Welcome to
Thanks to Carla at Creatin’ in the Sticks for hosting this festive event. See below for a list of other bloggers showcasing some quilty pumpkins this week.
I’ve got a pumpkin project to show but before I do, I have a few pictures of a real European Pumpkin Festival.
Tu-Na Helper and I spent more than two weeks this past summer in Germany. One of the many beautiful places we visited included the Palace at Ludwigsburg.
If my memory serves me correctly, castles in Germany were used to protect the country but royalty lived in palaces.
This particular palace was hosting a pumpkin festival on the rear grounds. Once we finished touring the inside, we moseyed around to the exterior.
We saw pumpkins of every shape and size.
Some we’ve seen here in our part of the U.S.
and some we’ve never seen before.
I’ve been to our local pumpkin patch but they don’t have the impressive displays that we saw at the palace.
Yes, this horse is sporting a pumpkin body.
There were displays of birds and bees,
rabbits and foxes,
lumberjacks,
insects and arachnids,
squirrels and even a moose.
We saw impressively carved pumpkins
and pumpkins of many sizes including the one that holds the largest pumpkin award on German record.
At least I think that’s what the sign below the pumpkin read.
With all this pumpkin inspiration, I decided to make Tu-Na Helper a new mug rug. We do like our coffee and he doesn’t have a fall-themed mug rug.
I had just purchased EQ 8 to help me design block patterns and quilts. They recently emailed a lesson that include a paper pieced pumpkin. I opened that block in my new program and made it smaller, added the lettering, and pushed the print button.
After all I am referred to as the Queen of the Tiny Pieces by some of my friends.
After picking out the fabrics I set to work.
I use a heavy card to lay my Add-A-Quarter ruler against.
I do like paper piecing.
Before long, I had finished sewing that little pumpkin
which was now ready for quilting.
I didn’t pin or spray baste the piece as it was only 5.5″.
All it needs now is the binding
I chose my favorite crosshatch quilting.
but there wasn’t time to sew that on before our annual migration south.
The back
I actually left ND a week ago and am taking the scenic route visiting our daughter in Austin, Texas before arriving at our winter home in Arizona.
Pick a Pumpkin Blog Hoppers Schedule
What I Learned Today:
- I am hungry for pumpkin pie. That might be because of looking at all the pictures of pumpkins or maybe that’s because I am getting tired of apple pies.
- Tu-Na Helper sure knows how to stuff a Prius full. We are taking lots of apples to our daughter.
- I think my other mug rugs in AZ are smaller. I might have to remake this one so it will match the others in size. I’ll know in a few days.
Question: How do you like your pumpkin: baked in a pie, displayed on the table, or quilted? I do like a good homemade pumpkin pie but this little pumpkin is so cute.
Thanks for stopping by and do come again.
Karen, Tu-Na Quilts
Linking to:
Main Crush Monday at Cooking Up Quilts
Monday Making at Love Laugh Quilt
Let’s Bee Social at Sew Fresh Quilts
Midweek Makers at Quilt Fabrication
Wednesday Wait Loss at The Inquiring Quilter
Chameleon’s Linky Party at Clever Chameleon Quilting
Can I Get a Whoop Whoop? at Confessions of a Fabric Addict
Finished or Not Friday at Busy Hands Quilts
Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats 
O gosh what a beautiful and incredible gourd display. Thanks for sharing. Your mug rug is cute!
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I have never seen a pumpkin display quite like the one in Germany, so amazing! Thanks for sharing the wonderful photos. I like pumpkins for decorating and for eating!
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Thank you for sharing the pictures of the Germany pumpkin display – it is incredible! Pumpkin pie is my favorite.
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Wow! Those are some impressive pumpkin sculptures!!! Your mug rug looks great! I hope you enjoy your trip to AZ. I would probably pick apple pie over pumpkin, but I love pumpkin baked goods! Pumpkin bread is my favorite. So moist and yummy!!!!
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Great little mug rug! You are going to love EQ8.
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Fantastic pumpkin display at the palace gardens! I have EQ8 too, love playing with it.
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Those pumpkin displays are incredible! It was fun see them, so thanks for sharing the pics. Your PP mug rug is really nice; I especially love how you quilted it!
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Your pumpkin display is beautiful! I love the mug rug ! Safe travels!
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love the mug rug
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Your mug rug is really cute! Isn’t it cool that EQ allows you to take a design and resize it easily to fit your needs? Love technology! We had a great day at our local Botanical Gardens that had lots of fun pumpkin displays, similar to yours. People are so creative! 🙂
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Hey, Karen! I’ve missed you. I have to say that I am not a fan of pumpkin, so I don’t really eat it much. Now and then I will have a piece of pumpkin pie for tradition’s sake. Pumpkins on quilts is a whole different matter, and I love your little mug rug! I didn’t know EQ8 sent out little lessons. Hmm. I just got the program awhile ago. I’ll have to check that out. Safe travels in your journey to AZ!
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Now I want to attend that festival! I love pumpkins year round, decorating the home!
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pumpkin pie for sure is how I like my pumpkins – have fun in Arizona – it sure was fun visiting your part of the world on my recent trip – have a good Arizona winter
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That is a whopper of a pumpkin festival! What a fun event to see! Your little pumpkin mug rug is so cute too.
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Wow, thanks for sharing the pumpkin festival pics. Those displays are amazing. Love your mug rug. It will be interesting if you have to make a smaller version. I love displaying pumpkins for Halloween and then roasting the seeds for snacks. I never developed a taste for pumpkin pie.
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Darling little coaster. Your color choices are great. I really enjoyed seeing your pictures of the pumpkin displays in Germany. Very interesting! The fox was my favorite. I definitely like my pumpkin baked into a sweet pie!
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Hi Karen! Lots of fun pictures, and an adorable pumpkin mug rug. I want to love paper piecing, and 2019 is the year of PP for me. I’ll either love or hate it, but it is going to be my focus. I hope you are enjoying your daughter, and wish you safe travels. I know Tu-Na Helper can really pack a Prius because of all of your MN blog hop travels. He’s the master!! I hope once you make it to your winter home you post more often. I’ve missed you!! Happy Monday to you. ~smile~ Roseanne
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Those are some Wow pumpkin pictures and now you are making me hungry for pumpkin pie. Love that cinnamon nutmeg aroma coming from the oven. Pass the whip cream.
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Wow, beautiful pictures! I am not a pie person but, I do like pumpkin bread.
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The pumpkin displays were amazing, I’ve never seen anything like that before. Your mug rug is so cute. Thank you for sharing
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I’ve never seen displays at our local pumpkin patch using pumpkins like those in Germany. Wow! It really looks like an amazing place to visit. Wow, again! I love EQ8 and all the designs that are already included in them. That pumpkin is adorable! Have a fun and safe drive home.
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What fun pumpkin displays they have in Germany! I think you should plant a pumpkin patch to go with your apple orchard…just saying…
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Oh Karen, I’m so glad you shared your incredible photos with us. What a fabulous place to visit. The imagination is just incredible. I have to say, I’m looking at the big pumpkin spiders, and my mind is racing! LOL!! Watch out yard next year!
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That was an awesome festival! I love the mug rug. I won the EQ8 program. Please tell me it’s easy to use!
I don’t eat pumpkin so I’d pick display or quilted! LOL
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I love to eat pumpkin and to use it for decorations. My mouth waters just thinking of pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie. Your mug rug is darling!
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Quilted! Love your little mug rug, and thanks for sharing all the creative ways to decorate with gourds – such imagination!
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Thanks for sharing all those striking pumpkin photos. The art work (which only can last so long) was outstanding. Love your mug rug. Smaller sure – but you could make it a bit bigger and then just add a pumpkin cookie or two with the coffee. 🙂 My husband’s favorite pie is pumpkin – I should make it more often. But…we also love pumpkin bars and I do make them more often. I like pumpkin – any old way.
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What fun pumpkins!!! I like the gnarly white ones the best! Adorable mug rug for hubby and I know it will get lots of use. Have fun in Arizona with your daughter!!
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I hope you are doing the Art with Fabric blog hop – you are one of my favorites.
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We will be heading south to Texas after Christmas! I love my EQ8 and have not made the cute pumpkin…great idea for a quick mug rug! Thanks for sharing all the awesome pumpkin pics! Safe travels!
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Thanks for sharing your beautiful pumpkin pics! And your mug rug!! I am not a big fan of the flavor of pumpkin (I’m more of a sweet potato kinda girl!!), so my favorite pumpkin would be quilted – or embroidered!!
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I like my pumpkin in a pie that I bake myself. Yum!
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wow, the pumpkin “sculptures” were great, but I am a fan of both pumpkin pie and quilted pumpkin accessories. Keep up the good work. Kathy in Colo
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What an assortment of pumpkins and squashes!! Thanks
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What a treat seeing all those pictures! And I really love your little mug rug. In answer to the question: all of the above, but I guess baked in a pie is best of all.
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I love pumpkin pie, and when I stopped using the canned and started making my own from the sugar pumpkins….OH My! Cute mug rug.
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Thanks for sharing your German pictures, they would make beautiful fabric. Enjoy your time with your family. Oh, I prefer deep dish pumpkin pie!.
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What wonderful pictures, and how imaginative the creators of these scenes are. Also like your mug rug…..the colors are so vivid, but not a fan of paper piecing, so I just look and appreciate.
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Cute mug rug. That display of pumpkins is the most creative I have ever seen. Thanks for sharing in the hop. I love pumpkin season … 🙂 Pat
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I like pumpkins in all of the above! Those picture of the pumpkin festival were amazing! Your mug rug is cute. Thanks for sharing.
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I didn’t know there were so many varieties of pumpkin. I’ll never get to Germany, so thanks for the travel tour. I think I prefer my pumpkins in bars. I haven’t made them in many years. Your mug rug is very cute. I like your quilting choice.
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What an amazing display of pumpkins! I love the different colored ones. I am blown away with these displays made of pumpkins! Holy cow!! So big and creative!! I love your little mug rug! Perfect! And I do love pumpkin pie! Yum yum!!! Safe travels to AZ!!
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Wow, wow, wow…soooooo Beautiful! I like quilted pumpkin- keeps longer!
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I’m so jealous you are going to Arizona for the winter. I’d like to be back there year-round, but that will be a while. Thank you for sharing the pumpkin festival photos. Those were great! I cannot imagine living in a place like that – certainly you’d want plenty of helpers! Safe journeys, and thanks for sharing your tiny little pumpkin, too!
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Thanks for sharing your pictures and what a cute mug rug!
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In a pie and a nice table runner…. . happyness04431@yahoo.com
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Wow, Karen, I’ve never seen anything like those pumpkin sculptures. Thank you, so much, for sharing those pictures. What an experience. You’ve created the cutest mug rug and I love the quilting you did. Thank you for joining the Pick a Pumpkin blog hop. Safe travels to you.
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I love that squirrel. It’s pumpkin bars around here.
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I like pumpkin pie about once a year, but a quilted pumpkin is great year round.
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You are the queen of tiny pieces! Perfect for a mug rug. Thanks for sharing your photos of the pumpkin festival – how very interesting to see all the creativity.
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That display in Germany is awesome! I’m glad you shared photos of it. The mug rug is neat–great creation! I like pumpkins for decorations best–pie is good, but being able to see them out on display for a long period of time is even better. Thanks for sharing!
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I like pumpkin in bread, chili/soup, actually, most any way to eat it. Even the seeds (roasted of course).
I also wonder what happens to all of those pumpkins/gourds after the festival is over.
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Cute mug rug! As for pumpkin, i’m not fond of it in most any form.
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What a sweet little mug rug!
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Awesome photos of all the pumpkin sculptures and your little mini is so cute. I love chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with pumpkin creamcheese icing (recipe from Panera). Thanks!
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Love your mug rug. My favorite way for pumpkin is cookies, bread or a pumpkin roll. Have fun in Arizona.
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That pumpkin festival was amazing! Thanks so much for sharing it and your mug rug on Wednesday Wait Loss. So cool.
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Germany does have some AMAZING castles. I don’t think we ever visited that one, but we had one probably just as large in Wurzburg when we were there. It was HUGE!!! We lived less than a mile away from it actually. We visited many castles tho while we lived there and saw many really cool festivals and this time of year just reminds me of the infamous Octoberfest that goes on during October, and come December is all the wonderful Christmas Festivals by the artisans.. such wonderful memories and you brought all of that flooding back today.
To answer your question… I like pumpkin pie in my mouth… yum, yum, yum… I have a hard time thinking of it any other way.
I love the little coaster tho, that’s quite cool and it’s wonderful that you’re enjoying your new EQ. 🙂
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Wow, what great creations with pumpkins in Germany. I adore Tuna Helper’s pumpkin mug rug. I hope that your route to/from Arizona brings you close to Tulsa sometime and we can meet in person. I live in a southeast bedroom community of Tulsa and have for over 39 years. It’s easy to remember when we bought the house – it was 2 weeks before my daughter was born when we were moving. I hope your daughter likes apples. I forgot that I love Waldorf salad with apples when you were asking for suggestions – of course, I use fresh apples for that. My best friend’s sister lives in Austin. I’ve never been there – or Germany. It’s nice to be able to see places through pictures. Thanks for a great post. I hadn’t thought about it being time to go back to Arizona – it’s been warm here until just lately. We may have a light freeze on Friday here and we haven’t really needed coats yet.
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Thanks for sharing your pictures from the German pumpkin display. 🙂 I love the creativity and it brought back lots of memories too. In answer to your question on my bog, my pumpkin display pictures are also from Germany, but I don’t think that will surprise you given the similarities. Specifically, my pictures are from Europa Park (about 175km from Ludwigsburg).Love the cross-hatch texture on your little mug rug.
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Those are some really, really cool pumpkin displays! Your pumpkin mug rug turned out very cute. Save travels as you move to warmer pastures for the winter.
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Wow, that was some pumpkin display! Loving your new mug rug! You’ve created a memory.
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LOL Karen you two really DO take the scenic route to AZ! Darling little coaster; hmm, I’ll have to read that EQ newsletter and download that pattern. I really appreciate their free fabric collections each month to download. What a fabulous trip, but that pumpkin art is over the top! Love the squirrel especially, and you know why!
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Love your pumpkin coaster! And wow those pumpkin festival shots are amazing!
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