Sister's Choice Quilts

I Needed Another Christmas Table Runner....Not

Sometimes the creative urge cannot be denied. I have had this sweet pattern for a Buffalo Check Christmas table runner for a year or two, and have been meaning to make it. I used scraps from my stash and yardage of a white, taupe, and darker tan. The pattern is by Carried Away Quilting and was easy to follow. I did have to press all the seams open, and let me tell you, I was very tired of doing that by the time I finished the project. I don't know what it is about pressing seams open. I know things turn out better and lie flatter but I just resist it for some reason. 

Here is a close up of the two units that make up the top. The trees were easy peasy. So was the star for that matter. The only caution I have is that you have to have your wits about you or it is easy to put the wrong color neutral in a place where it doesn't belong. And if that happens, you lose the checkerboard pattern. My seam ripper and I got reacquainted while I made this little project. 

Busy week for me, how about you? I am meeting up with a friend this morning, then I need to go home, work on a writing assignment, and then make cranberry relish. My husband has been so excited about having pumpkin pie, and came home from Walmart with two jumbo cans of Libby's pumpkin. Each can makes two pies. I guess I will make those on Wednesday, along with prepping my dressing. I am going to try something different this year. I will make my dressing as usual, then put it in the crock pot to finish cooking. It will free up the oven, which is a plus.  Have any of you ever done that? One Thanksgiving I made my mashed potatoes in the morning, and put them in the crock pot to stay warm. It worked great! I only have one oven, which is a problem when you need to cook sweet potato casserole, keep the turkey warm, and cook dressing. How do you all manage all the dishes on Thanksgiving? 

Weird Weather and Product Review

Honestly, we are getting some weird weather. It seems like a few weeks ago it was in the 90s. On Tuesday night it hailed, and then snowed! We might get snow at our altitude, but in early November it is pretty unheard of. And my goodness is it ever cold. Like you don't want to forget your jacket when you run out to the store or to pick up the kid at school.

Eva was feeling well enough to go to school, so that is good. She still has a bit of a sore throat but is fine otherwise. 

I am making progress with the square in a square blocks for the Family Reunion quilt. I will be glad to wrap up this project. Not much more to go. 

I have a product review for you all. I am always looking for seam guides I can attach to my sewing surface to help me keep to a scant quarter inch seam. I have tried several with good results and recently saw this advertised somewhere.

So, I didn't really care for it. I will tell you why, but if any of you use it and like it, please explain why in the comments. My problem with it was that even with the little positioning tool I was not able to line it up properly. Also, the sticky strip guide was too short for my way of thinking. It is hard to see in the photo, but there is a pale blue plastic thing with a hook you wrap around your needle when you position the sticky strip guide. I must have been doing something wrong because I could not get it anywhere near a quarter inch.

This is Lori Holt's Seams So Easy seam guide. I like this one. See how long the seam guidelines are? That's a plus. The cutesy flower petal shape serves no purpose, but that is what Lori Holt does. The cuteness factor is important to her.

This no-frills seam tape by Cluck Cluck Sew works great. It is inexpensive and you get a lot of it. I've used it and once you position it as shown in the photo above it is a great success.

Do you use a seam guide? It is especially helpful when you have to make a lot of half-square triangles and don't want to draw dozens of diagonal lines on your fabric. I use mine a lot and think it is a time saver and leads to better accuracy.

Please share your thoughts on seam guides in the comments!

 

 

Relaxing Weekend

Eva and I got the Halloween decorations put away and brought out a few Thanksgiving things. Daylight Savings Time started, so it feels like it is dinner time, but it's only a quarter past 3.  My photos are all kind of dark, and that is what it was like in my house at the time.

Eva's dad and his wife have gone away for the week, so she will be staying with us all week long. Yay! It's a treat for us to have her for so many days. Sunday we made cornbread and attended a basketball team pizza party. I did get some sewing done on Saturday and somehow managed to spend a heck of a lot of money on new fabric.

Aren't these just beautiful? They are selected pieces from the Isabella collection by Minick and Simpson. This summer there is going to be a basket quilt sew-along in faded patriotic colors and I had to jump on this fabric to be sure I got some before it sold out. That's what I told myself anyway. I will put it away soon, but right now I am leaving it out where I can fondle it.

How gorgeous is this large-scale print? It will be my border I think.

In other news, I re-made my Sewcialites 2, Block 2 for the third time. I just could not get the colors right. Here they are in order of my making them:

One, on the left. Two, on the right.

Final version. I sure can't keep doing three versions of each block. I need to get my act together.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Buffalo Check Table Topper

This little Halloween table topper is "Buffalo Check Table Topper", by Carried Away.  It comes in a Christmas design as well, included in the same pattern. The Christmas version has little wrapped presents rather than pumpkins. It is always fun to put out new seasonal decor, even though my table runner cupboard is starting to overflow!

The quilting design is an overall pumpkins on the vine pattern that I think is perfect. I used Moda solids for the checkerboard effect and leftover Fig Tree scraps from a Halloween-themed layer cake.

My dining room table is better suited to a long narrow table runner, but sometimes I like to use a square one for variety. My buffet is in the background, cleared of homeschooling detritus for the first time in almost three years.

Have you got your Halloween decorations out? I figure we only have about three weeks to enjoy them before they go back and the more subtle Thanksgiving decorations come out. And then, of course, we go full tilt boogie with the Christmas madness. By January, I will be ready for a minimalist look with nothing cluttering any surface of the house!

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween Decor, Check

Eva and I got the Halloween decor put out yesterday. The coffee table has a new wooden tray that is completely covered up by fall floral picks and some new velvet pumpkins. 

The mantel looks pretty much the way it always does. Cast iron crows, glass pumpkins, a stack of orange-covered books, and some flameless candles. Actually, even though I do basically the same thing every year, it is cozy and pretty.

Without a doubt, this metal haunted house is Eva's favorite Halloween decor. She rigs up blinking mini lights inside and arranges her favorite Halloween figurines on the outside. Of course the crowning touch is the sign saying "I'd turn back if I were you".

Have you got your Halloween decor out yet? We only get to enjoy it for three weeks or so, so I am always on board to put it out in early October. Come November, I am done with it, and keen to get back to more neutral orange and rust fall decor for Thanksgiving.

I do have a new Halloween table topper to put out this year, on my dining room table. I need to get the binding on it today, so I hope to show a photo tomorrow. It is truly a super cute pattern and I know many of you will want to make it. It was easy, very Halloweeny, and I know we will enjoy it for years in the future. 

 

 

Well Hi There

Hello to all of you! I return from my break refreshed and ready to tackle all sorts of fall projects. I finally got all of the homeschooling detritus off my dining room buffet. That sure has been a dumping ground for the past two and a half years while I was homeschooling my granddaughter Eva. 

I am enjoying my little fall vignettes here and there around the house. I love to switch things up a bit when the season changes. Our local hardware store has a big section of seasonal decor and I found such a pretty fall wreath for my front door there. I know I paid twice as much for it as I would have at Hobby Lobby, but I saw it and liked it and splurged.

Lastly, I got out a copper pumpkin I have had forever and put it on my front porch. My mother gave me that thing years ago and I cherish it. When Halloween is over, I just turn the jack o'lantern's face to the back and use it through Thanksgiving.

My father has been quite unwell for the past month or so. He just never seemed to bounce back from the fall he took, even though he didn't injure anything specifically. My sisters have arranged for all sorts of caregivers to come in and help us out because he really isn't able to do much of anything for himself. He has someone to bathe him a couple of times a week, a physical therapist to exercise his limbs and an occupational therapist who has been great at showing him how he can help us dress him, etc. It makes such a big difference when you are caring for a disabled person if they can help just a bit to roll over, lift their legs, and so on. It has been quite a challenge, but I think things are improving somewhat.

I hope you are all well and are enjoying the delights that early autumn brings!

How's It Going? It's Going

We are making some changes in my father's domestic arrangements that we hope will make things more comfortable and accessible for him. We have set up a television in his bedroom for one thing. Along with a comfortable armchair. One of my sisters ordered a smaller "adjustable bed" for him. He can raise the head of the bed up for a more comfortable sitting position, which hopefully will also enable him to sleep better. So far, he doesn't seem super impressed, but we have our fingers crossed that these improvements will help him recover from his recent fall. My other sister is taking him to see his doctor today, and it will be so helpful to have her evaluation. We are thinking we need to hire a caregiver to come in daily to help with hygiene matters and other things.

How about some fun quilt-related content?

This pattern, "Lady Tulip" is by Laundry Basket Quilts. I bought it, not to make the quilt as pictured, but for the block patterns contained in it. I seem to make so many sampler quilts lately, that it is nice to have options for other blocks if I don't care for the ones offered in the sew-along. These blocks are all 6", except for the one in the center, obviously.

I recently bought this new Lori Holt book, "Scrappiness is Happiness", which has 32 ideas for scrappy quilt projects. Who doesn't love a scrappy project?

Lastly, I picked up this book by Anna Dineen called "You've Got a Point", which looked intriguing.

I haven't bought this one yet, but I will, just for the quilt on the cover. It is the latest from Red Crinoline Quilts, "Tucked Away Treasures".

If I ever have a chance to start a new project, there are plenty of ideas here!

Hope you are all having a good week. Wish me luck with my dad. I'm up to care for him this Friday through Sunday.

Life is One Big Juggle Lately

Life seems to be one big juggle lately. I am trying to get all my work assignments for September done this month (along with my normal August workload) in anticipation of being in Ireland next month. I've been trying to get my clothes planned for the trip, an activity I normally enjoy. Lastly, my father's recovery from his recent fall is not progressing the way we had hoped. I won't go into detail, but it has been a challenge for my sisters and me.

Anyway. Would you like to hear about my travel wardrobe? I love putting together clothes for a trip. I pick a basic neutral and one or two accent colors. I seem to always pick black as my neutral, and am switching things up this time. This time my neutral color is navy. Navy handbag, navy shoes, jeans of course, and tops in cream, navy, light blue, and grey. I am really pleased with the way things have come together.

I am usually not much for busy prints, but how pretty is this blue floral sweater? It goes with dark jeans, mid wash jeans, and white jeans. It is lightweight and I can push the sleeves up if it's warm (but I'm going to Ireland, so that's unlikely). I love it. I got it from Talbots.

This slate blue sweater and knit pants are from JJill. The sweater is also lightweight and will be comfortable to wear on the plane and when I am lounging around the house or a hotel. The top and pants are an exact match, which isn't showing up so well in the photo. The top is oversized and the pants have an elastic waist. Yay.

This cream sweater is the same as the slate blue one above. I love a scarf to change up the look of an outfit. There are several shades of blue in this one, which makes it look nice with jeans of different shades. A scarf also elevates the look of a super casual outfit I think.

So, there are a few of the items I'll be packing for my trip to Ireland in September. Nobody seems to dress up much anymore, so I expect jeans will be fine for most of our activities. We have tickets to a couple of theatrical performances, and I do have a slightly dressier outfit for those occasions. On a side note, in the first photo, the navy rain jacket on the far left is from LLBean. It folds up teeny tiny into the left side zippered pocket of the jacket! Great for packing and for tucking into your purse just in case. 

Playing around with clothes for the trip is fun and has been a nice distraction from the more serious things going on in my life right now. 

Conservative Late Summer Decor

Eva and I put away the red white and blue decor that has been out since May. We aren't full-blown Fall by any means, just some gold colors and lots of sunflowers. This color scheme can stay out until September when we return from Ireland. Then we will go all out Fall. The runner on my hall table is so pretty. Here is a close-up of the design. I got it 12-13 years ago at a decor shop in Carmel. It is quite beautifully made.

This pretty table topper is called Jersey Girl, and was a Schnibbles pattern by Miss Rosie's Quilt Co. I'd be surprised if you could still get it.  (You can!  It is on Amazon of all places!)

I remember loving this fabric collection, which has a Western "Inner Cowgirl" vibe. I want to say it is by Urban Chiks? Correct me if you know the name of the collection.

This next little topper is called "Fat Quarter Flourish" by Carried Away. You can get the downloadable pdf pattern from Fat Quarter Shop. It is so darn cute.

Here is an unobstructed photo.

You need this pattern, right? I want to make it again in the appropriate colors for every holiday and season.

I forgot to take a picture of my coffee table, but that's enough for now. It felt good to change things up a bit!

Did anyone notice that I changed up my blog banner? I need to do that more often to keep things fresh. Only it always takes me about three hours, so I procrastinate.

Rediscovering Quilts

Do you ever forget about quilts that you have made? I keep mine in my walk-in closet, on two high shelves. Since I need a ladder to get them on or off the shelves, I don't spend much time rummaging around looking at things. Typically I have a specific quilt in mind that I want to use seasonally or for some occasion. I just make a beeline for that one and pretty much don't register the others.

Last week my friend Barbara H. emailed me about a Loose Change quilt she was making. A light bulb went off in my head and I recalled that I had made a Loose Change quilt a few years back. My quilt is more of a lap quilt, too small to use on a bed, and I have never really used it. Now that I pulled it out I sure wish I had made more blocks and could use it as a bed cover. I love the way it looks.  

This is a picture of it before it was quilted. 

The different shades of tan and cream I used really make the eye move around over the surface of the quilt, don't they? This was a true scrap quilt, using bits and bobs of leftover scraps I had leftover after making numerous Civil War reproduction fabric quilts.

While I was pulling Loose Change down, I rediscovered this pretty Stars and Baskets quilt. This was a Moda kit from 2016 or 2017. I pulled that one down too and am really enjoying it now that I have put away all the red white and blue July quilts.

Not the best photo, but we have all the blinds drawn because it's over 100° outside. Here's a picture of it before borders and quilting. I think you can see the colors better.

So, what's on your bed? Do you like to switch up your quilts with the seasons or when the mood strikes you?