Lil' Witch and Pumpkins

Yahoo ! I finally have a Halloween door hanging. Not that I get a lot of kiddies at the door, but I'm just a big kid myself and want to get into the spirit of the season.... So anyway, I found this pattern - free - on the internet (from Angie's Bits & Pieces) ... thank you ,thank you, thank you! Of course the 50% off at my local fabric store (see last post) helps a lot, and voila!I have a Lil' Witch hanging for my front door.
Since I took the process pledge I guess I'm bound to show you all the process details. I had the black and white check fabric some of the oranges and the brushed cotton turquoise I used for the backing - all in my stash. I pieced together about 5 different pieces of batting, using my zig zag stitch. For quilting I used invisible thread and managed to go through 3 quilting needles before I finally got the tension just right! Since I used the heat n bond applique method I outline stitch each applique piece, then machine quilted Boos in the purple borders, using tracing paper to help me with the lettering. A little echo quilting around the witch, some star buttons from my stash and she's done! I'm pleased - what do you think of her?
Since I was on a roll of getting some seasonal pieces completed I dug out a block from my Piecemaker Times and Seasons 2004 calendar pattern. This one involved using snippets. New to the technique I was not very comfy with the results, but liked the inside border fabric so much (none left - boo hoo) I always hesitated tossing it out. Well, I decided it would make a nice door hanging - since it has wee pumpkins in the corner - so what the heck. The original block was meant to be on point and completed with crazy patchwork and lots of embroidery. I think my version will work just as well for a seasonal door hanging. Next weekend is my guild's biennial quilt show. They were a wee bit short on full sized items so I borrowed back one to put in the show. I promise to take pics and post them next week.
TTFN

Fabric Sale!

Fabric Sale! One of our local quilt fabric stores (Cotton by Post) is having a 50% off sale .... Well, although I've promised myself for the last several years not to buy more fabric ;) (yeah right) I none-the-less succumbed to temptation. Above is my first batch in prep for a wedding quilt? My niece is hinting - no announcement yet, but the hints are definite. We all know how long a full quilt takes, so time to get started!
Here's last weekend's sewing project - free pattern from All People Quilt. If I were to make this one again, and I might, I would not use fusible fleece in the lining as well as the bag = too thick/heavy. The fabrics for this one came straight from my stash, so I can feel somewhat righteous. Some lucky person in the family will probably receive this one for the holidays.

Well, it's September and our guild meetings have started up again. It was a very enjoyable meeting, the speaker was hilarious! I brought along a new person. It's kinda fun to share her excitement over each new technique, block and colour combinations.
Somehow or other I've developed a reputation as being "the driver", now don't get me wrong, the occasional request for a ride it quiet acceptable but when it becomes a habit or an expected thing - well .... especially when I have to drive across the city to pick the person up! Enough said, I just have to learn to say NO.

TTFN

Something for me ... Something for them!

I love McKenna Ryan I've purchased and made many of her art quilts for some time now. Wish I was that artistic! I mean that's what interested me in quilting in the first place, but sady I can't draw a straight line :(. Anyway, I"ve had her Morning News series for about three years now, and finally, yes finally got one done! Yeah me! It's not that they take all that long .... although they are a lot of prep work. It's that darn other To DO list - you know, the one that includes requests from everyone else, it always gets in my way! OK, enough excuses, it's really the machine quilting which puts me off. However this time I have one machine quilting course under my belt, and a plexiglass extender table (helps a lot) and a wee bit more confidence.
I used invisible thread in both top and bottom and outlined all, yes all appliques then got fancy doing some veining in the leaves. One down, two more to go!

Yes, I was "shopping" during my vacation and picked up these fat quarters - I love fat quarters as they build your stash so quickly and provide the variety I like and need for my applique. I hang a clear plastic bag over the door in my sewing room and stash (pardon the pun) all my fat 1/4s there until I have enough to wash. Then of course there is the dreaded ironing, sorting and stashing away. Ain't life a B? I finished up the thimble holders for my quilt guild's "toonie" table - tutorial available on previous post. Here's a pic. I'm using a photo holder stand to display them. Here's hoping the quilt show visitors will love them as much as I do and buy them all up! Now maybe, just maybe I can get my fabric postcard and the other two McKenna's done in time for show. Wish me luck!