Possibilities are endless

Here is one possible layout. I won that center block and framed it a couple of years ago. But then what?

So these new blocks may be the perfect next addition. I am thinking about more narrow black sashing. 

These ideas float around my head as I drive to and from work. Especially last night as I had an hour drive.  

It's almost Halloween

Today when I got home from work there was a soft squishy package waiting for me, and I just couldn't wait to open it up.  My Halloween Swap blocks had arrived.

The top row are the blocks I made for the swap and the other 9 are blocks I received. Aren't they fantastic?  Every block has unique Halloween fabrics.  I just LOVE these!  Next step is deciding how I want to put them together.  So many possibilities . . .

Selvages . . .

Isn't this just the cutest selvage you've seen?  I love it when I find unique ones, because I collect selvages and have made several projects using them.

Do you keep your selvages and what do you make with them?

Grown up version

UPDATE:  the pattern for this pillow is On-The-Go Travel Pillow from Fishsticks Designs. They have a great website.

Here is the grown up version of the traveling pillow, and the best thing about it is that everything came from my stash.  The ribbon was a scrap leftover from some long ago craft project, the hexie was an "orphan", the front is made from 2 fat quarters from the stash, and the back and handle were from the stash too.  

I even had a 16" pillow form in my sewing room closet. Now I'm feeling challenged to make at least one more this size because there is still another 16" pillow form in that closet.

More travel pillows

Finished 5 travel pillow covers this week and 4 of those are already sold to some coworkers.  This is a nice little stash buster project. And we all know that I have LOTS of stash that I could use for these.

I have one larger version all cut and ready to go, but plan to applique a little something on the pocket before sewing the pillow.  I think that one may become a Christmas gift for someone.

It's not too early

It really isn't too early to be thinking about Christmas, is it?  

This cute Santa block was originally the December Count On It block, but I've been using a different one for that little hanger. So, it has been waiting to have a purpose. Well, that purpose is now determined - Santa is going to be the center of my Round Robin project for guild.  

I need to find some red buttons for the holly berries, and then put them (and the little black eye beads) into a tiny little bag to set aside for adding at the end.  And I need to iron a piece of muslin to freezer paper for a label to include with the box. 

I'm very excited to start this Round Robin and can't wait to see what I receive to work on first.  This type of project really pushes me out of my comfort zone and sparks some new ideas. 

New blocks for House Warming

I finally got the little red birds appliqued last night onto the 3 blocks for month 2 of the House Warming Party BOM. These 3 blocks, plus the 4 from last month, will all go into the outside borders of this quilt.  I am really excited to work my way into the center section, which has bird houses - and more birds.  Fun!

Contrast is key

A couple of weeks ago I cut kits for 2 table toppers. The first one had a winter theme with red mitten fabric. This one is for Halloween and I just love this one.  That ribbon around the edge pops doesn't it?

I've learned - again - the lesson that contrast is key for a design like this.  The mitten topper is very boring because I didn't have enough contrast in that ribbon feature to make it stand out. I should have chosen a solid gold instead of a coordinating print to go with the red I used with the mitten fabric.  Lesson learned . . . but will I remember it?

A glorious sky

This has been a beautiful autumn so far and I feel really blessed to live where I can see a sunset as glorious as this one tonight.  I'm in Pierre for a conference, and took an evening walk along the Missouri River.  I had to stop and admire God's handiwork!

UFO progress

I'm plugging away on the hand quilting on Cats For All Seasons wall hanging.  All of the cross hatching is done on the yellow quadrant.  The green quadrant has one direction done, and the purple section is progressing nicely.  

The final quadrant is pink and only has 1 "anchor" line of stitching from the center to the outer corner.  But progress is progress, and considering the actual age of this UFO project I'm happy with any progress.  I think this top was appliqued during a really long road trip in 2000. Yikes!  14 years in the making!  

RSC14 blocks

This month is brown or black. I chose to do brown.  Just 2 months to go. 

More travel pillows.

Here are the covers for 2 more travel pillows for the grandkids.  I still need to tuck the 14" pillow forms into these.  Spiderman was the first one, made for Mason.  These 2 are for Olivia and Sophia. So now I need to make one for Jonah and they will all get these for Christmas with a new book and/or toy tucked into the pocket.  

Another UFO finish

It isn't my favorite seasonal table topper, but it is a finished one.  This UFO has been sitting around for at least 3 years.  And now it is done.  I even quilted it myself on my machine with a free-hand spiral stitch going round and round the center section, and then just a stitch-in-the-ditch on both sides of the red and gold ribbon.

Spiderman travel pillow

Travel pillows - a quick and easy gift for the grandchildren in my life. This Spiderman pillow is for my oldest grandson who is 3 and obsessed with Spiderman.  This whole project took less than an hour to cut out and sew. Now I need to find a new book and maybe a Spiderman toy to tuck into the pocket.

This is an envelope style pillow cover, and a 14" pillow form fits into it.  Before Christmas I'll be making at least 3 more for the other grandkids.

New ideas

Check off another UFO!!!   This pillow started out life as a table runner, but just didn't turn out the way I wanted it.  So it became a UFO and was in serious danger of being tossed out.  But it has a new life as a pillow, and now I actually like it.

The half square triangles are all leftovers from trimming some large star blocks in a little boy's quilt I made a couple of years ago for a cousin. I just hated to throw away perfectly good triangles, and now they have grown up to become something new instead of scraps.

Goals help me focus

I knew that September would not be a productive month for sewing so I set some pretty modest goals, and for the most part I met those goals plus some things I didn't think I would get done.

• 3 orange RSC14 blocks - yes
• 5 Heartstrings blocks - only 2
• complete Sept. Saturday Sampler tasks - yes
• 2 pillowcases from stash fabrics - actually made 7 pillowcases from stash
• complete 1/4 of the hand quilting on the Cats wall hanging - yes

A bonus was starting - and finishing - a ghost shaped Halloween project.  Plus I made the 4 blocks for month #1 of a new BOM called House Warming Party.  

And I also finished binding my Paris quilt that was a UFO from last fall.  That particular quilt was the fall mystery quilt we did for Saturday Sampler. I'll post a photo of it over the weekend if the sun comes out and wind quits blowing.

Last but not least, I made a self-binding baby blanket for a gift.  So I'm feeling very pleased with what I actually accomplished after all.

October goals will include some new projects as well as trying to make some progress on UFOs again.  There is nothing big here, but lots of small projects.

• 3 brown RSC14 blocks 
• 5 Heartstrings blocks 
• complete Sept. Saturday Sampler tasks
• month #2 blocks for House Warming Party BOM
• mitten theme table topper (UFO)
• Halloween table topper (UFO)
• complete another 1/4 of the hand quilting on Cats
• bind another UFO
• traveling pillows with pockets for the grandkids for Christmas gifts

Cutting my own kits for UFOs

I did a little cutting last night and created a couple of kits for table toppers. A couple of dear friends came over for supper and a little "quilty" conversation. And since my cutting board was handy and I was still feeling like working with fabric, I pulled out a couple of PIGS (projects in grocery sacks) and cut the pieces in the project. So they are now in kits and ready to just start sewing when I get the chance.  And I'm hoping that chance is tonight after work.

Both kits are for this little Pieced Tree pattern called Center Stage. This one has a cute mitten theme and other has a Halloween theme.  Both are from my UFO collection, so I'm hoping to have both checked off as finished by the end of the year.