Happy Halloween!

WIP Weds, wk. 44

Time for another addition of WIP Weds.

I am stitching on the October Halverson Calendar quilt block---just a little lettering to go and the rest will become part of my quilting the piece.

Below (or to the right) is what I WAS trying to work on over the weekend, before the cat had its button eyes attached. Pam and I were chatting on IM on Saturday and she asked what I planned on working on that day. Stitchery, I thought but that is obviously not what happened.


Turns out that I had just received the fabric order so I could make a sewing machine cover for the older Singer I had bought from Lois' mother who was moving to a long term care facility. Pam had one on her list as well. Even though it was not what either one of us envisioned sewing that day, we were off and running.

Everything was going well to this point when I took the picture; I just needed to purchase some green buttons for the eyes and raid my buttons stash for some smaller sized black ones to overlay that on my next Wal-mart run.

BUT Monday I struggled with attaching the rounded ends to the larger straight edged front/ back sections to this thing. It is sort of like doing a sleeve cap, I guess---some gathering needed to make it fit. I finally got the lining pieces together without too much pleating but had to rip out the same place 3 times and finally ended up hand stitching that problem spot. Then when I tried to do the nice striped sides to the front/back---disaster hit. Ripping ensued, I cut new sections but the project was not going to get done. Pam, of course, finished her project in record time and offered to bail me out and finish up the top stuff. I think she knows that I will give up on this out of frustration. I mailed it off to her yesterday. I can handle it from there---stuff one inside the other and bind the raw edge. TIA, Pam.

Oh, it was not the problem with the pattern, it was purely me. Pattern source: Cotton Ginny. If you DO click on that link, you will spot the wall hanging that I want to do---looks just like Skyler! Maybe once I get the Pumpkins 4 sale done that will be next but the calendar quilt blocks are first. I really would like to be able to hang the November and December ones at least.


Lastly, look what came in the mail for me from my sister-in-law Jan. She emailed me this weekend to tell me that her local quilt guild in Wilson Co., Tennessee was in charge of the quilt show portion of their recent Oktoberfest event. Apparently there were not a lot of entries so Jan went home and grabbed many of the quilts from home. Turns out Beth's Indiana Puzzle that I made a few years back was one of them and it won a 1st place ribbon. All this booty was the prize I received.

The honored quilt can be seen HERE. Pattern source: Marsha McCloskey's Quick Classic Quilts. Doesn't it look pretty on my bed? I should make another, LOL using some of the leftovers I still have. Oh, and Jan told me that one my mother had made for my brother won a 2nd place ribbon plus another she had taken was also recognized with a ribbon.

There are 15 fat quarters of fabric, most of it patriotic though that teal one will work for the wagon of that aforementioned "Pumpkins 4 sale". The little zipper case full of fats is apparently from the Eleanor Burns as it says "Eleanor Burns made a stripper out of me" on it. Then there is a barn pattern, heart yo-yo maker, quilt journal and ruler holder. That kitty on a sewing machine you see is a music box! And I don't know if you can read Jan's note on the envelope or not but it was supposed to be a gift certificate for $25.00 from a Nashville area quilt shop. Jan swapped it out but it has to be spent on something quilt related.

This is my first 1st place ribbon! I have 4- 2nd place ribbons and 5- 3rd place that I have received over the years but never a first. Oh, one I entered was so honored but it was a gift to me from a quilt list that I used to moderate and I sent that on to the lady who assembled and quilted it. Much like what my sister-in-law did for me. I guess I do know a little about sewing/piecing even though that machine cover made me feel like I didn't, LOL.

No problems spending the money on something quilt related either. DJ and I are going to make the Boaz run tomorrow to pick up my Daisy chain quilt, Lois' quilt for her daughter and possibly one of Aline's if it is done. I have enough cash set aside for most of the anticipated costs but this will offset the remaining amount I will owe. Talk about good timing!

I had planned on making the trip today, either with my friend Marilyn or with DJ if she couldn't go but the weather was still unstable. We had lot of tornado warnings, watches and severe thunderstorms yesterday. Sometime after 6 this morning the sirens sounded again. Tornado warning for our county. Lots of periods of heavy rain but we need rain--whole state has been under a no burn order for a month or so now because of the drought conditions we are under. While it was okay off and on in our country this morning, who knew what might pop up driving two counties away? Thursday's forecast is much better so why risk it?

Guess that's it for now-----thanks for stopping by!

WIP Thursday, wk 43

I totally forgot that yesterday was Wednesday and didn't post what I was working on!

Since some of my deadline sewing projects (birthday gifts, FAB challenge) were complete, I had time to do a little extra cooking/baking yesterday morning. Poor DJ has been the quick, down and dirty version of meals lately OR the leftovers from the freezer as the cook was busy. We aren't going to starve or anything but the faster I could get out of the kitchen, the better lately. I had sewing and/or crafting to do!

You see, I like have some homemade muffins or bread on hand in the freezer for an occasional mid morning coffee break. A quick zap and we can split a jumbo muffin or chunk of bread. Alas, the cupboard has been bare of that stuff for about a month. I made two loafs of the copycat version of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread since the recipe uses only half the can. Then the leftover sweet potatoes I had stashed in the freezer became a sweet potato pie with like a praline topping on it (Susan Branch newsletter) That goes with tonight's turkey breast in the crockpot meal though we did try a slice last night. Possibly poor planning on my part since the cholesterol/triglycerides are bound to be up.

SO anyway, what I DID do yesterday afternoon is prep some stitcheries. Above you see a Crabapple Hill Studio freebie designed by Meg Hawley that can be downloaded HERE. At that point I was just getting ready to trace it off.

To the right, the cornerstone blocks for the Bird Brain Santa project. Once stitched I will trim them down to the 2 inch finished size required in the kit. I have an itty bit of the #12 Santa block done. Since I plan on going to DJ's cardiologist appointment with him tomorrow, I will drag that along with me----and judging from the wait times he has experience on his previous appointments, I will get a good bit done on it.


Lastly, the last 3 Halvorsen calendar quilt blocks were traced off and ready to pull the required floss colors. I did a little bit of the stitching last night and will back to it this afternoon till supper prep time.

I am pretty sure that my next piecing/applique project will be Pumpkins 4 sale from Country Threads. I had pulled some of the fabrics a few months back and it being fall, something fun to work on. I had spotted this done up on a blog last year about this time and Margo at Heart in His Hand was so sweet to let me know the pattern source so I could track down the pattern. If I can dig up some dark green fabric from my stash, I think this one could be a reality!

At some point Lois and I will make a run up to Boaz to pick up our quilts from Susan, our long arm quilter. If not Saturday, then after Wednesday next week. My Daisy Chain is done and that means binding and a sleeve coming in the near future---my next quilt show entry, no doubt.

MMMMMMM, it is starting to smell like Thanksgiving at my house---the turkey in the pot. DJ will be eating good tonight! Have a wonderful weekend and thx for stopping by------

package received

Have you ever made something for a friend or family member that you thought was so cute that you wanted one too? I did this once before, making a winter snowman scene for a secret pal and then years later, one for me. This time I didn't wait so long, LOL!

My pal Pat had a birthday recently and I wanted to make her a little something this year. Since she has a fall birthday, the choices were endless but I kept coming back to this little wall hanging. No surprise, it was designed by one of my favorite designers Amy Bradley so that was part of the attraction plus Pat is a dog person. It was featured in a Quilter's World magazine in October 2003. Yep, I have had it in my clipping file for awhile and waiting for the chance to use it.

But I couldn't find the black and white fabric that Amy used for the fence nor anything that looked even remotely like it; it was a wonderfully crooked lined piece that was perfect for the fence. What to do? Initially I tried foundation piecing a picket fence but it just didn't work as well as I had hoped. I love to foundation piece but I tossed that effort. Sharpie and white tone on tone lines looked "more like it to me". KISS philosophy and all that. From there, I was off and running and having a ball pulling fabrics to use on the rest of the piece.

You know how I love to hand embroider and this included those elements. I don't know how well the Trick or Treat message shows up on the wagon---you might have to click on the pic to see it better. The more I do machine button hole, the more I like it and the better I get at it. Fun project for me and I hope she likes it as well.

I am currently entrenched in another project I can't show you as the FAB fall challenge mailing date is looming with a week to go. I have Pat's name this round so had to reach into my bag of tricks for another idea. Unlike the previous rounds, there was no challenge fabric that had to be used somewhere in the piece rather Pat told us to " just make something that says fall" That left it pretty wide open---Thanksgiving, Halloween, just plain fall. I chose something that is more of a craftie project since I just did a wall hanging for her. I'm having fun with it and using my machine in a different way than I usually do----that is all the hint you are getting, Pat! LOL
Stay tuned---we will have the reveal once everyone in our little group of 5 has received their package, around the first of November. Man, that is sure sneaking up! It sounded so long ago when we set the time. Well, talking about it is not getting this last part done so I best get cracking.

WIP Weds. wk 42

One "giftie" is officially in the hands of the USPS, as of a few minutes ago. Well, make that two "gifties" if you want to count my niece's t-shirt quilt. BUT I still can't show you what I have been working on till I know that the receipent has opened it. Furthermore, I am working on another gift for another pal and can't show you that one either.

So, what is this pile? A stack of quilting that awaits me each and every day. A few get done and more get added. Somehow that pile stays about the same heighth. The top 4 are donation quilts while the lower stuff is personal projects of various vintage. One of them I want to disassemble and re-set the blocks differently. The bottom one is a full sized bed quilt that needs just 7 or 8 more blocks quilted, naturally the ones that are hardest to get at with a domestic machine. Maybe once the deadline work is done. I still have the FAB fall challenge and the annual Bama Belle fabric challenge to go though the former's deadline is looming in about 2 wks time. I know what I want to do and have all the supplies on hand to get started---probably tomorrow.

There is also a list started on things I would like to do, that are not UFOs or WIPs. The tip of the iceberg here-------

• October, November calendar quilt blocks to embroider. Then finish up August, Sept at the same time
  
• Avocato---the Belles gave me some birthday money to spend and some of it went for this. I want to show them how I used their generous gift, sooner than later.
• a sewing machine cover for the old Singer---the pillowcase works but looks tacky, LOL. A sewer/quilter can do better

And so it goes. Do we ever really get caught up or just add more to the pile? Binding awaits----------

WIP Weds edition 40

I am working on something but can't show it---that top secret project. I am finally at the point that I can begin the machine applique so it is moving along.

Since I don't have too much else to say (yeah, surprising I know, LOL) and want to avoid a pictureless post, I thought I might share some of the fall decor I put out this morning. (Repeats if you are along time reader)

Fabricraft witch I made several years ago when I had more available decorating space. Pumpkins included in the pattern but I seem to have lost her broom. I remember making one as I cut some stuff off our own broom to do it and attaching it to a dowel rod. The wall hanging was a Debbie Mumm design, I think that I purchased at a fall bazaar.


This Katrinka Designs Multi- seasonal banner normally hangs in the hallway but I moved it to the sewing room door for the time being.

The fall leaves are not one of the original designs. The tesselated block is an old one (1440 Brackman number) called among other things Maple Leaf Design. I adapted it a bit by eliminating a few superfluous lines from the design though. Quilter's Cache has a version as well called Ozark Maple Leaf but no way was I interested in sewing two squares of the same color together as shown in that pattern. Rectangles and flippy triangles, yes but not a 6 x 6 two inch grid.


This last one is an old Country Threads pattern. I messed up in a few spots when I made this and had to, er "make it mine" Oh well! I know it is a little early for turkeys but I was more interested in the fall colors anyway. Just swap out the Halloween stuff at the end of the month and I'm ready for Thanksgiving, LOL.

I think I will go ahead and hang the November "Be Attitudes" Be Grateful (shown HERE) while I am at it. It is good for October with the fall theme. I put my fall Maple Leaf Ring table runner on the coffee table so that will spruce up the living room a bit more. I would take a picture of it but DJ's stuff that sits on it covers a good bit of it.

I still need to mark and stitch the October calendar quilt block---maybe once the top secret stuff is done or that monthly project carries over into 2011. Never enough time, is there?

Best get to stitchin' rather than talking about it----------