Fall Bloggers Quilt Festival

I can't believe that it is already time for the Fall Quilt Bloggers Festival.  This is one blogging event that I always look forward to.  I am showing one of  my all time favorite quilts.  This is the first neutral quilt that I ever made.  (to me red is a neutral).  I found the pattern in one of the McCall's quilting magazines several years ago and started collecting neutrals.  The one shown in the magazine had brown stars and accent squares, but I knew that I wanted mine to be a shade of red.  This was a really, really easy quilt to make.  I am thinking about making another one and using black for the stars and accent squares.

I love my job!!!!

 I  have the best job in the entire world, where else could I work that I get to dress up like a gypsy and entertain children.  A couple of weeks ago my clerk and I decided to go all out in our media center for Halloween and story time.  We decided to create a gypsy story tellers wagon.  It took us a week to get it together, but I think it turned out pretty good.  The kids are impressed and I guess that is what is important.



I've got my gypsy on!!!





 I have a special story for each grade level that visits the wagon.  I know that it probably seems kind of hokey, but the kids are having the best time.  I even do some fortune telling at the end. 

Where else would a Cowgirl spend her weekend?

The 8th annual Cowboy Symposium was held at the Booth Western Art Museum over the weekend, DH and I have only  missed a couple of them.  The museum is wonderful, no matter when you go. Several times a year they have special exhibits, the current one is of Ansel Adams work.  It is outstanding.  All of the prints in the exhibit were actually printed by Adam's himself.  I was amazed by what he was able to accomplish with the materials that were available at the time.

Horse made from a variety of household objects.

Statue outside of the museum.

As part of the symposium, there were special exhibits set up around the museum.  There were Native American villages, along with performances by different native American groups.  There were also different cowboy areas set up along with chuck wagon cooking demonstrations.  I  was captivated by the beading demonstrations.  I can see some beads in my future.

Year of Small Projects

I am really excited about the small projects that I have been working on, inspired by  A Year Of Small Projects.  I had a great time making my new ironing board cover, and have finally started project # 2.  This is project is a Schnibbles pattern, Paganini.  I had a hard time deciding what fabric to use, which is the main reason I am late getting started.  I had been wanting to do a small Christmas project and finally decided on the Kate Spade's 12 Days of Christmas, I love the retro Christmas colors in this line.  I hope to  at  least get the top competed this week, but I don't think that it will be quilted and competed by November 1.   

Seeing how the blocks look together.

New Applique Project

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across a new applique BOM, it is from Linen Closet Quilts  I am still fairly new to applique, but I really liked the two blocks that she has posted.  One really great thing so far, is the large applique pieces.  I thought the large pieces would be better to work with since my skills aren't that great.  I made the large basket block first, although it is the second block.  I can't wait to see the next block.

Surprise from DH

My DH took a week of vacation last week to go deer hunting at our cabin.  He has wanted to do this for several years and has never been able to.  I think the anticipation was just too much for him.  The deer hunting was not successful, however; I did get a wonderful surprise out of it.  A few months ago, he made an arbor for his mom out of grapevine and parts of trees from her property.  I told him that someday I would like to have one, and in his spare time last week he made me one. I was so surprised.  It still needs just a little bit of work but I love it.  I can't wait to plant some flowers around it in the spring, and I already have plans to decorate it for Christmas. 

Treat jar

My version of the treat jar from the Fall-o-ween blog shop hop last week.  This was my first project using wool and I really enjoyed it.    I guess this  means that I now need to have a wool stash!  Oh, my!!  I filled the jar with candy corn and peanuts and brought it in to school for the office staff.