Tumbler Quilt...

I am almost finished my Halloween tumbler quilt...

This one has been a long time in the works.  I really wanted to have it out before Halloween this year.

I thought I would bind it in black...but today when I started auditioning black fabrics from my stash they all looked a bit washed out.  I wasn't sure if it was the fabric or my eyes (having optic neuritis issues this week...makes everything a bit dull...)  I was really frustrated when ...

I almost tripped over this purple polka dot fabric that had auditioned for the "role" of elephant in a baby quilt I on my design wall...it didn't make the cut but didn't make it back to it's spot in the stash either!  Lucky for me...

So purple it is....

Also, I'm trying a new quilting product.  These little "caps" for the ends of pins are so much easier for me to handle than safety pins!

A friend was using them at retreat last month.

 She really liked them (they are all the funky little white and red "dots")so I went online and got a few bags to try!  So far so good...

One week until Halloween!

I really like Halloween and though I don't go as overboard as some in my neighborhood I do like to get some decorations out!

This year I went the easy route and just used several pumpkins and lots of mums.  For the entryway I put out a small display of fun Halloween things - including my witches hat stitched up a few years ago using a  Crabapple Hill design.

So no surprise that this week I ordered the new Salem Quilt Guild Mystery row from Crabapple Design!

This design combines embroidery and crayon work on fabric.  It has been a long time since I tried that.  Anyway, it should be a great take-along/travel project!

I also succumbed to another book.  My friend Shannon sat at the same table as me at retreat and she was working on this quilt, Farm Girl Vintage,  by Lori Holt.  It is so stinkin' cute!  My rational?  I have so much 30's fabric in my stash and I really should just use it...(how does that one work?!)

On the "current quilting events" side...I am still working hard on getting things ready for the show.  Only 1-1/2 more bindings, a sleeve, three labels and half a quilt to quilt....getting close!!

While I am on a roll I may just slip this little quilt under the needle.

Was planning to hand quilt it but there are so many seams...

Just a bit more fabric...

I know I wasn't supposed to buy any fabric until the new sewing room was set up...ok, I cheated!

It was a late night purchase...couldn't resist some early Halloween fabric.

Particularly when it has such interesting graphics.

And no...no plan on how I'm going to use them!  Maybe construct some liberated log cabins around them....still thinking...

I am however storing almost all my fabric in cabinets of in boxes now.

Noticed too many had developed these fade lines on the outside edge.  I need as much light in my sewing space as possible (MS makes low light work difficult) so I don't want to put in blinds or shades.  I am going to put the film on the windows that is supposed to reduce the fading but I'm not sure I 100% believe it...so the only fabric that will be out on the table or shelves will be fabric I am using at the time...small hills instead of mountains!

BTW...I finally watched the final of Wolfhall!  Loved it.  Even took out my Tudor Tailor mug and made some English tea for the occasion!

Why is paint so difficult?!

Happy dance...the floor for my new sewing studio is in!  It is a bamboo floor...will be so much easier than the wall to wall rug that was in there!

Not so happy...have to pick out wall paint color by tomorrow morning!  Say what?  I hate deadlines....but of course it does shorten the amount of time I can spend moaning about it!

So what do you think?  I have it narrowed down to these three...to almost indistinguishable shades of beige and a grey.

Grey...who would have thought it.  But looking at the raw boards in the room got me thinking....  Most of my boxes, storage containers and decorating "stuff" are in the red and bright green (with a bit of turquoise.)  Heavily influenced by a long standing love off Mary Engelbright prints!

Speaking of turquoise...I painted my metal chair and table for the back yard!  Should easily get another year out of them...

And just to show I am doing some stitching...

I finished up this Halloween top!  I used a tumbler acrylic template and cut up some of my Halloween prints.  The top has been 80% done since November...finally I just stuck to it and finished!  phew.

Now...back to making that decision...

Getting Ready for Halloween

Since it is October and the weather is now cool in the mornings I went ahead and put out some of the Halloween decorations...

I have two more Halloween quilts in various stages of UFO...I hope to get at least one of them finished this month!

For some reason my DH doesn't love the holiday nearly as much as I do so I slip a few decorations in every few days...

Though I have accepted the ban on dressing the pets...

Halloween "Wicked" Blog Hop

Welcome Wicked hoppers!

Like so many of you I love Halloween.  It is one of the few holidays that I love to use bright fabrics around the house.  Guess I like the dress up part of Halloween more than the spooky part!

This year I finished this arrowhead quilt using Halloween novelty fabrics.  My cat Goldie has claimed it but hopefully I can get it back so it can spend Halloween night by the front door. (It will be hanging so no little feet can trip on it!)

Novelty fabrics also are the focal point of this quick and easy (my favorite kind of project) table runner.

It is a disappearing 9-patch.  Goes together in an afternoon!  (in there is still time to make one for Halloween!)  The novelty fabrics just go on the four outside corners, black in the center block and brights on the others.  The toughest part is picking out the fabrics...if playing in fabric can ever be called tough!  A quick project..

That is if you don't have a cat helping to make it!

Brownie loves all quilting but Halloween is best!

And my final quilt-y Halloween decoration is my Witch's hat from Crabapple designs...they used it as a pillow but I really wanted it as a hat.  Gave me a chance to use lots of embroidery stitches that I hadn't tried since Girl Scouts plus use some of my bead stash...

  (And yes I wear it when I give out candy at Halloween!

And from me to you...my favorite Halloween Pumpkin recipe...

 Pumpkin Squares
crust:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup quick oats
1 cup flour

Grease a 9x13 pan.  Beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar together.  Stir together the oats and flour then add to the butter mixture and combine.  Press mixture into the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes.  Allow to cool.

Topping:
2 (8 ounce) bars cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup (optional)
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1  tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or add a second tsp of cinnamon)
1 Tablespoon of grated lemon peel

Beat cream cheese and sugar in a medium size bowl.  When well mixed, beat in eggs and remaining ingredients.  Pour mixture onto cools crust.  Bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes.  Serve at room temp or chilled.  Great when topped with spiced whipped cream...

Other blogs on today's hop...enjoy!

October 25^th

Marjorie’s Busy Corner

The Raspberry Rabbits

Freemotion by the River

Kwilty Pleasures

Feathered Nest Studio

Sew Peace to Peace

Marla's Crafts

Jane's Quilting

Quilt n Queen

Colorpoint Quilter

A start or a finish....

Only a few more weeks and it will really feel like autumn...can't wait!  I have a stack of wool projects just waiting for the weather to turn...

At the show last month up in Columbia I found a new wool project designer..

it was only her second or third show.  She had her daughter and granddaughter working in her booth!  I've read through her pattern and at first glance looks well written.  

I bought this "worm of wool" from Shakerwood Woolens to add some fun colors to the projects.  These pieces are only 2 inch square but enough for a spark.  She has added some clear colors to her line and I really like them.  Sometimes wool can be a bit too muddy for my eye.

In the meantime I am trying to finish up a few Halloween projects for this year.

This is a little string pieced bag that still needs straps...should get on that today.  Also I have the tumbler quilt that only needs two more rows...surely I can finish that!

Of course it would be easier and faster to finish if I got off the computer and onto the sewing machine!  Have a great weekend everyone.  I'm off the finish something!

Halloween finish and then some...

Yes that is right...two finishes this month!  Amazing...

This was started in a guild workshop.  It was an interesting technique but decided to only make a couch throw from the blocks.  It did give me a chance to use some Halloween fabrics though!

Also, got an Ebay quilt in the mail.  It is a fun pattern (Variation on the Rainbow Quilt) and I really like the green!

My "taste" in vintage quilts has really changed in the past couple of years...I was an "only pre-1900" collector but now I'm open to anything as long as I like it!

This was one of my earliest 20th century purchases...

I bought it because it was about to be used as a tablecloth at a gun-show and because the quilting is just wonderful!

(this may be a record...a full post with no pet photos?!)