Quilting Vines and Pumpkins

I've enjoyed a particularly beautiful morning and hope you have, too!  Boys to school, quick bike ride in, 2 loads of laundry on the line, and a little grocery shopping done--yes, I came home with a PSL in hand--all by 10 am.   

Now that we're well into September, I'm starting to bring out a little more of the fall decor.  This pumpkin wall-hanging has adorned our fireplace every fall for about 6 or 7 years now.   (Pattern from a Gooseberry Patch book)  The first one I made had a green border with fall leaves on it--this definitely gave it a better look but it went to a friend and mine was made from the scraps of hers and whatever else I had on hand. 

My mantle is just getting started for fall, btw.  As soon as the gourds & pumpkins ripen completely, it'll be covered in "fall."  I have linked up to The Inspired Room's Fall Nesting Party but I hope to add a more inspiration soon.

The "autumn" pennant banner I made just last year--another super-easy and super-thrifty project.  The burlap I had to buy but the paint, random ribbons and jute that it's sewn onto/hung by were all just items on hand.  

I made this 24 1/2" square table-topper about the same time as the above wall-hanging.  I have to say that I love it.  I loved making it and I love the colors in it.  I love that it was completely from scraps and I love how the blocks come together to make that design.  I love getting it out every fall! 

It was my first "go" at the log cabin block, and I had so much fun with it that I made another for Christmas (we'll bring that one out in a few months) because I wasn't ready to put this one away when the next season came!  I was also starting to get a little more creative with my machine-quilting.  Remember, I just have a regular machine so my quilting is....unique at every turn, shall we say?  LOL   This was early-on in my leaf/vine experience but, even so, leaves are never perfect so I think they turn out fine no matter how much experience you do/don't have, right?  I do a lot of this in my quilting now. 

Then I got even more creative on my border.  These pumpkins are sooo easy to do!  And, like leaves, no pumpkin is perfect so put some music on and just go at it!  I wish I had a pic of the steps to do this but, like I said, I made it years ago so I will try to explain because it's simple:

Starting at the top, make the outside lines of the pumpkin (just go down one side and back up on the other side).  Repeat a couple more times working inward.  Then, ending at the top, make a small stem and take off with your vine till you decide another pumpkin is growing.

Don't you just love pumpkins???