The season of campfires, apple cider, pumpkin spice and everything nice is upon us! It’s also our absolute favorite to decorate for because you don’t have to stick to pastels like you would in the spring, or red and green and blue like in the winter-time. Instead, you have an entire selection of earth-y tones to choose from and an abundance of ways to use them! We can get spooky with ghouls and goblins or we can celebrate the harvest with pumpkins and gourds. Here’s a few things you may want to add to your fall project list:
The Ghost Pillow Cover
This ghost isn’t exactly spooky, but it is downright adora-boo!
Maybe you don’t have time to stop by the pumpkin patch, maybe you don’t want to deal with ridding of rotten pumpkins when winter hits, or maybe you just want an excuse to sew! Either way, these stuffed ornament pumpkins are the fun way to go! Grab the kit and get started.
Candy Catcher Bag
Make trick-or-treating even better for your favorite little dinosaur, firefighter, witch, or werewolf with a candy bag.
Where do people hang out the most in the fall? The kitchen table of course! Bust out the scraps and piece together a table runner just in time for fall!
Monique Jacobs of Open Gate Quilts, is also the instructor of one of our Missouri Star Academy Online Classes! She teaches how to color coordinate and piece together beautiful quilts from just picking through the loose ends of your already-made stash. Learn more about Monique and then join her in Stash Busting with Style!
Have you always had an eye for color combinations or was it something you had to teach yourself to do/look for?
I’ll be honest. I had to learn. According to my mom, she had doubts about my sense of color when I was young. I used to change clothes at least 3-4 times a day and things didn’t always match. I loved trying different combinations and it was when I started quilting that I learned how to match colors. A lot of it was trial and error. As I was working with fabric, I would play around with it until I liked what I saw. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some quilts that weren’t great but I learned from those mistakes and the more I did the more I felt confident in my choices.
Tell us a little about your background – when/how did you first get into sewing and quilting?
I’ve always loved fabric. When I took Home Ec in high school, sewing was my favorite class. Both my grandmas sewed and made crafts. My dad’s mom made quilts and although I didn’t appreciate them when I was young, I sure do now! She used old dresses, curtains, whatever was available and hand stitched all the seams using a feather stitch. They are all crazy quilts and having to repair one, I know how much work goes into them!
I got into quilting because my sister-in-law mentioned that she liked quilts. I looked at them and thought, me too! So, I took a class and that was the beginning!
Where do you find inspiration for trying new fabric and pattern designs – especially for using fabrics from your stash?
My inspiration comes in different ways. One, I will see a fabric that I like, whether in my stash or in the store and think, what can I make out of this? Or I see a pattern and adapt the pattern to my fabric. Sometimes, I will look at my stash and pull some out and think…what quilt can I come up with to go with this fabric? Truthfully, that’s how I started designing patterns, I saw all this beautiful fabric and couldn’t find a pattern to use it with. So, I started making my own. Same thing with designing fabric, I would see a pattern and think, what fabric could I use for this. Again, nothing would work for what I wanted to do, so I started designing fabric.
Do you have a favorite color combination to use in your quilt patterns and fabrics?
I love them all! If I’m doing a more traditional quilt, I tend to add red in and if I’m doing batiks or modern, I love purple. But, there isn’t much that I don’t like!
Do you find yourself looking at color, scale and print in other aspects of life? (i.e. home decor, clothing, etc)
Funny that you ask that because I didn’t think about that until you mentioned it. Yes, I do. For sure, color is a huge factor in decorating. I like to have a warm, welcoming home but that doesn’t necessarily mean warm colors. I know what I like, just like my quilts and go a lot by what I’ve learned on how to put quilts together.
Take the class, learn something new, explore new color combinations and most of all, have FUN! Come back and show us what you’ve made out of your stash!
You know it’s fall when the scenery changes from green to brown with vibrant hints of red. When walking along a pond bank, you can’t see much under the waters, but you can always catch a glimpse of the red koi fish. The red line of a rainbow is always the first to draw in your attention and there are many kinds of fruit trees, but only the splotches of red in an apple tree are able to be spotted from afar.
Red is a color of intensity. It symbolizes passion, love, strength, energy, and desire. Make simple colors pop by mixing in hints of this fiery hue into your next project!
Go Modern with Red, Black, and White
Placing a flamboyant color such as red next to the monochromatic shades of white and black creates an attraction like no other. It’s no wonder we find them used in road signs, advertising, and even nature as warning signals to predators. Just look at the coral snake… typically, my fear of snakes prevents me from seeing their beauty, but I have to admit the smooth black, white, and red scales of the coral snake have me mesmerized.
Check our collection of reds, white and black and create an eye-catching masterpiece!
Get Whimsical using Red and Teal
Take a look at that picture. Are your eyes drawn to the red or the teal? Not sure? Both maybe?
That’s because being just one spot away from being polar opposites on the color spectrum, there seems almost an equal attraction to the warm and cool shades. This color combination has a way of cooling down the red and warming up the teal so the two don’t become overwhelming, but instead just incredibly gorgeous!
Explore our reds and teals and get started on your next project!
A Comforting Pair of Red and Navy
For those of us whom live in the states, this patriotic pair is a comforting duo. Although, being two of the three primary colors, these colors together still create a powerful attraction for those all over the world.
Red and navy like to be dramatic, so find your favorites and place them side by side in your next project to create quite the fuss! Check out our tutorial playlist for ideas!
Use Red and Silver to Create an Elegant Look
These two colors are classic. The essence of elegance. Red and silver are the way to go if you prefer a quieter look. Red can be loud, but silver will tone it down while still keeping it’s beauty.
Browse reds and silvers to create a timeless treasure!
What color do you pair with red? Post a picture or tell us in the comments!
When I was a child, my grandparents gave me a brand new stuffed bunny for my birthday. He was white with blue and purple ears and thus, I named him Jelly Bean. For many years, he was my good friend. We read bedtime stories, snuggled together for movies, and hosted the best tea parties.
As I grew older, I played with him less and eventually stored him away. Today, Jelly Bean sits on a shelf in the back corner of my closet, but I still hold his memories dear and I cannot bring myself to get rid of him.
Create that same imaginative bond for a special child in your life! We have over forty Funky Friends to choose from so you’re sure to find their favorite animal! Personalize it to their tastes with realistic colors or fanciful prints! Use cuddle, flannel, or cotton for a cuddly touch and to make it even more special, add some embroidery!
If you are needing some ideas of where to get started, here are a few of our favorite Funky Friends and fabrics to make them with:
Need help getting started? Find helpful tips and tricks from the Funky Friends Factory creator, Pauline McArthur.
Introduce us to the animal you made on Instagram using #msqcshowandtell or post a picture in the comments below! Don’t forget to tell us your funky friend’s name!
Les Brown, an American motivational speaker, once said, “You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” So if your kids are bummed about back to school month, you’re a college student who’s dreading 10-page papers and tiring lectures, or if you’re a teacher not ready for vacation to end, then remember these words of wisdom to find your motivation!
It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, teacher, or parent… everyone can start the school year with confidence and style with creative projects to show off!
Make a custom case for your tablet that is quick, easy, and fitted to any device.
This adorable tote made from 2.5″ strips is great for all your back to school necessities, yoga class, or just simply picking up groceries! This bag holds it all!
Grab some stationary to make taking notes less boring and get started on a knowledge seeking adventure!
Education, creativity, and just being passionate about what you love is important at any age. So if you are wondering what you’ll be doing once the kids are back in class… take one yourself! Never stop learning with Missouri Star Academy!
What education journey are you taking this year? Let us know in the comments!
