How to Sew with Pumpkin Prints for Fall: Using Latte Autumn Fabric in Quilts and Home Decor
Some fall fabrics shout with bright orange and black. Others whisper autumn in a softer voice. The Awe of Autumn Pumpkins Latte, designed by Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake Designs, takes the gentle approach. Scattered pumpkins are paired with sprigs of flowers and leaves on a warm latte background, giving you a seasonal print that feels cozy rather than costume-like. If you love fall decorating but want projects you can leave out from September through Thanksgiving, this is the kind of fabric to reach for.
What This Fabric Is
This is a 100% cotton quilting fabric, 43"/44" wide, sold by the yard. It comes from The Awe of Autumn collection by Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake Designs. Like other Riley Blake quilting cottons, it is made for quilting first, and the product notes say it is also great for apparel and home decor. The latte colorway is key: the creamy, light tan ground makes the pumpkins and floral sprigs stand out without overwhelming a room or a quilt top, and it works as a light neutral in a season usually dominated by dark browns and rusts.
What It Is Best For
Use this print where you want a clear fall motif with a soft palette. It shines in table runners, placemats, and throw quilts for the living room, where the scattered design reads well across a larger surface. It is also lovely for kitchen projects such as aprons, potholder accents, and fabric napkins, and for simple apparel accents where a quilting cotton is appropriate. Because the pumpkins are scattered rather than arranged in strict rows, small cuts still show the theme — a single block, a border strip, or a pillow front will each carry a few pumpkins and leaves.
Cutting and Piecing Tips
Before cutting, press the fabric with a dry or lightly steamed iron and check the repeat. A scattered print is forgiving: you do not need to match motifs at seams, which makes it beginner-friendly for patchwork. For a more polished look, try fussy cutting. Center a pumpkin in a square for framed blocks, sashing posts, or the center of a star block, and save the leafy sprigs for the surrounding pieces. Cut on the straight of grain with a rotary cutter and ruler for accurate patchwork, and use a consistent 1/4-inch seam allowance so blocks join neatly. If you are using the fabric as a background alternative to plain cream, test one block first — the sprigs add gentle movement, which can make simple nine-patches and churn dash blocks feel richer without extra piecing.
Color Pairing Ideas
Latte pairs naturally with the colors already in an autumn palette. Try deep rust, sage and olive greens, warm gold, chocolate brown, and creamy ivory solids or small-scale blenders from the same collection. Let this print be the feature fabric and support it with quieter coordinates so the pumpkins stay the focus. For contrast, a dark brown binding or sashing can frame the lightness of the latte ground. For a softer, farmhouse look, pair it with natural linen tones and pale sage, and keep quilting simple with straight lines or a gentle stipple.
Project Ideas to Try
Start small with a set of reversible placemats, using this print on one side and a coordinating solid on the other. Make a throw quilt from large squares alternating with solid blocks so each pumpkin motif has room to breathe. Sew a pillow cover with a fussy-cut pumpkin in the center, or use strips of the fabric as a border around a plain table runner. Leftover pieces are perfect for mug rugs and gift bags for fall gatherings.
Care
Follow the care given for this fabric: machine wash cold and tumble dry low. Washing in cold water and drying on low helps protect both the cotton fibers and the printed colors, especially if your finished project will be washed often, like table linens. Press after washing if a crisp finish is needed.
Shop the The Awe of Autumn Pumpkins Latte 43"/44" Fabric Per Yard at Linda's Electric Quilters.
