Fall Colors

Here is some color inspiration for fall! I love dreaming up color combinations. Earlier this year, for fun, I started designing color palettes based on the seasons and elements in nature. Originally I was thinking about quilts or blankets, but they could be used in clothing, home decor, crafts, or whatever you imagine :)

Which one is your favorite?

Here are the quilted potholders I made inspired by these colors. I keep an array of fabric on my studio table to inspire me :)  I made them large and thick with 3 layers of cotton batting.

And the fall leaves table runner... I made this 2 years ago, and I love bringing it out again every season.

Fall Harvest Time

Fall Tree ©2005

I love the air in the fall. Leaves flutter, squirrels scurry across the yard. Fresh apples and pears from the local farms are so delicious. Now it's time to harvest the final veggies from the garden. We've pulled the last of the tomatoes, peppers, beans and cucumbers. We'll have oregano and thyme to dry and save for the winter.

 
 And the change of seasons inspires me to create... Here are some new items I've made recently for fall! The felt I used is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles! How cool is that.

Eco-felt Embroidered Wall Hangings

New Baby Gift Basket

 The teddy bear is also made from eco-felt. I designed the pumpkin bear cross stitch and crochet hat for especially for fall babies. Cross stitch patterns based on my art are coming soon, stay tuned!

Fall Harvest Basket

Columbia River Tile & Stone makes these gorgeous re-salvaged granite candleholders and Mt Hood mosaics from re-salvaged white marble. I love how the marble looks like the texture of the mountain. Also in this basket is a print of my Crow Spirit painting.
              

Marble Mt Hood mosaic art by Columbia River Tile & Stone

See more Fall Harvest Gift Baskets on Etsy

And I made these country-style pumpkins for fun, to decorate the house. These are really easy and fun to make:

First cut an 8" square of your favorite orange calico fabric. A dark gold or light brown would work too. It's fun to make a collection of different ones!  Collect a few twigs from your yard or neighborhood, for the stems. Cut off a 3" piece. Then, fold under the raw edge, fold in each corner to make a hexagon shape, and sew around the edges to gather the fabric with a needle and thread.

When you have gathered the circle, add stuffing to fill out the pumpkin.  Loosen the gathering to add and adjust the stuffing, then tighten the gathering around the center hole, so it is 1/2" or less. Next, center the twig through the center hole, placing it into the stuffing inside. Tightly stitch the hole shut, and use a dab of glue to secure the twig at the opening. To finish off, tie a small 1" x 7" strip of brown or green fabric around the twig to make the leaves/vines.

Happy fall! What are you working on this time of year?