Seasonal Quilting

The sun is out and it is 85.  After today it is supposedly dropping to 65--presto fall?  I sure hope so.  My favorite season of all.  I am looking forward to wearing pants instead of shorts and tank tops.  I think I get bored with the same old attire and want something new to look at-lol!  The trees are turning colors. Makes my heart warm.  Trick or treating is around the corner and pumpkin carving,caramel apples~does the body and soul good.  School  is gliding along smoothly for both, Ayden and I.  The hubby is enjoying lots of golf on his off days which makes me happy as well;)  He is a deserving man!! 

The umbrella quilt has been finalized and the camera was ready to be turned on for some live action!  sounded exciting to me! 

the BIZ:

33x39 1/4 ~~~~Kona turquoise,orange and Bahama blue in the binding~~~~scraps galore~~~~cone flower print on the back 

FMQ throughout with lightning bolts for the turquoise squares, umbrella for each umbrella triangle and swirly lines for the orange side borders

This was a wonderful opportunity to practice some filler quilt patterns out so I jumped at it.  So happy that I did because it taught me to slow down some and take more pride in my work.  I did a little each day.  Mind you this was a smaller quilt and I tend to do better at taking it slow on the smaller scale ones,but gotta start somewhere!  {Originally I was pondering using straight lines for the umbrella triangle areas,but then I would have to stitch a line, stop, back stitch, and then get my needle all set up again to do the next line,so on and so forth.  OR am I missing something??!  The umbrellas turned out sweet so I am glad I went in that direction instead!}

Raindrops will be in my shop quickly so take a looksie.

Christmas fabric landed gently on my cutting table last week and a few short days ago I dove into my sewing room to cut into them.   I had a tutorial from Jennifer burning urgently in my brain after  I scoured Flickr for some inspiration blocks.  Narrowed it down to a few,but those trees got me again.  Last year, Carol's trees in her Christmas tree skirt pattern begged to be made for my home and I made it AND it is dang cute!  

I got to cutting out some 3" strips and cut them on an angle into three different sizes for each area of the trees.  I did all that in one day and then started sewing them together into tree shapes.  Next day I went back to work, cutting out the tree trunks and their coordinating parts to be sewn on.  Also two triangles for each tree.

I swear it is as much fun as opening Christmas presents!!!  No joke there!  As you can see from the pic here, I have pressed the tree and cut them into their tree shape with the template and then sewed on the triangle to the left side.  

one completed fancy tree:):):):) 

After they all look like the above pic, I will be adding two more borders to the outside as in Jennifer's tutorial.

This is all donated fabric from the ladies/moms at MOPS.  Once it is complete, it will be raffled off to someone for their home at Christmas time:)  {A friend of mine that is also part of MOPS will be working on a regular quilt for the same raffle.}  Tremendously excited for this!!!!!!!!!  The raffle ticket sales will bring in money for our group which is greatly needed:)

Take care,

Sara

~~~~~~Energizing needed~~~~~~

Where to start, where to start!  Between dental visits due to my tooth dying, a root canal and starting an online teachers assistant program things have not been slow around my house.  I am also on a steering team for MOPS in a fundraiser position. 

We have also had Josh's dad come for a visit which was very fun!  Ayden was able to show Grandpa his preschool,play some putt-putt golf, play football and on and on.  We drove up north a bit to Josh's Aunt's home as well and really enjoyed our time there riding on ATV'S for the first time and exploring their land! 

Things are a slowing down.....waiting for the perfect moment to sneak up on us again I imagine;) 

I have been very pleased with a couple of events that have occurred in September along the lines of my quilting business.  I sold 2 quilts and a set of potholders.  More importantly,  the first quilt that traveled outside of NC went to a gal that designs for a button company in NJ.  She picked my quilt from Etsy.  Her intentions are to embellish it in buttons and then it will be at a booth on display at Quilt Market in Houston,TX!!!!!  I sent her a small biography about myself and my shop for her to enclose with the quilt.  I feel that this could only lead to positive things;) 

During MOPS last week, a friend of mine inquired about a baby quilt with her kids clothes in it.  Today I went to MOPS and she said that she would like 3 quilts.  One for each of her 3 kiddos with their baby clothes!!  Fine by me:)  I am also doing a raffle Christmas quilt for MOPS as well  to be finished by the beginning of November. 

My shop could also use some more quilts so I am trying to finish the umbrella quilt.

Already pieced the back yesterday so I need to some time to baste it up.  I really like it too now that it is all done up with the turquoise and orange border fabric.  Just need a binding color and it will be complete.

I can't forget to show off some pics of the paper piecing extravaganza;);)

Taking my time and relishing in the pattern that is evolving. 

that Kona Papaya is fabulous!!!

8 more to go and it will be ready for the center circle and then my living room for display!

In my spare time........hehehehe I created some Angry Bird bean bags for the munchkin.  The pig below them was courtesy of the hubby!!!  They are a little rough around the edges,but they serve their purpose to make Ayden smile and throw them through the piggie's mouth!

LINKING UP TO:

Sara

Transitioning

Hubby is home!!!

That is what has kept me from my little area of the blogging world these last couple weeks.  I will blame it on him;)  Honestly life has been really good!!

another Angry Bird by mu-aw and after cutting the pattern three times he's done! stinker! Managed this one before daddy arrived home

Ayden has started Preschool.  It took him about two trips to school and he has been hooked ever since!  hehehe  He has learned the letter "A"  and "E" so far.  They have a "new" snack every week which has Ayden's attention!  He had blueberry muffins today and he said we need to make those for next time.  I did find this watermelon cake though that daddy and I are going to take a crack at first and then the blueberry muffins I told him:)

Three hrs, twice a week constitutes for just enough time for him to have play time, learning time,snack time and a couple other things squeezed in there.  That also gives this mommy time to come home and do a work out and whatever else I can get in.  Not much,but it is a great 3hrs to have quiet time for myself! 

http://www.danamadeit.com/2008/07/tutorial-simple-pajama-shorts.html  same tutorial I used for my PJ shorts

Buzz Lightyear!!  lol  These bugger did not cooperate very well:(   First, I cut the pattern wrong from a pair of his PJs he already owns courtesy of my sewing skills or lack there of!  I had to fib a few of the crotch lines to make it work.  My next boo boo was when I thought my son had no waist or a VERY tiny one.  So I had to cut the waist down about 2" to compensate which messed with the length.  *Maybe I should stick with quilting!*    Soooooo I played a slightly smart move and decided instead of eating up too much fabric in the waist for the elastic to go in, I will use a skinny fabric drawstring.  Wait a sec though!!!  The fun did not end there you see--haha!!  Where is the drawstring going to go through?  I need to make a buttonhole.  Lesson learned after about 3 attempted buttonholes.  Too may lessons to bore ya'll with here and now-lol!  Point is the buttonholes are in and that is WHAT matters:):):)

They are done.  The boy is quite smitten with them and so what if one of the legs is about 1/2" or so shorter than the other.  OY vey!!!

Side note: Ayden wanted Christmas PJs first off,but I couldn't find enough of the fabric that he wanted in my stash or online.  A trip to Joann's will have to be made in order to get some Christmas fabric;)  

Back to really relaxing sewing  *For me at least!*  I bought some of this Kona turquoise up at Joann's a couple weeks ago and started on it yesterday cut,cut, cutting away 5 3/8" squares and laying them out with all the umbrella cuteness.  I wasn't very satisfied with the layouts I was punching out.  hmmm......  Hubby said they looked best with a repeat pattern, a turquoise square every other umbrella block.  One of the many reason to like hubby being home:)

Enough for a small baby quilt or something to wrap/cover  the baby in while he/she is in their car seat.

I am pondering a turquoise border and then one of these umbrella prints for the outside border.  Decisions....

As for outside in the garden, here is something to ponder:):):):):):):):):):):)

I have been dreaming of these hydrangeas for a couple seasons now.  They had absolutely no potential for blooms at the beginning of this summer and now look at it!  The hydrangea in the front yard is a different story,but it probably has to do with the fact that I replanted it up there at the beginning of this year.  Hoping next year it will put up a fair fight!  The white and red beauty behind it is my zinnia flowers that poked themselves out of the ground last month with a vengeance!  Love'm! 

Come back soon I will be posting about my paper pieced Good Luck Star project next!

Sara 

Linked to: