Indian Summer

Indian Summer has come at last. Two glorious days of warmth and sunshine lured my husband outside to complete his autumn yard clean up (and snap a couple quilt photos too).


If you grew up in the Chicago area, Indian Summer may have a special significance to you. As kids, we'd look forward to the official pronouncement of the season by the Chicago Tribune. When the air turned hazy with the smell of burning leaves, we’d start scouting the newspaper for Injun Summer, the classic story and cartoon by John T. McCutcheon.


This little quilt evokes Indian Summer with its autumn colors and harvest-inspired name. I call it "Spinach and Squash" because of the fabrics I used - the green and gold of early Pennsylvania German quilts.

It was pieced and quilted entirely by hand. Sounds tedious, I know, but it was easier for me to stitch a few triangles in the spare moments of my day than it would have been to make time to sit at the sewing machine. Besides, I find the slow process of hand sewing relaxing. 

The small half-square triangles finish at 1" and the large ones are 3".

Spinach and Squash Sawtooth

15" x 18"

 hand pieced, hand quilted
© Diane Burdin, 1990

April Fool!

It's April Fool's Day and the joke's on me! I found these remnants of my quilting past (c1981) stashed at the back of a cupboard. Geez, I wonder why?

The blocks are Drunkard’s Path and Crown of Thorns, both hand pieced, hand quilted, and sewn into pillow covers. 

What was I thinking when I chose those fabrics, and just where did I expect to use them as pillows? They don't exactly blend with our decor!

I'll let you know when I find a spot. Meanwhile, they're headed back to the cupboard!