September 5, 2026
HHappy Saturday! Fall is my favorite season — even if Florida refuses to cool down. I’ve got my fall décor out, apple‑cider candle melts going, pumpkin‑spice tea steeping, and Penn State football playing. It may not feel like fall outside, but it definitely feels like fall in my house.
I’m continuing my slow mission to reduce my fabric stash. My rule is: use what I have first, then only buy what’s needed to finish a project. It’s helping, even if the stash still grows a little.
For this project, everything except the embroidery design came from my stash. Cutting details:
- Front/back/batting: 12×18
- Binding: 3 strips, width of fabric, 2.5 inches
The pumpkin embroidery design was from Etsy. I wanted the pumpkin colors to coordinate with my binding, so I chose thread shades that matched instead of using the suggested colors. After embroidering the pumpkin, I stippled around it — lots of stopping and starting to work around the curves. Once the binding went on, the pumpkin colors really popped.
What I’ll change next time:
- Cut background/batting at 14×19 for more quilting room
- Possibly embroider the entire placemat first, then add the pumpkin so I can stipple closer without fear of stitching over the design
It was an easy, enjoyable fall project and a great stash‑buster. What fall projects or traditions are you enjoying right now?
What machines are you using?
Any pros or cons that I need to be aware of?
How did you learn to do free motion?
What are your fall projects? Or are you already starting to sew for Christmas?
Happy Sewing,
Valerie
The Saturday Seamstress 