Halloween Quilting Ideas & Works in Progress from Sew & Tell LIVE
Our latest Sew & Tell LIVE was full of Halloween fabric, design-wall decisions, and ideas for turning simple pieces into fun quilts. I shared projects in different stages, tried out a few possibilities, and asked for your suggestions along the way.
Here’s a look at what’s happening in the craft room!
Finding the Right Border for My Quilt
First, I shared a quilt that’s getting closer to the finish line. I wanted to use a dragonfly print for the outer border, but I wasn’t happy with it directly beside the darker quilt center.
I auditioned another fabric between the two to soften that transition. It was a chance to see how an extra border can help bring different fabrics together.
Auditioning the dragonfly print and a lighter transition border.
A Haunted House Panel with Bookcase Borders
My Halloween panel quilt is starting with a haunted house and a frame of bookcase fabric. We talked through how to cut the directional print so the shelves stay upright around the panel.
I’m also planning to add a coordinating print filled with little Halloween characters. Skull fabric is a possibility for the binding, though I’m still playing with the finishing details.
The haunted house panel on the design wall, with bookcase fabric and coordinating prints.
A Quick Quilt with 10-Inch Squares
Sometimes the fabric is so cute that it doesn’t need a complicated pattern!
For this Halloween sofa quilt, I started sewing 10-inch squares into simple rows. The plan is an easy, cozy project, possibly finished with a border and straight-line quilting on my domestic machine. It would be perfect for curling up with a favorite Halloween movie.
Halloween squares at the sewing machine—letting those playful prints do the work.
A Patchwork Quilt with 5-Inch Squares
I also laid out smaller Halloween squares for another patchwork project. My starting idea is to sew the squares together for the center, then build outward with coordinating fabric.
That could mean simple borders, or I could add four-patches, nine-patches, or other pieced details. This one is still in the planning stage, with plenty of room to play.
A Halloween Strip Quilt with a “Heartbeat” Design
For another project, I cut wide strips from several Halloween fabrics and began making half-square triangles.
The idea is to combine the strips and triangles into a chevron arrangement that reminds me of a heartbeat. We worked through fabric placement and considered ways to make the quilt wider. There’s still some figuring out to do, but that’s part of the fun!
Giving a Mummy Panel a New Background
The mummy panel wasn’t quite what I expected, so I’m taking it in a different direction. I’ve started cutting out the mummy and ordered a light-to-dark fabric for a night-sky background. My plan is to appliqué him onto it, then experiment with the stitching and extra details.
One viewer suggested couching gauze onto the mummy to add texture. I loved that idea! This project is still developing, and I’m looking forward to seeing how he turns out.
The Kitchen Sink Quilt Sew-Along
We also checked in on the Kitchen Sink quilt from Moda’s Home Piece by Piece book.
At the time of the live, we were working on cutting the fabric. Next comes making the smaller blocks that fit together into the larger quilt blocks. I’m using my own fabric choices, and I was happy that the cutting didn’t involve lots of tiny pieces!
Come Visit in the Craft Room
This live was a peek at the creative process: auditioning fabrics, changing plans, sewing a few seams, and getting ideas from one another.
Which project would you like to see more of—the haunted house, the easy patchwork quilts, the strip quilt, or our mummy makeover? Let me know in the comments!
Have a great day, eat some chocolate, and be kind to everyone.
April
