Pre-Weekend Happenings

Just before the weekend set in a couple of my friends came over .
We try to get together once a month to do embroidery.
I am the weak link here folks!

There was a little show and tell also...
this is a quilt that Patty made and hand quilted.
I brought it into the living room to where I still have the last my patriotic things out.
This quilt is beautiful!

Donna brought a book for us to drool over...

so I thought I would pass the bib and show you this wonderful book.

I always love Adams and Allen books. Even if you don't do one projects,

they are books you can just look at over and over and never get tired of.

This project, above, would be a great way to use your hexi's.

 

Love the little sachets... could be pincushions too I suppose.
I seriously love this book! It's done so beautifully and it has a little story and
recipes throughout the book.
(dear hubs: I think it would make a great birthday present)

Then for our embroidery projects...

A sweet little dish towel.

I just saw this one finished today... made into a pillow.

And here is my little block. I think I am getting better at this- don't laugh!

And since I am relatively new to embroidery... I am starting with Cosmos for my thread collection.

Fast and Easy Pinwheels!!!

I was over at Auntie's Quaint Quilts blog today and she shared a link,

which led to

 another link,

which led to a UTube video...

 from the Missouri Star Quilt Co.

I am sure you are all aware of the "Daily Deal" they offer, right?

But have you checked out some of their tutorials?

I didn't know what I was missing...

and this video

is just too cool.

I can't wait to give it a try this weekend.

See just like that...

something fun to look forward to...

that and a good game of Domino's!

(I might not have added this correctly... let me know, if you know how)

What I Like And What I Don't Like

This is where we like to go to relax.

We took our family over to the house at the coast this summer.

To show our East Coast family the West Coast.

I had plans to go there next week with the hubs and was really looking forward to vegging out at the beach...

but it's just not going to happen.

*g*

So, let's just look at some pictures instead... and make new plans.

(Don't you just hate it when "life" happens like that)?

So, anyway, do you know what I do like?

Ruffles!

Love them!

I found this ruffled shower curtain on somebodys blog... I will try to remember and give her credit.

She got this from some Outfitter type store... who woulda thought!

Seems like I could whip one up.

and speaking of ruffles...

did you see the picture on the last post?

(sorry,

 it's just a sneak peak but...)

Mmm, Yummm, Sigh = Quilting Bliss

I have a big list this time for Kelly's

Charming Girls Club so I thought I ought to get busy.

I got a few things checked off after this weekend.

I have my  Double Hour Glass quilt put together now...

I have been hording this fabric group because I love it so much.

But I think that this was a fun project to use it in.
*mmm*

It will be one of the class projects at my retreat
next month.

And here I got to move on to working with BLISS.

This is just the sweetest fabric... I swear I want it all!

Not just some of it, ALL of it. If I were Camille I wouldn't have even let this go out to the stores.

But lucky for me she did... so I could make Marmalade!

*yummm*

Last year I made up some holiday banners, they are so fun and festive and also great for little gifts.

This will be  another class project at the retreat.

I was looking for some fabric to use for the banner and I ran across my leftovers from a Halloween quilt.

I loved this group... it's several years old now. But the vintage cats are so cute.

I guess I like cute Halloween, not so much scary Halloween!

 

Hannah is keeping an eye on me here!

She is warning me not to tell you that I have a secret.

So- okay, I can't tell you a thing... but... maybe

(picture to be inserted here- come back to check and see if I get permisison)

edit 9/23: I was told I could show this much...

just a little sneak peek at

something

a very special

someone

designed

that

I

very humbly

got to

make

a little sample of.

*sigh*

In My Blogville Travels Today

Shelley at Red Quilts is having a

100th Post Celebration!

This is one of the gifts she will be giving away...

I am particularly fond of her pincushions!

and what is a celebration without balloons?

Happy Century Post Shelley  and thanks for sharing

 all of your creations and ideas with us!

I had been visiting over at Sew Cindy blog and saw the Fall into Fall Quilt Blog Giveaway

post and thought it looked like fun.

Cindy's friend Debi at Quilting With Debi is having a giveaway and wants to invite quilter bloggers

to join her. 

But before I tell you more about that...

I wanted to share that she is also having a giveaway right now.

Back to Fall into Fall:

 Basically the idea is to  do a little Stash Manicure and go through your stash, patterns, books, etc. and find something that could use a new home... but go over to Debi's blog for the details.

I'm definitely going to participate. The giveaway will be announced October 1st... because it's my birthday (Libra's have no shame!) which happens to be the day of our big Schnibble Parade for all of the people

 who completed the Year of Schnibbles! 

The drawing will be on October 15th... which happens to be the same day as

the Big Cover Up iron board challenge show!

And speaking of Schnibbles...

Remember the Schnibbles Times Two contest by That Patchwork Place Publications along with  Moda?

Well, they posted their winners and the other store winner entries on a Flikr account that you can go check out. There are 33 amazing and inspiring quilts to see. So here is the link if you want to see the show!

AND Mary from Quilt Hollow was a contender! Yeah Mary- your quilt is beautiful!

Everything Is In It's "Place"

I suppose that a Second Place is better than no place at all.

Here are the quilts that I had entered into the County Fair.



I ranked a Second and a Third... and an honorable mention.
Not to bad overall... but I keep thinking of that saying: If you're not the lead dog the view is the same.
I have another try at this because this weekend is our Heritage Days Fair, and I have entered a couple of quilts into
that exhibit. Just wall quilts are able to be entered there, due to space constraints.

I had to show a photo of our new landscapers who arrived just in time... so the hubs didn't have to go out and cut that lawn! hehe!

This time of year the deers don't mind coming into the yard despite the fact that we have a dog.

Deer season has opened and I have a feeling they know it...

and figure that they would rather take their chances with the house pets!

I had lunch with my sweet friend yesterday and she had to show me her newly finished Dresden Plate wall hanging. Do you see what this picture and the photo below have in common?

They are both saying Fall is on it's way!

Although the temperature doesn't seem to agree!

On a little side note: I have taught color classes in the past and I thought I would point out how your camera can help you with your fabric selections. Do you see how you can take a photo and pull the colors from it to get your palette for a beautiful quilt? In the class I ask people to bring a favorite photo and we go into the quilt shop and pull bolts, picking up colors that are in the picture... we come up with some great color groups. If you get a chance you should try it sometime!

The List Is Long

Here is my shout out for the
Charming Girls Club:
This month the theme is
Quilting the Quilt.

1. Bliss is just in and now I can start to work on my shop sample!
I have been anxious to make this and use this sweet fabric.

In the meantime, I have Picnic to finish up and also my Double Hour Glass.

All the blocks are made on that one... just need to put them together now!
That's #'s 2 and 3.

I have been making a block here and there of Victory Garden. Number 4. 

 I really enjoy the process on this quilt, especially using the Bubble Gum Basics fabrics!

It's not one I want to whip through. It's a slow and steady type of project.

Here we are starring Fall in the face again and this has gotten so close... but remains unfinished.

I would love to be able to hang Spooky up this year! #5.

 

I am never in the mood to make Fall/Winter quilts when it's Summer. So when do you start?

Maybe that's why this one never gets done. It's a pattern that I always keep nearby...

but it always remains on the back burner. Ya know what I mean?

So this year, this month, this is it! It's time. It's #6.

I also want to get back to my Going To Market project.

It seems to me that I have the hard part done already.

Time to move on to making the baskets. #7.

Then I got this pattern... okay, forget it. It's not going to happen.

Because I need to work on this project for the Fig Tree Club.

And have it completed by the end of October. Including quilted.

That looks like 8 to me. Expectations too high??

Maybe so.

I'm All For Three Day Weekends

I got to spend some time with a friend visiting from out of state
and also had dinner with some other wonderful friends
and then
I had a couple of starts and finishes over last weekend.
It's nice when you have a 3 days off.

I got to work on my Victory Garden and a BOM block from FQS.

And here is my Leftover quilt.

 

This little guy got done. It was made out of my leftover blocks from another quilt from Fig Tree. I had gotten carried away evidently and had 10 extra diamond blocks. I had been laying them out on the floor and decided I liked the layout... and I could cut them in half and have even more rows without having to make more... because I was a little bit tired of diamonds. The very same day this quilt was reviled by Sherri or maybe it was at Market... but although I felt like I was a day late/dollar short for an original design, I was saved because I hadn't thought of a two colored background.

I showed you this pattern last week. I couldn't wait to tear into it!
Here it is- the top is completed including pompoms!
I guess I can't count this in on my Sept/Oct. list for the Charming Girls Club

but this was really fun to whip up.

The other thing that is good about a 3 day weekend is that it is always followed by a 4 day workweek!
I call that a bonus!

Iron Board Cover How-To

Here is a little Step-by-Step for a Iron Board Pad and Cover.

Please have mercy on me for my first attempt at a tutorial!

First of all, my ironing board is a mess...  this one got the boot from Jill (DIL) because she got a new one for a wedding present (with a Rowenta iron).

So we are going to revamp this guy!

An "average" size iron board is about 15" x 54". My actual ironing board is an

old wooden one and is much smaller.

For the padding:

You will need about 1/2 yd of batting (Warm & Natural) and 1/2 yd of Insulbrite (by Warm and Natural).

Also 1 yd of 3/4" wide elastic. Plus some ribbon or cording (5 yards is plenty).

For your Main focus fabric you need 1 3/4 yards. Or you can piece fabrics together to get your length.

So lay out the batting and then the shiny side of the insulbrite to face the batting.

Place board on top.

Take a Sharpie and trace around the iron board.

Next, cut out the padding materials together on the line.

Zigzag stitch around edge of padding.

Take a piece of elastic the width of the padding near the top where it is the widest, plus 2".

Fold over 1" at either end and sew ends in place.

I made an X in the middle for extra strength.

Do the same thing again at the rear of your iron board padding.

*Insulbrite is not your standard width of fabric, so I added to the length

of my insulbrite with Warm and Natural. 

Next, lay your padding down on top of your cover fabric.

*I pieced mine together with my leftover scraps... because I love this fabric

and wanted desperately to use it! So I had to center my fabric with the padidng.

You can get creative or use one solid piece of focus fabric.

Take a tape measure and mark 3" away from the padding, all the way around.

Cut out on your marked line. Press all around the edge of fabric 1/2".

I guess this picture just "represents" turning over again the 1/2" and

sewing on that edge 1/4" seam to make a casing.

Next take your ribbon or cording and  thread it through your casing.

When you reach the beginning again, pull the ribbon tight and make a bow or slip knot!

(I used up a panel on the ends just for the block shape and color... I'm not big on the words.)

There you have it!