it isn't easy to get an interesting picture of a pillowcase...

there is more to say about this project, but it will have to wait for another day.  for now, my Friday finish is this pillowcase :)







linking up to Crazy Mom Quilts

Hexies on my table

Hey, everybody!  I finished my EPP Hexies!

Hmmm, but what IS it, you say?

My new table topper, of course!  :)  
When I take the middle sections out of my kitchen table, it is a circle.  I think this new hexie shaped table topper will work great with the round table.



Once all my EPP hexies were sewn together, I wasn't sure how to finish them off into a useable object.  Finally, I decided to applique the hexies onto this piece of Kona in a forgotten color.  I didn't want to bind, so I layered batting, then more Kona for the backing, and then the upside down top.  Stitch around the edge, leave a turning opening, turn, and hey-presto!  no need to bind :)





I quilted hexie rings radiating out from the center, and I love how the back looks:



Do you see that little bit of a stitching line in the upper left hand corner?  When I removed all the basting stitches and papers from the hexies, I accidentally left one paper in and didn't notice until it was appliqued down and the layers were sewn together, so I had to rip up the stitches and sew it back down again.



If you want to read earlier posts about my hexies, click here or here or here :)
Getting this WIP done makes me feel like I'm making real progress on my WIP list {ha! there are plenty more where this came from!}

I'm linking up to Crazy Mom quilts, You Flew Tuesday, TGIFF, Quilt Story, Show and Tell Tuesday
   

get stitched

Two summers ago, I carried these hexies around everywhere I went.  I loved stitching in beautiful, happy places.  I loved the freedom of a go-anywhere project, and I loved the Hexies. 

But once they were stitched together, I didn't know how to finish them into something useful.  Uncertainty caused me to let them sit in the figurative WIP pile {I don't actually keep all my WIPs together, I prefer to be in denial about how many there are}



... until recently, when I decided to just jump in and give it a go.  I'm nearly done now, and I can't wait to show you the finished project :)

 

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet...

Give me something good to eat...



If you don't, I don't care...



I'll pull down your underwear!  



hehehe, are you familiar with this rhyme from childhood?




I taught it to my boys while I made them some new treat bags for Halloween this year.  I offered to buy them something to Trick-or-Treat with, but they wanted me to sew them something - they sure know their way to their Mama's heart :)

I found a video for my favorite Halloween song, hope you like it! :)



Happy Halloween everyone! :)

I'm linking up to You Flew Tuesday, Crazy Mom Quilts & Whoop Whoop Friday!

 

AMH patchwork tote

 

Remember that I told you I had one more thing that I entered into the Deerfield Fair?  Something that had not been on my blog yet?  Well, this little patchwork tote is it  :)

 



I used my AMH Innocent Crush fabrics for the exterior, so it matches my Triple Zip Pouch.  I made this to be a matching set on purpose, but only now that it is dark and I am sitting down to my computer am I realizing that I didn't get a picture of the two together.  {sigh}

You will just have to take my word for it that they make a cute couple :)



The pattern I used is one I have made several times, sometimes patchwork and sometimes with a solid exterior fabric.  You can check out my other totes here, here, and here.



The lining is AMH feathers from Field Study - I am so in love with this print :)



I made the tote mostly to see how long it would take.  That's a good reason, right?  :)

Right about now, curiosity is getting the better of you, isn't it?  You're dying to know.  I can tell.  ;)Okay, okay, I'll tell you - once the fabrics were cut, it took me six hours to completely finish the bag. 

My seam ripper saw some action during the making of this bag.  Silly me thought I didn't need to read the instructions because I've made this a time or two already.  It is doubtful that I learned anything from this experience.  {read instructions? and waste good sewing time?}

I'm linking up to You Flew Tuesday, Freemotion by the River and Fabric Tuesday!

Fall randomness

here are a couple random photos I took at the fair:



I seriously love this pink tractor!



Forget the pony rides at the fair, my boys rode the camel :)  While they were enjoying the ride, I spotted this fantastic sign hanging on the fence:



it makes me chuckle every time I read it :)

ever since I tried chocolate covered bacon at the fair {heavenly!}, I have been wanting to bake brownies with bacon in them.  Have you ever tried this?

Speaking of baking, I tried making pumpkin lasagna.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either.  It kind of left me wanting it to be better, because you could tell it had the potential, know what I mean?  Melting some butter onto the pumpkin layers when I reheated it helped, maybe that is all the original recipe is missing to be fantastic.  {is there anything butter doesn't make better?}  Not sure if I will try again to make it better, since I'm the only one in the house who will eat it.

Now that fall is here, have pumpkins invaded your kitchen, too?   If you have any good pumpkin recipes, I'd love it if you share.  I'm on the lookout for some new ones :)

I'm linking up to Random Thursday!

Deerfield fair 2013 / fresh sewing day

Can it be that the Deerfield Fair has come and gone so quickly? 

Most of the things I entered have been on the blog before: Rainbow Geese, Sashiko Pillow, Baby Hungry Caterpillar, and Improve Curves Table Runner all won blue {1st place} ribbons.  The only needlecraft item I entered that hasn't been on the blog before is also somehow the only thing I didn't get a picture of.  You'll just have to trust me that it also got a blue ribbon  ;)       {when I get it back I'll take pictures and post it properly.  In the meantime, you can admire the pink tractor instead}

Underneath the red second place ribbon up there in the collage is a plate of pumpkin biscotti.  Lesson learned - baking in the dark while trying a brand new recipe for a competition probably won't get you a blue ribbon, but the results are still good dipped in coffee.  ;)

My boys brought home their fair share of ribbons, too.  Son #1 earned a 2nd and 3rd for his photographs, son #2 earned a 1st for his pumpkin face and a 2nd for his snickerdoodle cookies, and son #3 earned a 1st for his pumpkin face and a 1st for his peanut butter cookies.

The four of us got our fried Oreo fix, and I found a new food love - chocolate covered bacon.  Oh my, it was heavenly!

sweet treats

Back in June, Hydee of Splish Splash Stash had a giveaway to celebrate her birthday and her new Juki {!!!!}  I entered, and she sent me the cutest FQ lollipops!



Henna Garden will forever be one of my favorite prints, so I was super happy to receive a colorway not already in my stash :)   Aqua & icy blue are my current color crushes - I still haven't put these away with the rest of the stash so I can admire them every time I sew!

Thank you Hydee! the lollipops are fantastic! :)

edited to add this link to Hydee's tutorial for making your fabric lollipops {click here}

linking up to Sunday Stash @ Finding Fifth

Baby Hungary caterpillar quilt

I finished the baby Hungary Caterpillar quilt this week!  This is a quilt that came together so quickly, then sat and sat and sat, waiting for that last little bit of stitching to finish it.  Please tell me I'm not the only one who does that ;)



A shot of the back - I love this stripe print that shows all the foods the caterpillar ate in the book :)







this quilt measures 24 inches square, and is destined for the Maine Medical Center PICU via Knight's Quilt Shoppe.  

You can read about this quilt's beginning here :)

Partying at these locales: TGIFF @ Quilt Matters, Richard & Tanya Quilts,  Whoop Whoop Friday, let's Make Baby Quilts!, Crazy Mom Quilts

ladybug picnic

I had a paper bag.  I kept all my quilting patterns in it.



It finally got too ripped up to use anymore.



So I sewed up a more durable replacement :)





Everything I used I had already in my stash, except the buttons.  They were so thick, I couldn't fit the bag, handle, and button all under the presser foot of my machine, so I had to sew them on by hand. 

Now all my patterns are neatly tucked away in their new picnic-y ladybug tote, perfect for summertime  :)  

{this project also represents more than a yard of long-time stash getting moved out and put to use - that makes me super happy!}
Linking up to Quilt Story, You Flew Tuesday, Show and Tell Tuesday, Freemotion by the River,