August Island Batik Ambassador Challenge - It's All Up To You (Pumpkin Pillow)

 This month's Island Batik Ambassador Challenge is an open challenge - It's All Up To You. Each ambassador gets to decide the fabrics, the technique, the size of the project, etc. etc. I decided to make a pillow inspired by my garden and featuring pumpkins and gourds that I am growing  now.

The new Celtic Fields Collection just screams Autumn Garden! I was able to use all  of the yummy colors to create my paper pieced pumpkins (a set of 5 for each gourd) and I repeated a few for a mini center pumpkin.  Here's the 20 different fabrics in the collection.

You can find Celtic Fields at the following shops:

Creekside Quilts

Bird in Hand Fabric

Cary Quilting Company

I drafted six inch blocks for the large pumpkins and then made a tiny 1.5" finished pumpkin for the corner stone. Isn't it too cute!!! 

 The blocks were all paper pieced using the strip pack strips. Here's a shot of the design process, figuring out the perfect combinations of colors. 

And here's a close up of another block. The Aurifil Golden Shrimp Plant Collection had just the right orange for the quilting. I quilted curves over the pumpkin/gourds with a walking foot in a freeform unmarked experiment. I like how it added subtle motion and interest to the fruit.

The full quilt/pillow before stuffing. It would be a fun wall quilt too or a cheery set of placemats.

Pumpkin Patch Pillow

16" x 16"

August 2023

Sandra Starley

Foundation paper piecing

Machine Quilting

Original Design

Here's what I used to create my pillow.

Fabrics: Island Batik Celtic Fields 2.5" Strip Pack

All 20 fabrics

Batting: Hobbs 80/20 Cotton/Poly Heirloom and 

Piecing Thread: Aurifil #50 weight

Quilting Thread Aurifil #50 Golden Shrimp Plant

***Fabrics provided by Island Batik, batting by Hobbs, thread by Aurifil, needles by Schmetz  ***

For more inspiration and delight, see all the amazing variety of wonderful quilt projects, my fellow Island Batik Ambassadors made in August.

Brenda Alburl ~ Songbird Designs
Renee Atkinson ~ Pink Tulip Quilting
Pamela Boatright ~ PamelaQuilts
Susan Deshensky ~ Lady Blue Quilts
Brittany Fisher ~ Bobbin with Brittany

Preeti Harris ~ Sew Preeti Quilts
Mania Hatziioannidi ~ Mania for quilts
Reed Johnson ~ Blue Bear Quilts
Victoria Johnson ~ Forever Quilting for You
Randi Jones ~ Randi’s Roost

Connie Kauffman ~ Kauffman Designs
Emily Leachman ~ The Darling Dogwood
Denise Looney ~ Quiltery – For The Love Of Geese
Leah Malasky ~ Quilted Delights
Maryellen McAuliffe ~ Mary Mack Made Mine

Anorina Morris ~ sameliasmum.com
Lisa Pickering ~ Lisa’s Quilting Passion
Sarah Pitcher ~ Pitcher’s Boutique
Claudia Porter ~ Create with Claudia
Lana Russel ~ Lana Quilts

Elita Sharpe ~ Busy Needle
Gail Sheppard ~ Quilting Gail
Sandra Starley ~ Textile Time Travels
Jennifer Thomas ~ Curlicue Creations
Suzy Webster ~ Websterquilt

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