First Look: McCall’s Quilting September/October 2021

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Finding time to quilt in the midst of the changing seasons is always a challenge. When the summer months begin to wane and the days grow shorter, there’s so much to do. We might want to be inside quilting, but the gardens planted last spring need to be harvested and put to bed. Caring for those plots, no matter how small, can be a big job! But if you are a devoted gardener, you know that planting your veggies in rows can simplify the work later on. The planning is straightforward, the planting is fun, the tending and weeding are a bit easier, and the harvest…you get the picture.

September Song by Abigail Dolinger - beautiful fall-themed row quilt. — *September Song* by Abigail Dolinger

If you are looking for a fresh approach to making quilts, you might try applying this concept to your next project. Row quilts are so much fun, and even if you aren’t a gardener, you can certainly see the benefits of working this way. After all, quilting has a lot of similarities to gardening: there’s a ‘planning’ stage when you choose your colors and fabrics, a ‘planting’ stage when you cut and piece the top, and a ‘tending’ stage when you quilt and bind the finished piece. Lastly, using that quilt for warmth and comfort is a lot like enjoying the fall harvest. Have you tried making a row quilt? Now’s the time!

McCalls Quilting Sept/Oct issue cover featuring row quilt, September Song by Abigail Dolinger

This issue of McCall’s Quilting features a number of projects built row-by-row. From Abigail Dolinger’s September Song featuring autumn leaves and Flying Geese in a pumpkin patch to Charisma Horton’s Songbird Row with its decidedly sophisticated winter palette, there are examples of row quilts that can reflect any season or style. How about a bold and colorful quilt in salsa colors? Check out Ramona Sorensen’s Blaze Bright.

Blaze Bright by Ramona Sorenson- a bold and colorful quilt in salsa colors — *Blaze Bright* by Ramona Sorensen

We hope you find hours of inspiration and joy from this issue of McCall’s Quilting. From cover to cover, there’s something for every kind ofquilter—or gardener!

Happy Quilting!

Download the Crossroads Quilting motif.

Quilt Basics, the instructions for things you use often in quiltmaking, are available online. If you need help with a technique in any of the projects in this issue, go to www.quiltingdaily.com/quilt-basics-and-lessons/ to access Quilt Basics.