Vintage Trick or Treat

I had so much fun this last year working on Hocuspocusville that I have decided to do another one of the Halloween quilts from Crabapple Hill.  It is Vintage Trick or Treat, and the blocks are images of vintage trick or treat bags.  I just completed the first one last night, can't wait to do the others.  These are  going to work up much faster than the other ones did. 

Fall-o-ween

If you followed the Christmas Quilt Designer Blog Hop last year, you don't want to miss out on the Halloween one.  Today is the first day and there is a great Halloween Table Runner pattern featured.  Check it out.

A new direction

Do you ever,ever feel like you are in a rut?  For some reason, I have been having trouble getting motivated with my sewing the last few months.  I did manage to get geared up for my retreat a few weeks ago, but none of my projects were really speaking to me.  That has never happened before.  I thought about it yesterday and decided that this year I have been focusing too much on trying to finish up all of those UFO's that are cluttering up my sewing room.  Now finishing them is not a bad thing, but I have been making myself finish them, it hasn't been something that I have really wanted to do.  I decided that I needed to take a break and work on some fun projects and some smaller items.  That is when I found a year of small projects on my friend Becky's blog.  I think this will be the perfect thing to get my sewing juices flowing again.  The first project is an ironing board cover, now you may not think that is the most exciting project in the world, but I am actually looking forward to it.  I have found a pattern and have purchased all of the necessary items, been through my stash and found the perfect fabric, and lets face it most of us could probably use a new ironing board cover.  It is my project for tonight after dinner.  Wish me luck!



Getting Ready for Halloween

Several weeks ago I picked up the latest issue of Quilts and More.  I had told myself that I wasn't going to buy it, I had plenty of quilting magazines.  When I picked it up and saw the cute Halloween treat bags I knew that I had to have it.  I have three great nieces and nephews plus several other young people in my family that I like to give little treats to on the holidays.  I knew that I had plenty of fat quarters that I could put to use, I even found some Halloween printed ribbon in my ribbon stash. The bags sew up very quickly and will hold just the right amount of candy for little ones.



My first Schnibbles

While at quilt camp I made my very first Schnibbles.I have been collecting charm packs for the last couple of years and not doing anything with them.  I decided this was the perfect time to do something with some of them.  My friend Becky had just finihsed working on a Schnibbles called imagine and I loved the pattern.  I decided to use Wrapped in Paisley by Kansas Troubles. After finishing it Becky and I compared our Schnibbles.  I really like both of them.



I didn't forget DH

I didn't forget my DH while at quilt camp, I bought him a present, a salt block.  Patrick's is a local quilt shop that is also a feed store, you never know what you are going to find there.  We always keep a salt block out up at the cabin for the deer, so I got one to let DH know that I was thinking about him

More Quilt Camp

The "Bed Show" is one of the highlights of quilt camp each year.  Each person brings a quilt to display on their bed.  I am always amazed at the beautiful variety of quilts that people bring.

This is Sisters Choice.



Leisa's appliqued quilt.



  



Karen's Bonnie Hunter scrap quilts.



Quilt Camp

Last week was the quilt camp that I had so been looking forward to.  It is a yearly retreat put together by two wonderful ladies, Sharon and Shannon.  This year my good friend Becky went for the first time.  Now that she is retired, she has more time on her hands, me I just took two days off from work.  The crowd was a little smaller this year, but we didn't let that keep us from having a  blast.  Here's Becky and Leisa.  The star quilt behind them is one from last year's quilt camp.   Pat had this really cute wall hanging of a cowboy.  You know I loved that.  I traced the cowboy for a project that you will be seeing hopefully soon.  goodie bags this year that contained a kit to make the neat sewing kit that you see to the right, along with the going sewing pin that is on it.  Peggy, another camp attendee offered to put our initials on our kits.  Thanks Peggy. Look for more photos everyday this week. 

The sewing machine called my name

I finally heard the call of my sewing machine.  It feels like it has been forever since I had a chance to so some sewing.  I have three quilts that are ready for binding.  I know it looks like a holiday explosion, two Christmas quilts and a Halloween quilt.  The two Christmas quilts are presents for my two great nephews, they are just alike except one has a green border fabric the other a black border fabric.  I have decided that everyone in my family needs their own Christmas quilt.  The Halloween quilt, I have to get the binding on before I head off to retreat later this week (more on that later)  I even managed to finish the latest installment of the Star Crazy blocks.  I am really anxious to see how this quilt is going to look when it is finished.  After doing some sewing I started looking through all of my projects trying to decided what to take to quilt camp this week.  I decided not to do the project that Sharon and Shannon were offering.  I liked it, but it involved buying a new ruler and I didn't want to go out and buy more fabric.  I am trying really hard to work from my stash.  Considering how big my stash is that shouldn't be a problem.  I am really excited about retreat this year, my friend Becky is going for the first time.  The only bad thing is I am having an allergy attack and hope to be feeling better before we leave on Thursday morning.  

September 11 Blood Donation

I started donating blood while in college and try to donate at least 4 times a year.  I never realized just how important it was until several years ago when my dad needed blood over a holiday weekend and there was trouble getting what he needed.  I have made it a point the last few years to try to schedule my donations around holiday weekends. Since we are always out of town on Labor Day, I try to schedule it for the following week.  A few years ago it occured to  me that there was no better way to honor those that lost their lives than by giving blood on September 11th.  This was my fourth year giving blood on this day, it is a tradition that I plan on continuing.  If you have never given blood, it is painless, doesn't take long and can save someones life.

Friday already?

I can't believe that it is Friday already, where did this week go?  School has been incredibly busy, two after school meetings, an all day meeting at our county office, plus a United Way breakfast this morning. (I am the United Way coordinator for my school this year) It seems like there have been more meetings than ever this year.  I don't like being out of the media center this much, I miss working with the students and the teachers. 

There was one highlight to the week, that was being invited over to Becky's on Wednesday night for some quality sewing time.  (I forgot my camera, so head over to her blog to check out the photos.)  Before digging out our sewing projects we were treated to a gourmet dinner, Becky provided the greens for salad and her DH grilled some wonderful chicken and mushrooms.  I don't even like mushrooms and these were good.   I will have to get his recipe.  Pat, Karen, and I brought goodies to add to the salad, it made for a very filling dinner.  Of course we had wine to wash it all down and we finished the  meal off with apple pie.  Now I am looking forward to the weekend, my DH is out of town, and I hear the call of my sewing machine (which I have not even touched this week).  I did all of my weekend errands on the way home from school, cut the grass and cleaned the bathrooms so the rest of the weekend is ME time.  I went to three stores this afternoon to find a copy of the new Quilt Sampler Shop Hop magazine, I finally found it at Target.  Can't wait to start looking at it and get inspired.