Thursday

Here is a picture from apple picking last weekend. If you enlarge it, you will see the Canadian geese fly south for the winter. The days have been grey and blustery and the photo is a good representation of our October. Look at the poor goose in the middle! He was very wobbly in the wind but able to right himself.


Just when I think I have developed some discipline, I couldn't take it anymore and dug into the Halloween candy yesterday. Oh well, the chocolates were good! I may need to go to the store to buy more sweets, for the children of course!!







I have been sewing on my pineapple blocks. I mailed my spools for the block exchange. So, I have done a few things of creative nature this week.


The swine flu is here in our town full force. Many schools in the area have taken off this week because so many are ill. I know it is coming closer and closer to my house-- so much fear is attached to this illness. I am keeping positive and preparing for it.

apples in October

We (me, DS, DH, my Mom and Dad) picked apples in 42 degree weather with a little drizzling rain and wind. The Canadian geese wobbled in the sky in the fierce wind gusts, really they did. But we really had fun. We ate at the little snack bar, bought gifts in the shop and lots of apples. I am making apple crisp this afternoon, of course!! The trip over we went through the Jordan River Valley and the Salmon were still there swimming upstream. We ended the ride driving around Torch Lake. A bit of fall color still on the trees.

I have been working on sewing items. I made a oven mitt but not photo worthy because the bias tape I have was too small. I have 30 blocks made for the spool block exchange but we haven't exchanged so no spoiler photos!! I have continued on my pastel pineapples and I have about 8 made only 4 more to go!! I will photograph the top when it is all together.

So stash report= I purchased 1 yard plus 6 fat quarters over the past week. I have a little more than 3/4 of a tote. I need to make one more quilt top or several runners and I will have met my 2009 goal. I better get a move on because it is almost November and I just "realized" that. The short daylight hours of October get my movitvation annually but this year it zapped me. I have to push a little harder in the evenings and sew. And exercise and cook meals. Anyone else have the same problems?

PS my dog continues to be ill with pancreatitis and his prognosis is not great. I am steeling myself for a poor outcome.

a cute tutorial

It has been a long week already at work. People are freaking out they may lose their jobs, clients are very stressed with life and I wishing that 5 pm would come faster and faster daily. I like my job but right now with the state cuts, it is a scary time for some. I think I will be ok but to watch my co-workers and friends be so stressed is hard.

I am really not getting much sewing done. My house is a little cleaner. I have been using the Wii fit 4 times since Sunday. I have been trying to sew but I need a break from quilting, I think. Just that time of year + a sore elbow=not much craftiness.


I found this cute little project:
http://theidearoom.blogspot.com/2009/10/oven-hand-mitt-tutorial.html
I am going to start one tonight.

I found one yard of fabric, a rotary cutter blade and three fat quarters at the Moonlight Madness sale. I saw many things I loved but couldn't bring myself to over do it.

Sunday and just a little report

I sewed a few blocks this week and used about 1/2 yard of fabric. I have heard that there is midnight madness at the quilt shop this week so the opportunity to add to the stash at a really good price is there.

I had lots of fun at the U of Michigan game yesterday. It was great ( win by a large margin)but I am tired today because Ann Arbor is about 3 1/2 hours from here one way. We did it all in one day. We had no place to kennel the dog so we had to get home. He had play time with my parents but he can't be left alone for overnight.

I am going to work on sewing this week but I think I am going to make some purses and pincushions. That should use up some of my stash!!

I finished my spool blocks for the exchange online. I have taken a day off from crafting. I will pick it up again Sunday.



I found this really cute pattern on Moda Bakeshop. I think it will be a great block exchange idea with my local friends. I like the color pallete in the pattern.



We are going to a U of M football game tomorrow. Should be loads of fun, but there is always a price of being behind in the chores at home. I am eating pizza tonight and trying to get a head start on it all. I hate housework it is way overrated.

Block Exchange Party

For my local friends participating in the Black/White X Block Exchange -- a party date has been set. Nov. 7 at 2pm at the same place as last year.

I have a little more straightening up on my blocks. It will be fun!!!

Have you ever....

looked at blocks you made a while ago and then go "what was I doing when I made these?" I did just that today. I pulled out 2 block exchange sets of block that I had finished and thought, "what!!"



So, I have been ripping and redoing some seams. They look better. One block exchange I sewed the entire 12 block set ( with 48 pieces) with the machine threaded wrong. It wasn't too long post surgery so I was out of my mind, ;). Points just aren't passing my idea of quality control.



The next block set I keep making more thinking the more I make the more will pass my quality control, then I will have a set to exchange!!

Sunday Stash Report

I have made a few block this week but not enough to really say I have used a yard. So no more in and a little out.

I have a few pictures above of our nature tour yesterday. It snowed briefly. Sigh, that made the green leaves start to fall without turning. Maybe there will be more to see next week. The is pictures are in the state forest east of here.

I have been watch old Quilt in a day shows on RFD channel. I know you can see them on demand at Quilt in a day's website too. I saw the Quick trips quilt show. I think I must make one of those quilts. It looked easy and "do-able." I love Elenor Burns.

Also, Mark Lipinski's new fabric line is great but it isn't available until next April. That will be a long wait...I really want that collection. I gotta get going on some projects so there is a lot of fabric used before I bring in a large amount. I do want to get my fabric stash smaller. Next year it will be the yarn stash....O who am I kidding???

I am just sewing up pineapples. I injured my elbow so I can't do much hand work. The worst is crochet, knit and playing violin. The doctor said it could take several months to heal. I think the dog jerked it when we were outside. Sigh, no basting either, hurts too much. That means lots of block making and putting tops together but not much else.

That's ok, by then it will be in the middle of winter and I will be in a quilting mood.

I recieved my exchange today

How lovely it is! I think that the hooked wool is great and will look fabulous on my dining room table. Exchanges are such a bright spot in the day. Thanks Jean, you do exquisite work.

Here is the first fully changed leaf from my yard. It is on the table with my candle.

Fall Exchange

Here is a table runner and tatted bookmard I made for a fall exchange in the Yahoo group Hand Dids. My package to me is on it's way. My package arrived today to my partner, so I can show and tell!!

I loved how the quilting turned out on this runner. I thought the little tatted project would be a cute bonus.

Sunday stash report and a pineapple update

I have gone bananas buying fabrics at the local quilt shop. They had a big sale and I purchased 6 fat quarters and some Texture Magic. It was the one year anniversary at the store and it really had alot going on-discounts, giveaways, discontinued fabrics on clearance, drawings, door prizes.... it was all I could do to contain myself to what I did buy!!



Also, the office is quite stressful. Not sure who will stay and who will go, if anyone, but the fear is there. I will always have fabrics, right? That was my justification of all the fabrics I have purchased over the past few months, hee hee like I really needed an excuse.



Ok so I had more in than out. I am hanging in at 3/4 of a tote, plus charm packs and a layer cake. That is the stash report.



Here are some pineapple blocks I made over the past couple of days. Mom and I sewed yesterday afternoon to finish our class projects. I am totally sold on the ruler method but since I purchased printed foundation fabric -that is what I am doing now. It is the smaller block. The foundation fabric is ok but since I found the ruler method, it wins!!



We did get alot done. She didn't like the paper method so she gave me hers, I made mose of it after the center, and it turned out great, it is the orange and green one. Do you see my mistake? No?? Good!! It is in the block with the red center. I wasn't paying attention but I am not ripping it out, this is a practice block that may end up as a pillow.

Next will be a ruler method quilt.

Tomorrow my DH is gone all day to a retreat and I plan on sewing pineapples. I have not started cutting yet, I hope to later today.

I need to get it together