Pre- Halloween Fun

I cranked out Dorothy's costume in a day- something I hope to never have to do again! (Every year I promise myself I'll get started ahead of time and every year-well, you know what happens!) I used this pattern from Simplicity (4139), and I have to say when I first looked at the number of steps I was a bit nervous. But the directions were so clear, it went together very easily.
And Dorothy was all ready for her costume dance Friday night- ruby slippers and all!
Saturday night it was pizza mummies.
So yummy- they were scary!

October Love

October has got to be one of my favorite months of the year.

Besides my obvious love for Halloween,
I love the weather- cool but sunny.
And I love the sound of the leaves crunching under foot.
And I love the fall colors- the oranges, yellows and reds.
And of course- witchy green :)

Alpaca

I bought this yarn from Shady Haven's Fiber Designs at the state fair this past August. Love. It is so soft. It's hand dyed and the colors are gorgeous.

Some-Bunny Loves You

I made this bunny for a little girl who hasn't been feeling very well. Her mom is my daughter's dance teacher. I got the pattern here.
She's all ready to give big cheerful hugs!

Completed Log Cabin Baby

The Log Cabin Baby quilt for a friend of mine due in October is finished!
I am so ahead of the game for this fall. But it's back to work next week so that feeling will be short lived, for sure.
I have to admit that I love the piecing process much more than the machine quilting process. If I had my ideal, I'd probably hand quilt most of my projects- it's what I did before kids. But at this point of my life the time factor plays a huge role in what I choose to do.
So machine quilting it is.
The binding is on and it's ready to be given away when the time comes.

Log Cabin Baby

Here's the color scheme I've chosen for the log cabin baby quilt.
That floral fabric on the left was the jumping off point for the colors.
I really do enjoy choosing the fabrics and I even like the cutting of all the pieces. But now comes the really fun part- arranging all the blocks.

Yo Yo Quilt Top

The Yo Yo Quilt Top is finished! I had to sew all those yo-yos to the last row. Whew! I've got the batting and the backing and now need to pin it.

But before I do that I need to get to work on that log cabin baby quilt.

August Already?

How did August get here so fast? It's amazing how quickly summer flies by.
We've been enjoying lots of juicy watermelon this past week.
And now we're off to enjoy a few days away with lots of sun and swimming.

Going Yo-Yo

I am almost done with the quilt for my daughter- one row to go. The quilt needs 27 yo-yos.
Let me just say that I know some people love making yo-yos. I don't. I procrastinated making these until I absolutely had to. It took me a good part of the day.
After I put the kids to bed I still had 5 to go, so I bit the bullet and finished them. Am I glad they are DONE! Maybe I'd enjoy the process more if I was just making them for fun, not to finish a quilt. Mmmm- maybe not.
Here's a sneak peak at the quilt. Not much more to do now that the yo-yos are DONE!
Did I mention how glad I am that they are DONE!!! :)

Log Cabin Inspiration

1. Quilt Dad 2. Ellis and Higgs 3. Red Pepper Quilts 4. Canadian Living

It's a Girl!

A friend of mine from work is due with her third child in September. Her first two were boys, but this time around, it's a girl!
So I thought she needed a very girlie quilt- with lots of pinks and purples.

I had some leftover pieces, so I pieced the back like this.

Another friend from work is due in October with her second girl. I made this quilt for her first daughter. I've been playing with my fabrics to think of what to do the second time around. Log cabin maybe?

In the meantime, while I mull it over, I've been working another UFO- a quilt for my daughter. It's applique and I used my machine's blanket stitch. I have to admit, I love the the process of getting the applique pieces ready- the tracing and cutting and ironing. But I get bored with stitching all that blanket stitch. It takes FOREVER! And I usually end up taking a "break" that lasts like, years instead of days. But Claire has been begging me to finish it, so that's the motivation I needed. I'm almost done, so pictures to come soon.

Happy Stitching!

Cork Wedges

I've been shopping for some cork wedges to wear this summer. Love these from Steve Madden.
And these from Nordstrom's. Love the buckle!
But I went to Target yesterday and I found these on clearance for $6.24. Come to Momma! I especially love these because of the color- a pop of red is always fun- and they will take me right into fall since they're more of a shoe than a sandal. Don't you love it when you find an awesome deal?

Paisley Blue

I can finally check this UFO off my list. I started this quilt years ago. It was a quilt kit from Joanne Fabrics. I fell in love with the colors and started buying the blocks. Unfortunately I only got 9 of the 12 blocks. I searched far and wide but the final 3 I could not get my hands on.
Every summer I go through my UFOs and decide which ones I still want to finish. I had contemplated getting rid of the thing altogether. It just needed the borders.
But when we bought some new living room furniture I realized this would go perfectly with our new couch and chairs. So I bit the bullet and finished it fast. I'm really glad I did. I've renamed it Paisley Blue since (1) I love that fabric in the quilt and (2) I can't remember the name and I don't really feel like taking the time to search it out.

Happy Sewing!

4th Celebration

There's something about the 4th of July that really makes me crave red, white and blue.
I made this tablecloth- the perfect red big gingham check for the holiday. And the napkins- what says 4th of July more than cherries? And I have always loved cobalt blue in the kitchen.
I picked up this plain blue dress from Walmart, believe it or not, for $14.
Then I added a red fabric flower and a grosgrain ribbon and voila- a perfect outfit for the holiday.
Here's my girl! She had to march in 2 parades. See those pink cheeks? She loved it!
And my boy, who had to sit through 2 parades- but don't let him fool you- he loved it as well, or at least, he loved all the candy that was thrown his way!

Hope you had a Happy 4th as well.

I'm In Love

With this gal- Sarah Richardson. I absolutely love her design style. I've been watching her since Room Service, which, by the way, has photos and info on all the old episodes online here. And I watch Design Inc as well. But my latest obsession has been with this:
I love this quilt- I've always wanted to do a red and white quilt, but haven't...yet. For those who don't know Sarah, she recently had a series, Sarah's Summer House, in which she renevated her cottage getaway. The episodes can be found on HGTV here. I've watched them over and over- I play them while I'm sewing.
And really, who wouldn't be obsessed with the notion of (1) owning a cottage getaway and (2) having the resources and skills to completely remodel and decorate the entire thing. The fabrics she shows in the episodes are to die for!!
And seriously, take a look at the bathroom- a marble floor. And it doesn't show in the photo but go see the episode- she puts this stone tile on the shower floor- it's like a foot massage every time you shower!

P.S. I love how the Canadians say "progress" with a long "o" sound- don't know why, but I do!