Squash Squad Stitch Along is Finished!!

Nine weeks of stitching with Sue Spargo is over! I have enjoyed this project immensely. For one thing, I got to practise stitches, that under normal circumstances, I would probably not bother with! So thanks Sue!! 

These blocks are not yet stitched together. That will happen after I finish several Christmas presents. I am planning some more wool applique with vines and leaves, for the border. Stay tuned! It will be in the new year.

The squash used in this project are:

Spaghetti Squash           Long Island Cheese Pumpkin                           Queensland Blue Pumpkin

Baby Boo Pumpkin       Blue Hubbard Squash                                        Knuckle Head Pumpkin

Big Moon Pumpk          Mellow Yellow & Painted Purple Pumpkin      Porcelain Princess Pumpkin

 

Squash Squad Update

I've been making some progress on the 5 1/2 " wool applique, Squash Squad squares, by Sue Spargo. Monday, we start block 8 of 9. My seven blocks are in various stages of finishing. Here's six and seven:

Block 7 - Big Moon Pumpkin

Working on the vine.  Small buttons have to be added.

Block 6 - Knuckle Head Pumpkin

Couching the background woody vines. Small Detached Chains are to be randomly added for the base of the Bittersweet blossom. A small orange seed bead will be added to the base of each detached chain stitch. I also need to add more Raised Cup Stitches to the rest of the triangles.

• Blocks 1 - 4 
• Wool Applique patterns on Pinterest HERE, HERE, and HERE. 
• Using repurposed wool for applique    
• Wool Applique Tutorial    
• Tips and Tricks for Wool Applique
• Wool Applique   

Enjoy!!

Happy Halloween!!

If you know me, you know that Halloween just isn't my thing! After spending 30 years as a primary / elementary teacher, all those Halloween parties over the years, was enough!  However, when you move to another province to be close to a granddaughter, things change.

Thursday, I got a call from my daughter inviting themselves to supper on Friday (grin) to do pumpkin carving and a kid sleepover. So, doing my grandma thing, I bought two large pumpkins (not realizing they were coming with four more), a carving set (not from the $ shop) and decorations to enhance the occasion.

Here's the end result:

I did say six pumpkins, well, one of them was a bit tipsy! It's the middle one below, leaning on its buddy!

 

 

Gale drew this one for me!

She carved out the mouth, as I was told it was more complicated than the eyes! Was she telling me something! HA!!

 

In any event, a grand time was had by all. These carved pumpkins just left here for another home!

 

 

• My sister's Halloween Wall Hanging 2014 
• My quilted Halloween panel, for granddaughter 2016 
• Halloween Shimmers 2014
• Halloween 2012 (before moving to Nova Scotia)
• Halloween 2015

Enjoy Halloween wherever you are and remember to stay safe!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends!

These pumpkins were grown locally. It's great to see such fun stuff at the local nursery and bakery.

Happy Halloween!! - A few Days Late

I totally forgot that I had written this blog post!  Too many things to keep straight - oh dear . . .

Yesterday (that was 2 days before Halloween) was a trip to the farm to look at pumpkins and scarecrows.

Before

After

 

Check out a few of my past Halloween posts HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE

Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am so thankful to finally be here in Nova Scotia and so close to family. It makes everything worthwhile especially when my 6 year old granddaughter says she so glad we moved close to her.

The leavings are starting to turn those beautiful fall colours. Here's a view from the back deck.

That's the end of two car garage on the side.

I also visited a local farm to get vegetables for out thanksgiving meal. Aren't these pumpkins just gorgeous!

Guess where we were today?

What a fantastic place to visit. We had no difficulty finding a parking space at the end of the building. I will be going back there again when things get unpacked at home.

Enjoy!

Morning Visitors . . .

I looked out the patio door this morning and was surprised to see three deer munching grass. Here's two of them:

• Fabric and Burlap Pumpkins 
• Jack O'Lantern Decor  
• Acorn Pot Holder 
• Pumpkin Pincushion
• That Cat  

 Enjoy!!
        

Happy American Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American relatives, friends and visitors to my blog! Today we are having a glorious, sunny day in St. John's. There was a sprinkle of snow last evening but the sun is quickly taking care of that (thank goodness as I'm not ready for that).

Here's something for all my Quilting friends - Pumpkin Tutorial - Crazy Quilt Style! The Painted Quilt has lots of tutorials and projects for you to check.

Enjoy . . .

Wine Time!!

I made a mug mat this morning. Now I'm enjoying a glass of wine while writing this post. I think the wine glass looks great on my new mat!

Why is making a mug mat significant? Well, the pre-cut fusible applique is our own design and cut on our Klic-N-Kut Maxx Air machine. This machine has been sitting around for the last year and we finally got some time to experiment with it. It does an amazing job of cutting the fabric. So far, I've been using batiks with Heat N' Bond Lite on the back. Any shape designed on the computer can be sent to the machine for cutting. I'm thinking silhouettes in the near future!

I will have a few packaged pumpkins and leaves at Some Good Market this coming Saturday. There will be in a limited supply of these! 

Cutting out leaves

Another set of leaves. Lifting the fabric from around the cut-outs

Leaves that were just cut and still on the mat

Close -up view & I just noticed the thread on the pumpkin!! Bummer!

Valdani Threads were used for the pumpkin outline.

Trick or Treat!! Cabot Quilt Guild

The Cabot Quilt Guild program committee presented four Halloween projects at the October meeting. Here they are:

The mug rugs are quick and easy. Fusible web and stitching was used.

The table topper spider and web was cut out, fused and stitched to a background. The spider can also be hung in a window.

The triangles for the banner are sandwiched, stitched on two sides, turned to the front (left open at the top). Wide fold over bias tape is used to hold the triangles. The top of the triangles are put between the fold over tape and machine stitched. A knot was tied at the ends. Voila! Ready to hang. Put Christmas / Autumn fabric on one side so that the banner can be used for more than one occasion.

The pumpkins are so simple to make! All you need for the center is a roll of toilet paper and polyester stuffing to go around the toilet roll. A fat quarter can be used for the outside. Put the toilet roll / stuffing in the center of the fabric. Then start with the corners and bring them up over the inside. Stuff and tuck the end into the top of the toilet roll. Continue with the outer three corners. Next, bring the rest of the fabric sides up and tuck in too. For the stem, use a piece of a branch and stick into the toilet roll or roll some fabric and poke that in instead (roll around a length of cardboard to keep it stiff, tuck in one end). Curl some wire for the top and cut out leaves. Glue in place! Simple!  I like the ones with the glitzy fabrics.  After writing all this out, I found the tutorial.

Thanks, ladies for a great program!

Mug Rugs

Table Topper

Banner



Pumpkins