Hello, Dolly!

I signed up for September's Doll Quilt Swap at our August Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild meeting.
After my first doll quilt fail (hello, seam allowances I forgot to add. That will teach me about midnight sewing, right? Right? Right??) I had to come up with a plan B. this idea banging around of a funky star quilt on a deep gray. So, I dug through the scrap bin a bit and here's Jeanie's doll quilt!




I quilted around the perimeter of the stars in progressively wider spacing using a pale gray thread. I love the look!

The back is a remnant from I don't know where, but the color is tremendous, and it just feels so good to "shop" my stash.

The binding is some of Cosmo Cricket's Taylor Made. Again, perfect color and loads of personality.



I love stars.

Pumpkin Harvest

Anyone remember this tangle of sprouts from the spring?



Well, we just harvested the sole pumpkin. Behold!
She is already baked up, pureed, packed in baggies, and loaded into the freezer, all 7 cups! Who knew we would get so much from such a wee pumpkin? Here's to a few batches of pumpkin bread and maybe a pie. Mmmm, pie...

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 7

Well, here we are at week 7 with two more blocks. Not too shabby with a busy week and sickness throwing a wrench in the works. Everybody's feeling much better, and I'm counting myself lucky that I magically managed to dodge that bullet!!! The leaves are starting to turn around here, and thoughts are turning to apple picking, canning the last of the peppers from the garden, and getting ready to celebrate Fall (happy equinox!). I chose a couple blocks along this theme:

block 56: Maple Leaf

I love this hippo print and was excited to use it up. I tried to fussy cut a bit, but there wasn't a whole lot left, so I just did the best I could. I'm pleased with it, and glad I went with the pale gray Kona as the background. I think it's Kona Ash?

block 88: Star of Hope

The second also used up some fun scraps! I love the gold against the brownish pumpkin color of the kitchen print. Mmmm, apple pie... This was a block that took some fussing. I screwed it up once (templates are wrong, I think!), then tried to paper piece it, and found the foundation paper piecing is also drafted incorrectly. Sigh. Sooo, I ended up designing my own foundation piecing block and voila! Here she is in all her cuteness. For those that haven't done this one, beware! It's fiddly, you'll have to adjust somewhere, regardless if you are doing the blocks by templates or paper piecing!

Happy Farmer's Friday!

Quilty mail!

Look what just arrived from New Zealand!! My godmother sent along two quilts, one for each kiddo!
Each one is perfect for the kid intended.


Norah's batik pinwheel quilt has awesome baby animals appliqued in minky fabric with embroidered faces. So cute!


The white background is quilted in a tight stipple that accentuates the soft plushy animals.

I love how the bunny matches her little green onesie!



Bennett's is embroidered with cute Disney characters, check out the close up of Donald and you'll get a sense of the insane number of stitches this quilt required. Totally awesome!

It's become his favorite, as you can tell. I am still in awe that a little package could contain such wonderful gifts! Thanks a million, Anne!

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 6 (late)

Well, back on track this week with four new ones I'm happy with, and one that I totally screwed up. Sigh.

Block 29: Economy

Well, "Economy" was not what was running through my mind as I cut into some of this ultra rare and super precious Heather Ross VW bus print. Except in an ironic sense, I guess. But look how cuuute! My favorite of the week, I think. It's paired with some brown Heath from Alexander Henry.

Block 77: Seasons

I love how this one turned out! The color combination is grand, I managed to get the giraffes placed pretty much where I wanted them, and my corners meet relatively well. Yay! Fabrics are some scrap brown from Norah's Brown Bear quilt and some of Laurie's Urban Circus Giraffes put out by Kaufman.

Block 80: Single Wedding Star

I like this one a lot, too. Using up the last of some Heather Ross wildflowers print in a gorgeous hot pink, pairing it with some of Cosmo Cricket's Tailor Made print. I can't decide which stands out more, the golden "ring" or the circle of boxed flowers.

Block 30: End of Day

Another block using up tiny bits and scraps of past favorites: some chairs from Laurie's Tufted Tweets line, a bit of Kona solid in a pale aqua shade, and wee triangles (the last of the LAST!) of Heather Ross wildflowers. TOTALLY satisfying to use up these precious little bits!



And then there's this one. Perfect. Except it should have been set on POINT. Aaargh! It was the last little bits of my favorite Japanese print of all time. And now it's going to go down in my memory as the One I Royally Screwed Up. I wish I hadn't started it at 11:30 one night, should have taken a second (third? Fourth?) look at the pattern, should have taken a breath before diving in, scissors in hand.
So now I have to decide if I want to just go ahead and use it in the Farmer's Wife quilt, or save it for a fun mug rug or other small project...

September 11th

I remember I was at work, getting ready to open the bookstore and to train a new employee at the register. Our maintenance guy knocked on the side door, and told us there had just been a big accident in New York: a plane had flown into a building.

The first customer, a guy picking up a book he had on hold, was visibly shaken, and told us all flights were grounded, that there had been another accident in Washington DC. We tried tuning in the radio, couldn't quite get reception, then decided to turn on the tv. I tried calling my dad, who traveled to DC regularly, and couldn't get through.

I can't quite remember if we saw the towers fall live, or if it was a replay, but the gut-wrenching feeling is unforgettable. The dust-covered survivors, paper and ash in the air...

Later on I got in touch with my dad, he wasn't sure if any of his colleagues or friends that were stationed at the Pentagon were affected. Short sentences. Stunned silences. Reminders to get gas in case the stations were to shut down.

Where were you? What do you remember about that Lonesome Day?

Farmer's Wife Quilt Along week 5

Only one new block this week, what with family fun stuff and getting my working-mama groove back, there hasn't been much time.

I used more happy Japanese scraps, this bit of trees printed in brown and white (you can juuuust barely make out the white trees) a scrap of black Kona, and some of a vintage burgundy print from my mom's old fabric stash. They go together perfectly! I also strip-pieced the corner blocks instead of making them as 4-patch blocks like the book suggests. It just seemed easier to me.

And since scanning the blocks is working out so well, here are a couple from the first week...
Love this one!
And this one, too!

Lego king