Happy Halloween

Hope everyone has a wonderful Halloween.  DH and I were just talking about our favorite costumes when we were kids.  My mom usually made mine; my favorite was a witch outfit.  My mom made a really tall pointy black hat, a black dress that had a broom appliqued on the front of it, with a long black cape.  I remember being really upset that it was raining and I had to wear a raincoat over my beautiful costume.  The first "purchased" costume I had was Sleeping Beauty, it came with one of those plastic masks that had the tiny little eye holes and mouth hole.  What was your favorite costume?

Latest swap

 I still haven't recovered from my gum graft, and I still look like a chipmunk, one with two black eyes.  At least the pain isn't quite as bad as it was.  I felt like doing some sewing today, but didn't feel like working on one of my many projects that are "in progress".  I got out our latest Thimbles swap, and started on it.  For this swap we are using shirtings and the pattern, Yellow Brick Road.  This is a super easy pattern, and should go together very quickly.   The strips that we swapped are already cut to the correct width. 

Starting to sew strips together.

 

We got the idea for this from one of the quilts that Pat made for a friend of hers.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  I think I might make mine a little  bigger by adding some of my shirtings, haven't decided for sure.  Hope I feel like doing some more sewing tomorrow.

No fun today

 

Ageing is no fun, however it is much better that the alternative. A few weeks ago I found out that I needed to have five separate gum grafts.  I had no idea what I was in for, except for the f act that it probably wasn't going to be fun.  I had the procedure early this morning and have slept most of the afternoon.  My DH just told me I looked like a chipmunk with a mouth  full of nuts.  I think this is more painful that my bunion surgery this summer.  One good thing is that I don't have to go to school tomorrow.  If I feel like it I plan on pulling scraps for Bonnie Hunter's new mystery.  In between naps of course.   Wish me luck.

I love school, sometimes

An elementary school is one of those places where you can let  your inner child run wild, within reason of course.  I have always loved Halloween and this year we are having a pumpkin decorating contest,.  The pumpkins will be on display in the media center, all pumpkins must represent a book character.  Our first entry was received today, Olivia, from Olivia and the Haunted House.  I absolutely love it.  Can't wait to see what else we get!!

One finish, one start

It has been a busy week, the end of the 9 weeks and lots of wool dyeing.   (plus a nasty stomach bug that was no fun).  I finally finished the pillow that I was working on with the pumpkins.  I thought I had a photo of the finished pillow but couldn't find in on my computer and currently am too lazy to get up to take another one.  I really like the way it turned out.  I am definitely getting into this wool thing.

 While at Tiny Stitches on Saturday delivering some wool, I picked up the new book Bewitched Threads.  It has  several different projects in it that I would love to make. The first one that I decided to do was this crow Halloween pillow.  The background is a silk noil, which I just happened to have some left over from a garment that I made a few years ago.  It is quilted in a simple cross hatch then the wool is appliqued over it.

So far I have the background, the crow, his purple hat, and the pumpkin read to go.  Maybe I can get it finished before Halloween.  Wish me luck.

You know it is fall

 You know it is fall when you start seeing all different kinds of spiders around your house.  This little black and yellow one has been around our house for the last couple of weeks. I don't like spiders but I don't have the heart to tear down his web.  I guess it is a he, don't know for sure.  Fall is  my favorite time of year, wish this is when we had time off from school!

Love my sunflowers in the garden.

I am always amazed at the different shades of leaves that you can find in the woods.

Getting back in the groove

 

 A couple of weeks ago, when I made a wool delivery to Tiny Stitches I found a book by Lisa Bongean  that I didn't  have, Autumn Gatherings.  There are lots of great patterns in this book, for both quilts and wool applique.  I found a couple of quilts that I have put on my to do list, don't know when I will get around to them, hopefully sometime soon.  I also found a couple of wool applique patterns that I wanted to do.   Since it is easier for me to do hand work I have actually started on one of them.









This is the pattern that I decided to start on, it is a full body pillow pattern for a bed.  I love the dark brown flannel that I found for the background, for the pumpkins, the vines, leaves and the stems I am using my own hand dyed wools.  Here are the pumpkins and stems.

 

 

Finally started adding the vines and the leaves.  Can't wait to finish.