books for a day or so. We didn’t want them to dry out, just flatten. Then we’d put plain paper over them and color away. There are some perfect leaves in my yard right now, and I’m going through an extremely stressful time in my life, so maybe I’ll collect some tomorrow and revert back to childhood. I think I’ll try using my good watercolor pencils and see what happens. Who knows….a new quilt idea?
Fall makes me think of plaids, flannels,and log cabin quilts.
Hand quilting keeps me cozy.
A fond memory that I have of a fall project is going to gather bittersweet with my children along the fence line of my parents farm. We then hung the bittersweet to dry and gave bouquets to both sets of grandparents.
I have come up with a creative way to stay cozy in fall by making matching quilts for the TV sofa for me and my husband.
I love making quilts in the fall to curl up under through the cold winter nights. This book looks great!
With the beauty of Fall surrounding us what is better for inspiration to buy cloth to use for the color of leaves. The many combinations of colors went into making an all leaf quilt. Coziness is cuddling under this quilt on cool nights next to a warm fire.
Here in Australia we would call it Autumn.I love Autumn and Spring because you have much nicer weather. So I guess it is easier to quilt something in Autumn rather than Summer so I would probably get bigger projects done during those two seasons. Plus it is much nicer outside in the garden.
Fall project…always have one going as when the temperatures start to change I am ready to roll up the sidewalks, brew a cup of tea and sew!!!! My favorite one I have going right now is a Debbie Mum fall quilt. I love the colors of fall and just working on this fall colored quilt makes me happy. :)
My fave Fall project was a wall hanging of a pumpkin made out of half sq. triangles in several shades of orange. I sewed on a wool stem, some leaves and twirling vine that looked 3 dimensional. This Fall I will stay warm in front of the t.v. with 2 hexagon projects on my lap.
Oh, fall is my favorite season for quilting, for inspiration (colors of fall are brilliant in western NY!). Favorite Fall project? Tough to choose one, but “Colors of October” – a classicaly pieced wall hanging with Bear Paw block in the middle and Flying Geese circling around, all in brilliant fall colors on a black backgroud and a curve-pieced border from a fabulous fall print – it still makes me smile every time I look at it! Staying cozy in the fall – sewing while raindrops are making “music” on the porch roof right out the window of my little sewing room – nothing makes me more cozy than that!
I have always been partial to fall colors and found a piece of black fabric that had all kinds of pods, acorns, and other goodies trees give us on it. This fabric I used sparingly first on a pumpkin wallhanging, next on a maple leaf quilt, then in another quilt. I still have a piece left eight by eight and one day it will be sewn into another treasure. To keep warm during the fall, I open the shades in my sewing room while I sew. Weather has changed quickly.
During my hunt for fabrics I found a piece of black fabric that had all kinds of pods, acorns, and other goodies trees give us on it. This fabric I used sparingly first on a pumpkin wallhanging, next on a maple leaf quilt, then in another quilt. I still have a piece left eight by eight and one day it will be sewn into another treasure. To keep warm during the fall, I open the shades in my sewing room while I sew. Weather has changed quickly.
I quilt and bind all the quilt tops that I made during the summer so I get to sit under them and stay warm. I get to remember how much fun they were to make.
My favorite thing to do in the fall is while decoring my front porch with pumkpins and real fall leaves, I also gather a huge box of hand picked perfect colored leaves to send to my daughter and grandsons in Florida. My daughter has been in Florida for 25 years and still misses the smell of fall; so each year I send her a box of fall! They dump the leaves on the carpet and roll in them and enjoy the smells and joys of her youth growing up in Pennsylvania
Oh what an awesome book – definitely count me in. My first applique project that was a fall wreath – leaves appliqued in a circular format to make a wreath. It was great!
My favorite fall memory – was moving to New Hampshire in the middle of fall and seeing all the gorgeous colors for the first time…and deciding that I wanted a quilt that looked like that.
Am working on a charity quilt for my guild – I am sewing together the blocks…
So many projects, so which did I do in the fall? ah, candy apples! or feverishly knitting dishcloths for a church fair. :)
And a creative way to stay cozy? hm, mine is more traditional than creative I’m afraid – cozying up in front of a fire reading a book with a hot cup of tea.
Thank you!
I loved making my scarecrow quilt that hangs on my store door yearly. I posted it to my blog a few weeks ago. What I enjoyed most was making it while stationed in England. My British landlord would pop in for coffee and always ask to see how far I had gone with working on Toby the Scarecrow. I think the landlord was fascinated with the plaids and fabrics I pulled out, the suspenders, crow, etc. Perhaps secretly wanting him! I loved this quilt and for once not one I was willing to part with. So every year during this time I pull him out and think about those coffees shared.
Just reread my comment…front door not store door! I don’t own a store…silly me. All the excitement of winning this book got to me I guess!
A Fall memory/activity is my husband and I on our tandem, cycling a favourite rail trail that runs from Paris to Brantford to Hamilton Ontario…….. this often how we spend our Thanksgiving Day. Fall project???? projects have seasons????
I made a fall maple leaf quilt for my Husband’s 50th Birthday. The top is pieced but it still needs to be quilted. It is so pretty.
My favorite fall memory is a bob the builder shirt! My then, 3 year old was a huge “bob the builder” fan and Bob was the Halloween costume of choice. Never one for store bought costumes I thought I could easily pull together a shirt with overalls. When I was unable to find a shirt, or cloth with a large yellow and orange plaid (what was I thinking) I made my own. I sewed a sheet of orange and yellow squares, checkerboard, for the material to make the shirt from. It hangs in his closet to this day although only one of us still loves it!
My favorite memories of fall are of all the days spent getting the crops in, cleaning up the vegetable and flower gardens and watching all the leaves changing color. After all this was done then I could get at making quilts. I too enjoy cuddling under them when it comes time to do the binding. I would just love to win this great looking book. It would be a super way to start off a winter of quilting.
My favortie fall project is a table runner with fall leaves. Too bad it’s too big for my table!! LOL!! And I haven’t met anyone else with a bigger table to give it to. It was one of my first projects I did the piecing and the quilting. To stay cozy we turn on the fireplace, (it’s gas), get our lap quilts and the doggies snuggle up with us. The book looks fascinating. (I hope I win! Well who ever wins is going to be so happy with it.)
My favorite fall memory and (one that continues) is when I bring in little pumpkins every fall for my classes of 2-4 year olds and allow them to decorate to their hearts content with paints, pipecleaners, fabric scraps, tissue paper, yarn,pieces of rickrack and lace, buttons, old zippers, glitter, sequins etc. They are thrilled and “practice art” to their own drums and delight. No rules here either. Such fun! (Been doing this over 40 years with students.)
I keep warm by enticing one of our cats to sit on my lap while I’m at my sewing table!
My memory of a favorite fall project was a crochet afghan that I made for my sister when I was a child growing up in Connecticut. I started it when I was 10 years old. The entire afghan was one giant granny square. I would work on it only when the weather was cold because it was so large and heavy. So, every fall I would take it down from the attic and begin adding more rows. I finished it several years later and it was big enough to cover a queen sized bed. She still has it and it makes me laugh when I see it.
Since I now live in Florida and it’s still 90 degrees out, I am not looking for ways to get cozy at this time. But, I can’t wait for the first day that is cool enough for me to put on a pair of jeans and a sweater.
Here in Alaska we are enjoying the rusty colors of the muskeg nestled in the evergreens. I have been working on two machine applique wall hangings for my two granddaughter’s homes. Watching the deer trying to fill their tummies with the last of my garden, sewing the day away, and snuggling in polar fleece and smart wool socks…heaven!