Harvest JOY First Block - Pumpkin Patch

It's time to start making! 

I picked the Pumpkin Patch block to start with because it was the one that inspired me to start this whole thing!! I think there's lots of ways you can use this block to bring a little bit of fall into your quilting, whether it's one block for a pillow, three blocks for a runner, or using them in a wall hanging like the one I plan to help you create. 

I made another block to do the step by step photos for the instructions I'm sharing today. See, I can't get enough of this block! In this one I used one background, one dark for the 'leaves', one orange for the pumpkins and one green for the stems. I'm hoping you have enough courage and stash to play with your fabrics and mix it up a bit if you want to. 

I didn't give you much guidance about choosing fabrics - I guess I assume a lot :) For the backgrounds you want them all to look similar when you glance at the quilt. You can do this by auditioning fabrics and making sure that none of them 'pop out' at you more than another. You'll notice in my wall hanging photo above some of the background fabric in the middle block pops out. I decided to put it in the middle since your eye was going to find it first anyway - it might as well focus on the middle of the design!

Another important thing about background fabrics (probably in all the fabric choices in this quilt, actually) is that you don't want to pick something that has an obvious direction to it. Stripes will give you problems if you want them all to be going the same way. You can do it, and it would look good, but it's a bit more work at the cutting and sewing stage. 

For the pumpkins you probably want a small all-over print so it looks like a single shape and the print on the fabric doesn't overtake the shape of the pumpkin. 

Of course there are ALWAYS exceptions.

 PLAY. 

If it makes you smile, go with it!

I want to thank everyone who gave me feedback about what  you like to look at in a pattern. Most said photos using the fabrics in the cover photo - the reason I made another block!! Some prefer diagrams so they can keep track of their own fabric choices when constructing the block. So true!

For the block instructions you will find colour photos AND some diagrams. I included a diagram for each unit in the block and a diagram of the full block on the last page of instructions. You can write on it, colour it in, and whatever else you want to do with the block. I hope this is a helpful solution for all.

One more thing. You will notice a materials list for making 5 blocks so that you can use them to make the wall hanging pictured. There is also a material list for making only one block. I hope that helps you make what you want!


Click to download pdf for Harvest JOY Pumpkin Patch Block here


Please let me know if you like how the instructions are laid out to help me make the next block even better:)

And share your progress! Leave photos in the comments, email me or share them on facebook. Remember #sewharvestjoy


With Joy,

Sarah V