Glorious Fall Colors

If the vibrant colors of changing fall leaves have inspired you to start a new project, look no further than Terry Albers' Autumn Glow quilt, a bonus feature from the November/December 2012 issue of Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting.

Gorgeous, isn't it? It really does seem to glow!

Q. How did you come up with the design idea?

Terry: I had a very traditional, hand-pieced, vintage two-color quilt that I wanted to reproduce for my bed.  I built the blocks into my computer program and experimented with different fabric combinations.

Q. How did you choose what color palette to use?

Terry: I started playing with colors against black, which gave the quilt a much more contemporary feel. I love the illusion of light that you can create by careful placement of a color progression.  Thinking of the Morning Glory pool at Yellowstone National Park, I used a 7-color progression from light blue into teal for my first version of this quilt. The "Focus" line of blenders by Paintbrush Studio are tone on tone, making the colors sparkle and blend better than a flat color broadcloth would.

Terry's first version, done in cool colors

Q. How did you decide to gradate the colors from yellow out to orange, to red, etc.?

Terry: I chose the colors for this quilt while thinking of autumn in the Wisconsin

North woods. I used the pale yellow at the center and progressed out to the darker colors, making me feel as though I'm looking into (and going toward) the light.

Q. Why did you choose to paper piece this design?

Terry: I paper-pieced this quilt for two main reasons; to control the bias edges and

clearly mark where each color belonged.  Paper (or foundation) piecing also helps keep the blocks consistent from sewing session to sewing session. This makes the top easier to assemble.

Q. Tell us about the machine quilting.

Terry: Diana Napier is a long-arm quilting genius. She completes my designs. We decided to do circles in the center to keep the flowing feel and she did her magic in the outer borders. The thread has a very slight sheen to it, adding to the glow.

Q. What are you planning to use this quilt for?

Terry: My husband worked on this quilt with me and he loves the color combination. I'll most likely be hanging it as a seasonal quilt, somewhere where he can see it every day."

Thanks Terry!


This pattern is available for FREE on the Fons & Porter website (you simply have to register for access).
Click here to get the pattern.
Click here to find the magazine.

Click here to buy a kit for this project.

Click here to learn more about Terry and her work.