Halloween Re-dec

Due to the high winds all the Halloween decorations were taken in the other day.  I hope we will be able to put them back out tomorrow morning.

                                          Entrance-way with the witch's hat I made last year!
The wind has made it a good day to air out quilts...I'm going through the "stacks" to find a selection for a program on Monday night.  Every few months I like to check the quilts, refold or re-stack (many are laid on to of each other on a spare Queen size bed.)  A few minutes in the fresh air is good for them as well as getting them out into some good light so I can check for any issues.

This one is on my list to stabilize the border and a couple of blocks where some of the batting is escaping.  It wasn't a valuable quilt nor does it have a "distinguished or historically relevant" provenance so I may do some restoration.  The blocks are easy since I have a large stash of antique fabric and orphan blocks to pull from but the border is more challenging.  It will require a lot of fabric!  Do I break down and use a repro fabric?

This is another "southern" quilt (North Carolina.)  This is one of my few antique quilts with orange in it so I'm leaving it out for the holiday!  The quilting is a Baptist Fan or elbow design done in threads that range from tan to dark brown.  The batting is thick so the stitches are fairly large.  The binding is back to front - really common in southern quilts.

On the new quilt front...I have all the inner-border done on my ribbon candy quilt, one outer border attached and the final three new sewn together.  Should have a flimsy to show soon!

Sandy on the March....

Right now attention has gone from the elections to following the Hurricane Sandy as she marches up the East Coast.  To any of you in her path, please stay safe!  (Take a cue from Goldie and curl up in quilt!)

                                          Goldie on Ribbon Candy...she isn't making it easy to finish those borders!
I'm already reading of folks who have been "stuck" in Houston due to cancelled flight (I'm having a hard time feeling bad for them!  They just have to go to the Houston Quilt Show now....), some with snow falling (which is wrong before Halloween!) and others bracing for the winds and rains.  Sounds like a good time to curl up with some hand stitching or a good book.

Which by the way, I have gone through books at an alarming rate the past couple of weeks!  About one every two days.   I have this pile by the front door to bring to the post office today and send off to my sister for her cabin up in Maine.  They are good vacation reads!

In addition to reading lots of mysteries I did some internet-stress-shopping last week.  I'm blaming this latest delivery on the pain-killers....this pile of fabric works as well as the pills do!

wordless Wednesday

Past the halfway mark!

Finally I was able to work in my sewing room for an hour or so...took me a bit of time to remember what I had going and where it all was!

I finished putting the last row on my Ribbon Candy (aka Smith Mountain from  Bonnie Hunter's class.)  It still needs some serious pressing.  I have a pile of HST ready for the border.  I hope to have the first border finished tonight so I can make a decision on an inner border...and if yes what color/fabric?  I'm jumping ahead of myself.

This morning MacBeth had his annual checkup...it took three assistants to hold him down to get his blood drawn!  He is only 22 pounds but can that terrier wiggle!  Immediately after the wrestling match he rolls over on his back with his tail wagging...hard to be mad him.  How many dogs do you know wag their tail while they get their shots?!

 Overall they said he looks good...we'll wait for the lab work...

So it is Monday...

The first presidential campaign that I have any real memory or was the 1972 campaign of George McGovern vs. Richard Nixon.  Not that I was old enough to vote but I was aware of some of the issue.  I remember in my classroom there was a board for each candidate but it was obvious that my teacher, Sister Helen Agnes  was pro McGovern!

I was sad to see that Senator McGovern passed away this weekend.  He may not have won that election but he did play a major role in social change in the 60's and 70's.

I was able to get out for a bit yesterday.  Visited an antique store and picked up a couple of vintage handkerchiefs and a dollbed...the handkerchief may end up in a pillow and the dollbed just needs a little quilt!

Hope to get back to sewing this week....Goldie is doing a great job of keeping me company and is already dressed for tonight debates....

Happy Birthday Dobby!

My youngest cat, Dobby, turns two this month.  Not entirely sure when in October is his actual birthday as he was a "rescue" kitten that came to me via my local vet.

Now that Dobby has turned two he has calmed down a bit...not more getting stuck in trees, or on the roof, or behind the refrigerator....

He weighs in at over 15 pounds but there isn't an ounce of fat on him...

He isn't the type of cat to "cuddle" but he takes his role as "head of the pride" seriously and even as a young cat when I was sick in bed one day he brought his toys to me and even made a small pile of dry cat foot next to my pillow.....

He isn't quite the "ham" that my other cats are so there are fewer photos to chose from...

If Dobby were a quilt it would be circa 1900 done in plaids and stripes....

Maybe like this Sugar loaf....

Screeching halt!

Sometimes you just need to take some time off...

that is what my doctor told me yesterday.  They had changed some of my MS meds and my body didn't like them one bit.  Bodies have a way of letting you know!  So my wildly packed schedule for the next week has been whittled down to drinking lots of fluids and a bit of stitching.

I'll continue to work on my Halloween quilt and maybe get some writing done.  Also want to organize my photo files a bit...amazing how quickly they get out of control!

I do love to look at them and see what I was doing a few years ago the same month...

Cotswold Village (2007)...

One of my favorite stops at the local boot sale (2007)...

Great quilt "finds" (2009)

Windy day in the Bahamas...(2010)

always seems more exciting than what I am doing right now! (but then we only take photos when things are interesting right!)

Frenzied Stitching...

I pulled out my Halloween UFO from last year.  The pattern is 1904 by Blackbird designs.  I did switch up some of the blocks, added some yellow, gold and a bit more green and am changing the border but it is close to the original.

When I took out the blocks I was surprised how far I had gotten...I should be able to finish it by Halloween...at least if I can stop Brownie from block surfing... and if I could stop playing with other projects

like this one that was hidden in the same box as the Halloween one....

or from playing with the Ribbon Candy quilt that is still scattered around the cutting table...

Fan Quilt

I really tried to be disciplined while shopping the vendor room at Quilt Study Seminar last week in Lincoln.

  There are three styles of quilts that I would like to add to my collection and I was "holding out" for one of the those.  Well, only found a couple of blocks.  So then I decided on another quilt but when I went back it was gone!

So when the auction started I decided I'd get one that wasn't on my "list" but at least then I'd be donating to the Study Group.  Well I bid on many and only came away with one.  (it was so crazy that at one point Julie Silber, the auctioneer, was bidding for me....)  I ended up with the last quilt of the auction!  And a fan embroidered quilt at that!  Not my usual style but I do like it.  One of my sister's loves crazy quilts and this one is in very good condition.  I think it may find its way to Massachusetts...

I didn't get much sewing done this weekend.  Dh took lots of time.  We finally went and got some new clothes for him that done require a huge belt to hold his baggy pants up (he went from a 40 waist to a 32!)  He looked much better going off to work today.  So now maybe I can get some work done....

Halloween came early

For the past two years my local quilt guild has celebrated Halloween early with a "spook-takular" party.

Lots of fun Halloween themes quilts...

Halloween themed food....

                                                               "Finger" food...

                                                                     Creepy eggs....

                                                            "Punch in the eye"
Halloween projects....

                              Bottle-cap pincushions...don't we all need one with the eyeball!
and of course costumes....

So this got me in the mood to start putting out some Halloween decorations and working on a couple Halloween themed UFO's that were put on the shelf when I didn't finish them last year!

Finally Unpacked!

Well I am unpacked but I haven't taken photos yet so the finds from Seminar will have to wait another day.  Isn't it amazing that only being gone a few days can generate such a long list of things to do when you get home?  I feel as if I've been running errands non-stop!

                         One of the quilts on display at the IQSC&M, Signature Quilt Exhibit

                                          Soldier's Quilt in the storage room at IQSC&M

Regardless, today I will sew.  If I don't then it will be over a week without a needle in my hand and that just will not do!

So do I finish up my ribbon candy quilt or pull a Halloween quilt UFO out of the closet in hopes of finishing it in time for this year's holiday?  Tune back tomorrow...

In the meantime Mac and I need to get ready for tonight's debates....

More from the study seminar

Last night unpacked all my purchases from the American Quilt Study Seminar in Lincoln.  Hope to get photos today.  Mainly I bought books this year...though the carpenter's wheel block in the photo at the top of the post was impossible for me to resist!

                                   "Hollywood" one of the Mountain Mist Quilts recently acquired by the IQSCM

                      Isn't it interesting to see the solid colors that are again so popular ...it all comes back around!
After all the energy from the past few days I'm having a hard time settling in and getting back to sewing.  I keep going back to my notes and checking things either online or in my collection.  Hopefully I'll settle down a bit today!

Also I came back to a bit of the neighborhood crisis...leave it to say a cat-hater has threatened to either run-over or worse to any cat he finds outside.  Unfortunately the two people he said it to do not know where he lives...just that he lives in the neighborhood.  So I am taking it on and tonight am going door to door to find him...I waited a day to get my "Irish" under control (I came by this red hair honestly...)  I am hoping it is a cultural misunderstanding and he just needs to learn that in this country poisoning another person's pet is not acceptable and if done intentionally, illegal.  Realize this face to face talk was my third option...my first involved my military training, the second taking his photo and posting on warning notices around the neighborhood (I'm keeping these options in reserve!)  Wish me luck....