Pumpkins and spice….

And everything nice!  That’s what this quilter is stitching up…So I put the Christmas stars into a zip-lock bag (for now) and started making pumpkins and sunflowers.

I am not happy with the pumpkin fabric that is in between each quilted pumpkin (too bright and orange) so I will try to find something more suitable….I do love the Dresden sunflowers though…I finally got to use my new Dresden ruler and it was VERY easy.

A good name for this ruler!

   They had a little mini workshop at the Road to California Quilt Show last winter and so I bought one then.  Making these blocks was fast and easy and I hand appliquéd (needle turned) the centers.  I can see a Dresden quilt looming in the future….no I am not going to throw the pumpkins aside and start on a Dresden quilt….although it is tempting!  :o)

Have a super Saturday and Happy Quilting!

One thing leads to another……

Don’t you just love getting a present in the mail?  I even love it when I PAY to give myself a present! Today my  Connecting Threads order came- a present to myself!   I really wanted the book ‘Material Obsessions’ and it WAS 40% off….

I love this book!  The quilts are beautiful and so are the pictures…check it out at your nearest book store but buy it from Connecting Threads as it’s way cheaper! (no I don’t work for them…yet…)

….AND then there was this kit called Kyoto Blues….the colours are gorgeous…chocolate brown and turquoise blue…yum…

…but then I needed some backing for the kit…..

and oh look…fabric for only $2.96 a yard!!! 

…perfect for backing!  The fabric from Connecting Threads is gorgeous- soft and perfect for quilting…check out their website- all their fabric is under $6 a yard and their books are always on sale! It’s a good thing!

On the quilting front- So what’s wrong with me??  Yesterday I was sewing away, making these Christmas stars~

I had a rhythm going, the music was cranked up and stars were flying from my machine….

I decided to stop, have a break….check the computer- BIG mistake!  I started surfing blogs…and I came across a fellow blogger who was bragging about her last shopping trip and she was showing her loot (don’t you just hate people like this… :o) ) Anyways she showed this Whimsical panel that she just purchased and lights go off in my head!  I hear sirens! 

I have that panel and it’s perfect for October!  I drop the stars and start pulling out fabric- orange, browns, rusts… fall colours!!!  Before I know what has happened I have got pumpkins lined up at the machine and the stars are pushed to one side…

and my cutting table has Christmas prints on one side and Fall prints on the other and in the middle there is a huge mixed up mess….it looks like Christmas and Fall have met on a battle field…

    

So what happened…..?  Well for one thing, who can work in this mess?  Not me…today I have got to clean up before I can go on….I need my neat little stacks of fabric….what happened to my rhythm….what happened to my stars….AND now I have a dilemma- do I make pumpkins or Christmas stars….because it’s clear I can’t do both!!!

GIVE AWAY SIGHTED~ Look at what Julia is giving away to celebrate her 1000th posting! (YIKES!  That’s a lot! I wonder how old she is?…just kidding Julia!;o)  Her give- away is VERY generous – she made a gorgeous wall hanging, three pieces of fabric and Christmas ornaments!!  I have got the perfect spot to hang this wall-hanging so look but don’t touch (my fingers are crossed and so are my eyes!)

Have a fantastic Friday and Happy Quilting!

Quilter’s unite…..

We all know Terry (from Terry’s Treasures)…she is the blogger who always leaves a cheery, encouraging comment on your blog.  You see her cute little picture with her smiling face saying something nice about what you have just sent out into blog land… Well now Terry needs our comments, encouragement and support!  I’m sure most of you have heard by now that Terry’s  husband had a terrible work related accident.  Laurie ( A Yankee Quilter) has a wonderful idea to make a ‘thinking of you quilt’ for Terry.  Laurie would like as many quilters as possible to send her a 9 1/2" unfinished block in Terry's colors of red, blue, yellow and brown.  She will enter each quilter who sends a block into a drawing for the Americana jelly roll.  The deadline is November 15 for Laurie to receive the blocks.  Please pass this along on your blog so that we can reach out to other quilters.  If you would like to be a part of this please pop over to Laurie’s blog as she has posted all the details.

On the Quilting front~ Yesterday we finished hand quilting my Snow Ball quilt!  I am so pleased with it that I just had to send a few pics your way…. 

It’s going to look great on the couch of our 5th wheel-  I wish you could feel the back of the quilt as I picked a very soft, cozy flannelette.  I just know we are going to be fighting off the dogs to get a corner of it…