Autumn feels like the start of quilting season. And how do we know when Autumn begins? That’s right: the return of the pumpkin spice latte kicks off the season. (Oh, you were thinking the changing of the leaves, or the autumnal equinox? Sure, those work, too.)

Picking quilt colors and patterns that work together can take some skill, and it’s always nice to see how the fabrics play together.

So to celebrate the return of autumn—and fall colored quilts —I asked Eileen Fowler, our staff expert on Electric Quilt, for help in re-imagining Reverb inspired by the ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte.

Reverb, designed with juicy pink-and-orange batiks, seems like a summery, tropical island quilt to me. (Or maybe it’s because Angie Milligan, a beach baby if there ever was one, designed it; she loves beach-themed quilts!)

When playing in Electric Quilt, Eileen used fabrics from the Moda Primitive Gatherings collection, which has a nice range of fall colors.

The color palette is definitely still warm, and still uses red, orange, and even a dash of purple in the sashing, but what a difference it makes! This is definitely a fall colored quilt! The orange is a nutmeg-y, pumpkin pie hue, and the red is an orange-red. The shade of purple in the sashing is the color certain maple leaves turn in the fall.

Unable to stop herself, Eileen kept going, playing with the traditional colors and autumnal tones in the fabric line.

She still uses pumpkin orange and crimson red, and then brings in some slate blue, mustardy gold, and a dash of spruce.

I love how the traditional colors in the alternate versions soften the design. It just goes to show that a quilt pattern can be adapted to all kinds of seasons and reasons, you just have to pick your color inspiration, and play!

Happy Quilting!

Vanessa

For more fall colored quilts, check out these products!