Belated Halloween fun

Halloween may have come and gone but I want to show you the quilt that I made the children for Halloween. The binding was only finished on Sunday but at least it was ready on time.

I made the quilt using leftovers from the fabrics I used to make Cupcake Princess’s Halloween costume last year…….

Trick or treating.......

I chose wonky star blocks to make the quilt as they are so easy to make and are perfect to use up off cuts and scraps. I wanted to try out making different sizes of stars plus stars within stars which I had seen in a quilt in the book Material Obsession. I really liked the different effects you could make by playing with the blocks.

 

 

 

 

I tried to piece the blocks together so that there was a symmetrical feel in terms of colour. I did unpick and remove one small star that was too prominent in my initial lay out but I was really happy with the final layout with the central dark star. I finished the quilt off with some FMQ meandering all over the top. I forgot to take a photo of the back but it is purple and the orange quilting looks really great.

 

I am really happy with how this quilt came out – we wont be putting it away just for Halloween, it will be added to our ever increasing pile of sofa snuggle quilts.

 

Happy Halloween from the Patchwork Palace!

Happy Halloween……….

 

Decorated the fireplace......

 

The friendly Halloween pumpkins in the hall...

 

The witch gets ready to scare away the ghouls......

 

Trick or treating.......

 

 

 

Waiting for trick or treaters.....

 

Something to scare away the witches and ghouls.....

 

 

 

The bat witch wins a prize…

As you may recall from an earlier blog I have been working on a Halloween costume for Cupcake Princess to wear to her friends party. Today was the big day…and despite some last minute wavering as to whether or not a cape was required we managed to pull off a costume.

Last night we decorated the black leotard with some bats that Cupcake Princess made from felt plus a few sequins. I also knocked up a little necklace made from some fabric scraps, a felt bat and a press stud.

Add a purple wig…..

………the some purple stripy tights and an inflatable broom and you’ve got a bat witch!!

It was all worth it as Cupcake Princess won the prize for best costume….and she got a lovely certificate with a best costume skeleton statue.

So I am now a mummy who is in the good books BUT it does mean I may be asked to make more costumes in the future so in the long run I may be a victim of my success!!

P.S. Couldn’t resist sharing the photo below….the evil side of my daughter……that look is like something out of the movie.

Working on a costume for a Halloween witch….

Today I have been working on Cupcake Princess’s costume for an early Halloween party on Monday. She has been adamant that I need to make her a costume….despite me offering to purchase various costumes at the party shop. She did let me buy some purple stripy tights, a purple wig and an inflatable broomstick but no costume!

I found a black leotard that she had previously for a dance show so I thought I would make a simple elasticated skirt out of some Halloween fabrics and add a fringe of black, purple and orange netting. The photo below shows you what it looks like…it looks better on but you can see how I have pieced it….there is a black net fringe that pokes out from under the purple one but you can’t really see it in the picture.

She can just pop the skirt over the leotard and with some stripy tights we have a costume. Cupcake Princess is making some felt bats to attach to the leotard and I might also add some sequins.

 

CP working on her leotard

 

I have also made her a trick or treating bag out of some of the fabric offcuts and some pieces cut out of a matching Halloween panel. I think it came out really well – most importantly CP loves it.

 

Front of the bag.....

Back of the trick or treat bag.....

Tomorrow I need to work on a witches cape and maybe some embellishments for a bought witches hat. Once I’ve finished it all I’ll take a picture of Cupcake Princess and see what you think of what we’ve put together.

 

 

 

Sometimes it’s best to have a rethink….

Overnight I mulled over what was wrong with my Halloween block and realised it was all just too kiddie and there was just too much going on. I suppose it was a bit of a Halloween overload.

So, this morning I decided to simplify my design and do something a bit more adult. I dug out my Alexander Henry witchy stitch owl and ghastly forest fabrics…..which I love and just knew would be perfect for what I wanted. I did still keep the black spiderweb fabric from Riley Blake Boo! To You!  for the roof because I love that too.

Witchy Stitch Owls are home!

What do you think? I think it is much better. It is much simpler and focuses on the fabrics……it is basically a suburban detached house that has been transported into a Halloween scene!

Does practice make perfect?

So, does practice make perfect? Not for me. A few days ago you may recall I made a haunted house quilt to practice a for my Calendar of Houses October block. I was generally pleased with how it came out so started work on the proper block for my partner.

First I checked she was happy with a Halloween theme block, which she was. Next I thought about what was good and what was bad with the practice and came up with a little design.

Tonight I worked on the execution and to be honest….I’m disappointed. I really wanted a cottage with a witches hat roof but somehow it hasn’t quite come off right.

A witches hat cottage.....

I think it might have been better if the cottage had been wider and I had scrapped the Dracula and pumpkin. Looks like a bit more practice is needed…….

September Buzzing

I have been working on some of my quilting bee blocks today. The first one I worked on was for Sew Buzzy. Quirky Granola Girl wanted us to make two Flying Geese blocks using her fabrics which are aqua, green, yellow and orange with a grey Kona background. The block was up to us as long as it used flying geese….there was an inspiration gallery to refer to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/quirkygranolagirl/galleries/72157624568192026/

I started off this morning by making a practice block using some of my Halloween fabrics as they were out on the sewing table. I actually didn’t find it too hard…having been a bit frightened when I looked at the examples!!!

Halloween practice flying geese block.....

Once I had completed the practice block I went for it and put together my proper blocks…and in fact ended up making three. I am pleased with them….hope Quirky Granola Girl will be too!!

Flying Geese blocks

I made a practice block for the Fresh & Funky Quilting Bee a couple of weeks ago. Crystal wanted us to make a spiderweb block which I have to say terrified me a little bit. I am always really impressed by the spiderweb blocks but they look a little bit more complicated to make than I normally go for.

My practice block actually came out ok…not perfect….but ok for a first attempt. If I squint my eyes it hides the off centre top and bottom triangles!

Practice spiderweb block for Sew Buzzy

I had hoped to make my proper block today but ran out of time. What I did do today was turn my practice block into a mat….Cupcake Princess wants it for her bedroom table.

Practice block mat....

I also made my practice flying geese block into a little Halloween mat for Cupcake Princess as she really loves that bat fabric.

Halloween mat from practice flying geese block

Haunted House Quilt……..

I have spent the last few days carrying on with my Christmas applique projects but decided that today would be dedicated to a bit of Halloween preperation.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I had joined a new quilting bee…Calendar of Houses….and I have been thinking about what to do for an October block. I’m thinking it will be Halloween themed so it would be a good idea to look at which fabrics would go together.

I opted to make a Halloween mini quilt, using bits of the Halloween fabrics that I have stashed away. I am really pleased with how all the fabrics have worked together although I have a few criticisms of my design…primarily the shape of the house.

I used fabric from various ranges – Pungkin Peers (bats & orange sashing), Boo! to you (house and characters), Witchy Stitch Owl (owls) and Haunted Mansion (background).

See what you think…….

Ground floor of the house in the woods....

First floor of the house in the woods.....

The spooky house in the woods......

Spooky house in the haunted woods......

Perfect size for hanging over the fire place....