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Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Going Batty! - A Finished Quilt!

Welcome to my stop on the Halloween Hoppin' Blog Hop! Hosted by Marian at Seams To Be Sew, the hop is a fun way to meet new quilters and see what spooky things we've all been stitching!

Going Batty Halloween quilt

I knew the hop would be the perfect excuse to sew up a quilt using my Bat Crazy pattern

Halloween blog hop



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If you're new here, hello! I'm Laura! I design quilt patterns, and I'm a self-proclaimed deal hunter! Be sure to join the popular Quilting & Sewing Deals Facebook group where I post sales, deals, and coupon codes from all around the web!


I don't decorate much for Halloween, but for some reason, I LOVE making Halloween quilts! (See previous year's Halloween quilts here, here, here, here, and here!) After designing the bat quilt block last month, I really wanted to make it this year's Halloween quilt! This blog hop was the push to make it happen!

I started with fabrics I had in my stash: Kona Torch, Kona Chartreuse, and Painter's Palette Ebony. I picked up Kona Crocus at my local JoAnn store to complete the mix.

Making a bat quilt block

I pieced the whole quilt using 50wt Aurifil #2605 Grey. I buy it by the cone and use it for everything!

Sewing bat quilt blocks

The construction of the block uses traditional piecing - but there is a twist! Those aren't half-square triangles! They are squares folded in half to create a triangle. That allows the diagonal edge to be turned up and stitched to create a gentle curve! It's the same technique as machine stitched cathedral windows! Such a fun technique! I used Aurifil 50wt #2692 Black for this step.

Using the cathedral window technique to create curves

It didn't take long before I had a whole colony!

Bat quilt block colony

I made twenty blocks and alternated the bats to be either flying or hanging upside down.

Bat quilt top in orange, lime, purple

Using my dining room table, I taped down the backing, then laid Warm & Natural batting on top, then the quilt top. I pin basted all the layers then tried to pick a thread color for quilting.

Pin basting

I didn't want to quilt over the top of the bats with a bright color, so decided the best option was to only quilt the background of the blocks using matching Aurifil thread.

Auditioning Aurifil thread

I had 50wt Aurifil in #1104 Neon Orange and #5017 Shining Green, but the closest purple I had in my stash was 40wt #4225 Dark Dusty Grape.

Meander free motion quilting on my domestic Juki

I did a quick free-motion meander through the background fabrics with the coordinated color, then machine bound the quilt using more Kona Torch. (Tutorial for that here.) I haven't fully committed to leaving the bats unquilted. But I'm also not sure what to add to them so the quilting isn't distracting. I'm going to let it be for now and see how I feel about it in a few days.

Machine binding

I also remembered to sew in one of my new labels when adding the binding! I love them! (I ordered the satin tags from EverEmblem. You can use the code SAVE10 at checkout to get 10% off your order too!) 

EverEmblem quilt labels

I love the orange minky backing! In case you were wondering, I do like to still using batting when using minky. It gives the quilt a great weight - perfect for chilly fall and winter days! The quilts in our house with minky on the back get the most use!

minky for a quilt back

I really love how the quilt turned out! The bright colors make it fun and cheerful.

Bat quilt

My boys are definitely going to be fighting over who gets to use this one!

Free bat quilt block pattern

The finished quilt measures 48" x 60" - the perfect lap size!

Going Batty! - A finished quilt!

The meander quilting gives the quilt a great cuddly texture too!

A bat quilt swirl

It just makes me smile when I see it!

Going Batty Halloween quilt

If you'd like to make a Bat Crazy quilt, then get the pattern in my Etsy shop! It's available as a PDF pattern and paper booklet too.

Don't forget to go visit the other bloggers on the hop and show them some love! Everyone has made such fun Halloween projects!! 


28 comments:

  1. What a cute quilt. Thanks for the bat quilt block pattern.

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  2. This is sooooo cute! I like the bats not quilted, and I really like the alternating right side up/upside down bats. Very fun; I'm sure your boys will fight over it!

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  3. Oh, that looks so cute! Alternate days, and you get to snuggle with it on Sundays! LOL Minkee, who wouldn't want to snuggle it!

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  4. this is so cute. I love the colors and the positioning of your bats. so fun. thanks for sharing

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  5. I like the idea of using minky as a backing although I've heard it is hard to quilt. Love the bat quilt. That would be just up the alley of my youngest grandchild.

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    1. I haven't had any issues using it at all. It does stretch, so I'm careful not to stretch it when I baste. Then I pin about a hand-width apart to keep it from shifting during quilting. I've even used it on my longarm!

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  6. Halloween colors are so much fun. I think that's why we love it so much as quilters!

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  7. Darling finish ... I love that the orientation of the bats flips back and forth—very appropriate. Great colors, too! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  8. This is a beautiful bat quilt...love it!

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  9. Thank you so much for this darling Bat quilt. He is too cute.
    Carol O

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  10. Cute quilt! Thank you for the pattern.

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  11. I love it. It is fun and cheerful. No wonder the quilt makes you smile. Thank you very much for the pattern.

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  12. Adorable quilt! Love your colors! Thank you for the pattern. Such a great Halloween project.

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  13. Such a cute quilt and in my favorite Halloween colors!!

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  14. I think bats are one of my favourite things - shame they are limited to Halloween. Your block is wonderful - it reminds me of Batman (years ago when the series ran with Adam West as Batman), so it is doubly wonderful. Thank you for sharing!

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  15. That's a great technique for creating the curves in the wings. Thanks for sharing the pattern.

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  16. Going Batty is wonderful. Love that some of the bats are upside-down as that's the way they sleep!

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  17. Great pattern. Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait to try. Love the colors!

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  18. Adorable quilt, thanks so much for sharing!

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  19. Absolutely adore your batty quilt! I am not a Halloween person, but who doesn't love bats?! Thanks for the pattern!

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  20. I love these bats, and the way they are flying about your quilt. This is a feel like fun project. Thanks for sharing the pattern as well.

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  21. This quilt is SO cool! Thank you!

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  22. So very cool. We don't really "do" halloween here in Australia, but I really love your batty quilt.

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  23. Love the quilt. And the colours are amazing. Well done.

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  24. Nice article. thanks for share this. i like your blog commenting this post. I am very happy to see your standard post. Thanks for sharing amazing tips. cotton quilts for sale online india.

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