Sunday sewing

I didn't do a lot of sewing today but I did prep the parts for my House Warming Party month 2 blocks.  The only sewing I actually did was making the 3 snowball block centers.  Each will get a bird appliqued in the center.

And I did some hand stitching on a binding for a UFO project.  I've gotten half way around the quilt but had hoped to get further than that today.  However the nice 80 degree sunny day distracted me and I took a long walk to a friend's house and then back again.  Glad I took advantage of the nice weather while I could.

Fat quarters are not body parts

Isn't that hilarious?  I came across this fabric yesterday and just had to buy it.  I love all of the litter sayings - such as "I run with scissors" and "fat quarter is not a body part".  

I'm in Pierre for a couple of days for some training and just had to stop at the Quilt Yard downtown after we finished up yesterday.  This fabric definitely made the stop worthwhile.

BOO table runner is done

I have not set foot in my sewing room this past week, but I do have a finish - the BOO! table runner.  It just needed a little hand stitching and a few fun buttons.  I had some candy corn buttons in my stash and added just a few scattered around the colored blocks.

Boo table runner

Sunday was just too chilly for me to go play golf with my husband, so while he golfed I sewed.  First task was adding binding to a UFO which I'll show you later this week.  Then I did the blanket stitching around a cute applique for a guild block.  Can't show you that - yet.  And since I was in a blanket stitch mood I working on this little ghost shaped table runner. 

So now I have a lot of handwork between the binding, the hand stitching on this Boo table runner, and hand quilting on my cats wall hanging.

It's a mystery

The first session of our newest Saturday Sampler was yesterday and we received the first set of instructions for what we will do with our 6 fabrics.  We used 4 of them and made these 3 sets of blocks that measure 6.5".   So there are 8 each of units A, B, and C all ready for next month.  

The other fun part of this new mystery quilt is that all clues to the designer have been removed from the instructions.  The designer will be revealed with the final instructions.  So it keeps some of us from becoming Internet sleuths to figure out what the final project might look like.  It really IS a mystery.

A little flannel

I didn't have any time to sew this past week, but Friday night - once the new cutting table was set up - I pulled out some flannel.  This self-binding baby blanket will be mailed to Baltimore next week for a new little boy.  Even a short hour of sewing was so-o-o-o relaxing.

A new cutting table

For weeks now I've been thinking about a new cutting table and looking online.  I knew whatever I chose to do needed to be inexpensive because we have some other house updates we need to spend our money on right now.

So, my solution was found at Menards: 2 white cabinets, one with drawers and one with doors.  And I bought a butcher block top.  No assembly needed - just moved them in and laid that heavy butch block on top.  Now I just need to choose some hardware but there is no rush.

The height is just perfect so I'm hoping my back will no longer hurt every time I cut fabric. And the extra storage space is perfect too.  My big rulers and hand quilting stencils all fit in the long drawer over the doors.  And the top drawer on the left will be perfect for storing thread.

Changing seasons

I love switching out my decorations around the house to showcase a new season and fall has arrived here in South Dakota, at least for a few days.  The temperatures today are nearly 40 degrees cooler than Monday was.  It's soup weather!  Or maybe chili.  So I added my fall leaf table topper to my kitchen counter to replace the patriotic summer runner.  I made this one several years ago but it makes me smile every year when I pull it out again.  

What kinds of autumn decor do you enjoy at your house!

Forgive the poor photo, but the light is not very good on such a grey dreary day.

A new project

I know that I don't need any new projects but sometimes a quilt comes along that I just HAVE to do.  House Warming Party is that quilt.  I love the reds and greens and creams in this.  It's a BOM, and these 4 blocks are for month 1. 

So I'll be doing this BOM. the new Saturday Sampler mystery quilt BOM, the Rainbow Scrap Challenge BOM, and am involved in a Halloween block swap.  I think I see a theme here - lots of blocks!!

Shrinking the stash

Over Labor Day weekend I pulled together and cut the pieces for more donation pillowcases.  One evening this week I pinned together the "tube" so they were ready to sew together using the tube method.  So now I have 7 pillowcases ready to sew the French seams on the bottoms and sides to finish them up as I find a little time to sew.  

The peach and navy ones were from fabric I bought locally last spring with pillowcases in mind.  The John Deere fabric was in my stash and had also been purchased within the year to make pillowcases. But the star fabric, the red and green cuff fabrics and those yellow and aqua piping fabrics were all from the "found" stash.  And it makes me feel so good to know that the abandoned unused stash fabric is shrinking a little every month.  

That means that I'll have room for more NEW fabric, right?

Easy mindless sewing

Sometimes when I only have a half hour to sew I like to work on something that is really easy and doesn't require any major concentration.  Heartstrings blocks fit that description. And now that my scrap strips are all in one container I can just reach in and grab what I need.

So, 2 more are done.  I hope to get at least 5 done this month.  This makes 38 of the 46 blocks I need for a completed Heartstrings top.

On the road

I will spend a lot of time this month (and last) in Pierre for some training for my job.  The hotel I stay at is close to a walking/biking trail that follows the Missouri River and meanders through some quiet neighborhoods.  Except for the heat and humidity yesterday afternoon, my 3 mile walk was good.  

Orange RSC14

My orange blocks for the Rainbow Scrap Challenge are complete.  These definitely help warm up the color scheme for the pigtail quilt I'm making.  The warm and cool colors are pretty well balanced now and we still have 4 months to go.  What colors will be next I wonder?

September goals

September usually brings a more reasonable work schedule, but this year I'll be on the road quite a bit for training for new projects.  And I'll be babysitting 3 of my grandchildren for 3 days while their parent go to a wedding.  So I need to keep my goals modest and realistic.

• 3 orange RSC14 blocks
• 5 Heartstrings blocks
• complete Sept. Saturday Sampler tasks
• 2 pillowcases from stash fabrics
• complete 1/4 of the hand quilting on the Cats wall hanging