A few weeks ago Jedi Craft Girl’s Halloween Disappearing Nine Patch came across my Facebook feed. I’m fairly busy with other projects right now (Snowflake Shimmer, Scrappy Appliqué Skyline, 100Days100Blocks), so that means it is the perfect time to whip together a fast and easy quilt.
I went to my scrap bins and pulled out several orange and black Halloween fat quarters I received in a swap back in 2001. The white and black fabrics are also from my stash. I did pick up the lovely polka dots while on a recent trip to Joann Fabrics. They aren’t my typical fabric shopping location, but when I need thread they stock Gütermann and are close by.
The blocks go together very quickly, and would be even faster if you strip piece.
Make 12 9 patches with 5″ squares.
Cut the 9 patches both ways across the middle, at the 7″ mark.
Put them up on your design wall in pattern you find pleasing. I followed Jedi Craft Girl’s layout. Stitch together.
Add borders.
Quilt as desired. I chose to do free motion – I’m fully burned out on my walking foot. I did a loopy meander all over the quilt. It took a few hours, and I like the way it turned out. For my binding I used the leftover scraps of Halloween fabric, along with a few other odds and ends in the right colors. I love these little candy corns in the border. The batting made a huge linty mess that really showed against the black border. I now buy lint rollers in bulk.
I used some old flannel from my stash for the backing. The most exciting part of the backing is that I am now out of orange flannel. Between the flannel and the cotton batting, the quilt really shrank up after washing. It has a luscious floppy, crumpled texture.
My son was kind enough to go for a walk in a local park to help me get a seasonal photo.I do believe this is my first Halloween quilt. I’m very pleased to get the old Halloween fabrics out of my stash.
Quilt specs:
- 100% cotton fabrics
- 45″ x 56″
- Fairfield cotton batting (I threw out the bag, so I can’t be sure which one – oops!)
This pattern is definitely not as challenging as my usual stuff, and once in a while it is just fun to crank out something easy. I will probably be using this one again – it is a good stash buster, and I have a rather large pile of kiddy novelties that need to go. I’m also thinking that a Christmas themed quilt might be a quick and easy gift.
With all of my recent projects, I am accumulating a huge pile of batting scraps. If you have any good links for rag time (frayed edge) quilts, please share them. I’m thinking a few flannel quilts will be a quick way to get rid of the batting pieces, and I might even trick my son into making one for himself. In the past I’ve done several with just squares. I’d like to try something a bit more interesting.
The quilt photographed beautifully with the fall leaves! Great way to use up your Halloween fabric.
Thank you!
For your piles of batting offcuts, why not spend half an hour doing a wide zigzag stitch with your walking foot and piece them together? It’s like getting a free batting for a quilt!
I have done that in the past, but I was lucky last year and won 6 queen size battings from Fairfield. I have 4 left. Sometimes I just like to use up the little pieces in the rag time quilts and get a quick project done.
Or you can use those little pieces to make smaller and smaller projects…placemats, rug mugs, coasters, etc. Cute Halloween quilt!
Good point! I did make a mini today, but it is 10 1/2″ x 7 3/4″. I am feeling a set of placemats and maybe a table runner in my future.
A friend just gave me a whole bag of batting scraps…as if they don’t multiply fast enough around here!