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The Story Behind Harvest Medallion

lsmith

Harvest Medallion | Tourmaline & Thyme Quilts

A Fall Quilt Designed for Real Quilters and Real Homes

I didn’t set out to design a new fall quilt. Truly.
I was just teaching a few techniques for another class — freezer-paper templates and quilt-as-you-go appliqué — using this sweet little pumpkin block as the example.

But quilters have a sixth sense for spotting potential, don’t they?
Someone in the Zoom room asked if we could do more of these seasonal blocks… another wondered if we could make something a little bigger for a quilt-along. And of course, that got my medallion brain spinning.

And suddenly, this little block turned into Cinderella’s coach —
one minute a humble pumpkin demo, the next a full-on medallion quilt moment.

At the same time, my Astral medallion quilt was taking off because quilters wanted something attainable and “finishable”. My Autumn Medallion was also doing well, but not everyone wants a big quilt hanging off the edge of their domestic machine. Suddenly this little block felt like it wanted to grow up and take center stage.

So, I followed the energy — and that’s how the Harvest Medallion Quilt was born:
out of curiosity, encouragement, and one pumpkin ready for a bigger story.

🍁 A Quilt Designed to Span the Whole Season

Harvest Medallion was originally designed for Timeless Treasures’ Tonga Harvest collection, a warm, earthy fall batik line.

But even with that fabric in mind, I knew I wanted a quilt that could stay up from September straight through November. I love holidays — absolutely — but I’m downsizing, and wall space is precious. I wanted a quilt with a whole-season vibe, not something tied to a single weekend or theme.

It’s a “September-to-Thanksgiving” quilt — the one you pull out when the apples are ready
and fold away once the holiday leftovers have officially worn out their welcome.

🍂 Designed for Real Quilters and Real Machines

We all dream of that show-stopping heirloom quilt…
but most of us simply don’t have:

And then comes the mental part — the “How on earth am I going to quilt this?” moment.
We stare at it, fold it up “just for now,” and…

AND — another UFO joins the pile.

Harvest Medallion sewn by Nikki Gilder

I didn’t want Harvest Medallion to become one of those someday projects.
So I designed it with intention:

✔️ It’s smaller than a width of fabric, so it’s easy to handle on any domestic machine.

✔️ The appliqué is raw-edge fusible, quicker than finished-edge or needle-turn.

✔️ And we skip the extra “secure the fusible first” step.

You fuse, make your quilt sandwich, and use a blanket or decorative stitch to secure the appliqué and quilt the top in one step.

(In the QAL, I explained that straight stitching is quicker, but raw edges can fray more. A blanket or decorative stitch gives you strength and style.)

✔️ The motifs are close enough together that you don’t need additional quilting unless you want extra texture.

Your decorative stitches do the structural work.

Simple. Achievable. Finishable.

And if you want yours larger, just add borders — Nikki did, and her version is gorgeous.

🎃 The Great Berry Button Twist

Somewhere along the way, I realized something:
those berries were adorable…
but appliquéing tiny circles over and over (and over) was not going to spark joy.

And as I told my QAL group,
“I am good, but I am not THAT good.”

Then one night, these 1¼” carved wooden buttons popped up on Amazon and stopped me mid-scroll. They were warm, beautiful, textural — and instantly solved the entire berry dilemma.

But here’s the thing:
I didn’t just use them for berries.

➤ I used buttons everywhere — and it made the quilt sing.

That’s 109 buttons total — and yes, I stitched every single one by machine!

If you want to appliqué each berry individually, I respect that level of dedication.
I also know my limits… which is why I went with buttons.

➤ Why buttons?

Buttons are just another fun way to put your own artistic spin on it.

A shortcut that actually looks better than the long way around?
Yes please.

🎨 And Then Came the Colorways

After the first version came out, the questions rolled in:

“Can you do this in brighter colors?”
“Maybe something with a darker background?”
“I’m not a big fan of orange…”

All perfectly reasonable — our homes each have their own personalities and styles.

So along came the colorways.
Five different versions, each with its own mood.
Hopefully one will suit yours.

You can choose just the pattern, or:

🎥 Need a Walk-Through? The QAL Replay Has You Covered

If you’d like extra guidance, the quilt-along replay walks you through the whole process.

And as I tell every group right at the start:
“I share the good, the bad, the ugly — and even the mistakes — so you can learn from mine. You get to make new ones of your own.”

Inside the replay, you’ll learn:

It’s the perfect companion if you prefer learning visually or just want reassurance before diving in.

⭐ Where to Go Next

Feeling inspired? Here are your next steps:

💛 Grab the pattern (or a kit!) and start your own Harvest Medallion adventure.

All five colorways are available — pick the colorway that speaks to you.

🔗 Click here for the pattern or kit

💛 Want company? Join the QAL replay.

It’s not live anymore, but the teaching is the same, the tips are the same, and the encouragement is the same.
You can stitch along at your own pace like we’re right there beside you.

🔗 Click here for the QAL replay registration 

And if you’re thinking, “But what about winter?”
Don’t worry — Winter Whispers arrives in January – and she’s already stealing the show in my studio.

Happy Quilting!

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