Frog and Toad and Bats

What is the best size for a baby blanket or quilt?  I’ve been asking myself that question for a couple years and I have the answer:  Babies need some of every size. When they are newborn and need swaddling, bigger is better so their feet don’t stick out.  When they are in the stroller, smaller is better so it doesn’t drag on the floor. When they start to crawl, any size works.

I have many large baby blankets in the shop. Now I’m stocking the virtual shelves with smaller stroller quilt blankets. Here is one of the newest and cutest, with Frog and Toad fabric:

And since I’m still stuck on Halloween, here is a bats quilt:

Frog and Toad is available here

Halloween bats quilt and the pattern are in the shop here

Coffee, Tea, or Witch’s Brew?

I’m trying really hard to think about Christmas stockings. Meanwhile, here is yet another Halloween quilt– I love the jars of lighthearted Halloween fun:

Here’s a detail of the quilt:

The quilt is for sale in the shop here

Falling Off the Wagon, Again….

A couple weeks ago I said that I was done sewing Halloween quilts for this year. Then last week I made another one. Then I fell off the wagon again and made one more. This quilt began innocently enough with a yard of Alexander Henry’s Ghastlie Garden (This is the flower print on the top of the quilt). It isn’t really Halloween because it’s just gray and flowers, right? But I wanted more and I happened to have some of this really cool Ghastlie Grounds print which has interesting rows of ghastlie pictures, Sebastian the cat, and gothic garden stuff. Since flowers grow in gardens and the fabrics went together so well, I just had to make yet another ghastlie quilt. So here it is:

Here is a detail of part of the bottom of the quilt with a handmade black fringe:

I make no more guarantees that I’m done with Halloween until November, then I’ll be done. The quilt is available in the shop, here

The Poky Little Puppy and Trick or Treat

I only know one person who likes to read more than I do. That’s my sister, Lois. Not only do we both share a love of reading, but we both love books– we love to hold them, flip through them, display them on shelves, and read them.

My sister has found a new creative outlet for her love of children’s books. She brings the story characters to life by creating play sets from Little Golden Books. Children can read the books and play with the characters in their own setting. She just opened an Etsy shop, Tuscaroraarts, to sell her books and playsets. Here is my favorite, The Poky Little Puppy:

You should go visit and see her other amazing, creative playsets.

Here is one of my newest projects, a trick or treat quilt. The triangle at the end of the stripe kinda reminds me of candy corn. This was a subliminal addition to the quilt, a product of my unconscious desire for Halloween candy 🙂

The quilt is available in the shop here.

Witch Says Halloween Best: Bats, Jack O’Lanterns, Spiders or Crescent Moons?

This is my last week designing and creating Halloween quilts for 2014. Because the quilts and patterns have to be in the shop for sale well before the holiday, I have to make and market items wayyy before the season. I shouldn’t complain because the lag time for merchandise in the olden days (a few years ago) was 3 – 6 months. Now, I can have a new item for sale the same day I make it. The time I need to allow for now is about 1- 2 months. This gives buyers a chance to browse, decide, purchase, receive, and enjoy the product for a couple of  weeks leading up to the holiday.

So since this is almost the end of my Halloween sewing time, I am cramming in as much as I can and working like crazy to get some of my ideas into fabric. Here is a photo of some mini quilts/ table toppers for sale in the shop:

Would anyone like a pattern for these? I’m considering writing a pattern that would include all of the table toppers. If you are interested, let me know and I’ll make time to create it. Here is the link to the most popular mini quilt.

Linking up to Do Tell Tuesday.

Renovations Completed on the Haunted House Quilt

If you are considering a new renovation project, I highly recommend choosing a haunted house. Imagine the satisfaction of taking a sledgehammer to an old wall, and then not even having to rebuild it! So I was able to fling off roof shingles, bar up windows, post dilapidated warning signs, and bring in undesirable neighbors– and the house looks even better, even more haunted.

Here is the new haunted house:

And a detail of my favorite part, the cemetery with an eerie tree:

The quilt is available in the shop here

Want to build your own haunted house? The pattern is available, and it is detailed! 38 pages of instructions and full size pattern pieces, including an extra full page of optional Halloween appliques to customize your house. A beginner or experienced sewist will enjoy this project. Here is the link to the download pattern

Something Ghastlie This Way Comes.

Can you feel it? The brisk breeze of autumn is blowing this way. The kids are back to school, the first few leaves are falling, beach toys are getting final clearance sales. Here at Maryland Quilter I’m conjuring  up fun Halloween quilts and patterns. 

My favorite Halloween characters are The Ghastlies. They are all about family, if your family is like the Adams Family or the Muensters. Kinda funny, kinda scary, weird. That’s the Ghastlies. You won’t find them on TV, just fabric, designed by the Alexander Henry Company.

Meet the Ghastlies here:

The quilt and patterns (throw and twin size) are available in my shop.