Scrappy Pumpkin Paper Pieced Quilt Block

We’re dreaming of crisp, autumn weather, and this charming quilt block from Cathy Perlmutter is a fun project to welcome fall. Measuring at a twelve-and-a-half-inch square, this pumpkin quilt block pattern uses foundation paper piecing and is recommended for intermediate to advanced quilters. This fall quilt block pattern is perfect for mixing and matching orange fabric scraps and can be transformed into a delightfully rustic throw pillow or wall hanging.

Finished Size: Block will be 12.5” after piecing.

Skill Level: Intermediate – Advanced FPP (Foundation paper piecing)

Materials:

• The Pumpkin: 
  • Dark(s) (shades of orange):  1/4 yard if only one dark fabric is desired. (If several dark fabrics are desired, less than  1/4 yard of each will be required.)
  • Light(s) (shades of orange): 1/4 yard if only one light fabric is desired. (If several light fabrics are desired,  less than 1/8 yard, or just a few scraps, of each will be required.)
• The Stem: 
  • Scrap or 1/8 yard of brown fabric. Choose a light value if the background will be dark (like the one here); use a dark fabric if your pumpkin is on a light background.
• The Background: 
  • The designer chose a sparkly dark navy night sky.
• PDF Pattern – This is located at the bottom of this page. Please see printing instructions below.

PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS:

To download the PDF pattern, click on the download button at the bottom of the page. We recommend opening your download using Adobe Acrobat.

Sewing Instructions:

1. Print out the pattern pages. From the first page, cut out the three paper units, just outside their outer line: Unit A (sky and stem), Unit B (upper pumpkin) and Unit C (lower pumpkin).
   
   
   1. Optional: When making the 12” version, the designer finds it helpful to precut the pumpkin pieces before foundation piecing them. The oversized precutting templates are at the end of the instructions. Pieces do not need to be cut exactly on the outlines, but do cut your pieces to AT LEAST the size of their outer line. They’re all a bit oversized, for the extra safety margin that FPP requires. Place these templates on TOP (the correct side) of the fabric. The white shapes are light pumpkin fabric(s); the grey shapes are dark pumpkin fabrics. There are no cutting templates for Unit A, the stem and sky, but the directions below give measurements for precutting those pieces.
   2. Optional: Hold auditions. When deciding how many fabrics to use, and where to put them, Cathy went to her orange scrap pile and did a rough-cut of several different orange-family fabrics. She laid them on her pattern top. Below is the audition she liked best.
      
      
2. When the arrangement is decided upon, foundation paper piece Units B and C. Although many different stitching orders would work within each of these units, the designer likes to start by pinning the central piece in place (1); and then work outward in both directions.  Here the central piece (1) is pinned to the middle and the other pieces are waiting patiently.
   
   
   1. Unit B example with everything but the background foundation paper-pieced in place.
      
      
3. Repeat with Unit C, everything but its background pieced in place.
   
   
4. This is a good time to audition background colors for the four corners of Units B and C. Add it to the outermost pieces of Units A and B. (Precutting templates include these background shapes.)
   
   
5. Trim the two units from the back, along the outer lines. The front will now look like this.
   
   
6. Remove all paper. Join the two units: Flip unit B (the top), face down, onto unit C, face up, and match along the central seam. Peek between the two layers at the center to match the points.
   
   
7. Pin the center, and then pin outward from the center to each end.  Stitch across to join the units. Press the seam allowances downward, to give the upper part a little 3-D overhang.
8. Foundation piece Unit A. There are no precutting templates for these: Cut two rectangular strips to about 7” x 3 1/2” for pieces 1 and 4, just to make piecing easier.
   1. Here are the first two pieces in position:
      
      
   2. With Piece 3:
      
      
   3. Piece 4 pinned in place:
      
      
   4. Finished Unit A, before trimming:
      
      
9. Trim to the outer line on the back, remove paper, and press well.
   
   
   1. Remaining units:
      
10. Pin the bottom edge of Unit A to the top edge of Unit B. Match up the bottom of the stem with the top of the central triangle in Unit B, but if they don’t match perfectly, that’s fine too! Here everything is pinned in position, ready to be sewn.
    
    
11. Sew across. Press this seam allowance downward, to lift the pumpkin “above” the stem.
12. Finished block.
    

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