Happy Mail Arrived Today

 

 

My Leaf Quilt arrived in the mail today.  I sent it to Wanda in Ohio to be quilted.  I made the top a few years ago and didn't do anything with it.  I recently decided to send it to Wanda.  She does such a great job of quilting.  Here is the finished quilt (minus the binding).  I'll do the binding this weekend.

 

The quilt fits the double bed in my guestroom.  I'm not sure this will be its final home but it does look great with the white wicker headboard.

 

Check out the lovely quilting detail in the photo below.  Wanda's designs are always so awesome.   My only request was that she do a few leaves in the quilt.   

 

 

Can you see those cute little leaves on the inner boarder?  I just love them.  I am very proud of my mitered corner on this quilt.  Stripes match perfectly! 

 

 

Thanks Wanda.  The arrival of my quilt this morning had me doing a "Happy Dance".

 

 

Jelly Roll Bag

This little bag is made completely in the embroidery hoop.  I added Michelle's name to one side of the bag.  I went through my scraps and selected the fabrics for the strips.  They are cut the size of Jelly Roll strips (2 1/2").  The bag didn't take long once I had the fabric cut. 

I'll add a few goodies in the bag and it will be a Christmas present for my niece, Michelle.  Think I may make a few more.  Finished size is 8" x 5".

My goal is to do a project on my new Janome 12000 every morning. This will familarize me with the many features of the machine.  I'm still loving the machine.   Yesterday I did a Halloween Tea towel.  I'll post a pic later.

Drum Roll Please

 

I completed my Great Outdoors quilt yesterday.  I love it.  Can't wait to see it hanging on the bedroom wall in our vacation home in Ky.  I completed the blocks and then decided to to these borders.  The blocks are from Anita Goodesign Great Outdoors pack and the borders are from the Anita Goodesign Foundations Special Edition.  The size is perfect. Squares are 8".

 

 

 

  The borders are hand dyed fabric and you can see the gradation in color throughout.  The applique fabrics are a combination of hand dyes and left over fabric from a Fossil Fern quilt.  The center square background is a fabric I picked up on Catalina Island a few years ago.   It has been fun using my stash of fabrics.  The fabrics bring back memories of places we've been and other quilts I've completed. 

Finally Feels Like Fall

 

After many days of 100+ weather,  it rained yesterday and didn't reach the century mark!  So I decided to celebrate and decorate the small table in the breakfast nook.  The pumpkin sits on a cast iron lampbase my mother rescued from a junk pile in the 1950s.  I use it as a candle holder but decided it would be a perfect base for the pumpkin.  The glass candlestick is one of last week's Goodwill finds ($1.99).  I made the leaves a few years ago on my Janome 11000 embroidery machine.  Small glass pumpkin is from a glass factory in Louisville.  To complete the vignette, I added my antique celluloid squirrel with rhinestone eyes.

Welcome Fall.

P.S. We will be back in the triple digits next week!

Progress on the Great Outdoors Quilt

I've completed a few more blocks on my Great Outdoors quilt.  This will be the center block.  I've also made a decision on sashing and corner squares.  I finished all the corner squares and they are a dark green hand dye fabric.  The sashing is another hand dye in shades of tan and brown.  So far things are progressing nicely.  Hoping to have the top finished by this weekend.

 

It will look great on the wall in the bedroom in our vacation home.  The new machine is so much fun!  I did take time off to spend with family and friends on Labor Day.  Today I'm back to picking up those lovely grands after school each day.

 

 

Beginning a Great Outdoors Quilt

I am beginning work on a Great Outdoors quilt.  These are the first two squares of the quilt.  The design is another Anita Goodesign Collection.  I saw the completed quilt at an Anita Goodesign event in March but hadn't seen the packet available at my local sewing store until last week.  I'm using stash fabrics for the appliqued designs.  My goal is to complete as many projects as I can using fabric from my stash.  I haven't decided on the sashing yet.  I think I'll complete all the embroidery blocks and then audition some of my stash fabric.

Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend.  It has been a quiet one here.  DH has a nasty virus and is being  with steroids and antibiotics.  There is something going around here and many people are ill with similar issues.  I've heard it is related to all the dust we've had blowing around lately.   

Happy Hour Apron

 I finished the Happy Hour apron this morning.  I bought the apron at WalMart and added the embroidery design from Anita Goodesign's Happy Hour collection.  I added the lettering with my Janome 12000.  It is so nice to have a large hoop that allows all this in one hooping.  The smaller hoops require multiple hoopings and often things didn't align correctly.  I'm lov'n my new machine.

Below you can see the apron with the bar towel tucked in the pocket.

 

Another Christmas present completed.  You may wonder why I'm working so hard on Christmas in September.  It is because I have a two week trip with old (no still young!) college friends later in September.  And if DH's health allows, we will spend October and November in KY.  We have a family cruise to Mexico scheduled for a week in  December.  You can see that my calendar is full and I really need to get Christmas organized as soon as possible.  

 

Have a wonderful Holiday Weekend.