Kenny's Flea Market Finds

Take a look at these colors....

Ken came home the other weekend with these cones of thread.  He said "I don't know if you can use them, but I felt sorry for the older lady who was selling them."  Apparently, she didn't have much on her yard sale table and he felt he had to by something.  I think they are awesome!  I don't know if I can use them for longarming (but I'm going to try - these cones are huge!), but I can certainly use them for applique if they aren't strong enough for quilting.

I have them sitting out on my sewing room table right now - just yummy!

Philly Modern Quilt Guild

I'm very excited to announce that I've joined the Philly Modern Quilt Guild.  The Modern Quilt Guild is a fairly new internet phenomenon that started a few years ago.  There are almost 100 chapters in cities around the world so far and Julie Herman of Jaybird Quilts started the Philly guild early this year.  I went to my first meeting last month.  I immediately felt comfortable with the group of women and men at the meeting - I loved the vibe.  Quilters of all age groups and abilities are involved and I love that.  I wouldn't have said that I'm a "modern" quilter before I learned about the Modern Quilt Guild movement, but maybe I am.  I'm proud to be a member of this exciting group.

There was a challenge presented at the October meeting  (I was sorry not to have joined earlier for the Project Pure challenge - love that fabric line and would have loved to have made something with the Pure line).  This challenge involves 4 Kona Cottons in "holiday" colors - ruby, chocolate, snow and holly.

 Not a great photo but you get the idea.  We received a fat quarter of each and can add  a yard of other fabric(s).

I chose this...

I had an idea right away, and am actually almost finished the top.  I'll reveal after our December meeting when the challenges are due.  This has been a fun project - I just hope it translates as well in fabric as it does in my head!

I'm really sorry I'm going to miss the November meeting - a "famous" quilter member is giving a workshop on applique - I'm can't tell you how bummed I am to not be able to attend.  But, that night is my 25th wedding anniversary and I don't think I can miss that!  o:)

Boo!

Happy Halloween!

I really like Halloween.  I don't know why.  We don't dress up and we don't go to any Halloween parties and we really don't get that many kids (although you'd never know it by the amount of candy my husband buys - and eats - starting in early September - LOL!).  But I like the decorations.  And I love Fall, it's my favorite season.  (And I kind of like eating the candy too).

I asked hubby to be on the lookout for some plastic pumpkins on his Saturday yard-sale rounds, because I thought I could switch the planters on the hooks in our front yard with pumpkins.  Of course, he went overboard and bought all kinds of Halloween decorations besides the pumpkins - like orange lights and skeleton lights and ornamental things, etc., etc.  ... but I think it all looks pretty Halloween-y ...

Oh, look, you can see my ghost trying to photograph the window, in the sun.  Great photo.  Better not quit my day job.

I thought I'd show a few Halloween/Fall things I've made.

I made this Pumpkin Quilt that appeared on the cover of American Patchwork and Quilting two years ago.  It was designed by Avis Shirer of Joined at the Hip.  It was on the cover - as soon as I saw it I knew I had to make it.  It was fun to make and quilt (well, except for all those 1"x2" finished Flying Geese!).  I have it hanging in my office right now and I get so many compliments on it.  I love it....

Here's a close-up...

This Fall wallhanging was made quite a while ago.  This comes from a great little book - Quilts Say It Best by Eileen Westfall from That Patchwork Place.  It's pretty old now, from 1997.  Each wallhanging pattern combines words and sayings with patchwork.  I definitely want to make some more little quilts from this book.

The fabric I found for the "pie crust" was just perfect!  I love when you find just the right fabric.

Here's a teeny little pumpkin quilt that I have hanging on the door in my kitchen.  So far, I have teeny quilts like this for Halloween, St. Paddy's Day and Valentine's Day.

I bought a bunch of Halloween fabric at the PA National Quilt Extravaganza last month (I still need to blog about my haul from that show!) to make a really cool pumpkin quilt I saw somewhere on the internet.  It was made from just squares and half-square triangles and was a huge pumpkin face (kind of like a watercolor quilt, but not quite if that makes any sense).  But, I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it though.  I have my pile of fabric all ready to go and this is one of those things that will bug me if I can't find it again.  I really, really want to make that quilt!

I hope you enjoyed my Halloween roundup.  Don't eat too much candy!  o:)

(Very Pathetic) Clamshell Update

I missed last month and this is all I have to show for two months...

At this rate, it will be the next decade before I get enough clamshells prepped to make the quilt.  But,  I guess that's par for the course since I still have WIPs from the 1990s that are still not finished yet (I can't believe I actually admitted that!  o:)

But, this is a long-term project, so I'm not fretting too much!  

Maybe I'll do better next month!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

I'm excited to participate in Amy's from AmysCreativeSide.com Blogger's Quilt Festival again!

The quilt I'm sharing this time was made for my lovely daughter-in-law, Raqhel, about 3 years ago.  She wanted a quilt for their living room and she asked that it be black, taupe and cream.  I'm a little more colorful than that generally, so this color scheme was a bit out of my comfort zone.  But, I could see where she was coming from based on their living room.  So, I resisted the urge to throw in something wild and keep to this neutral scheme.  I wish I would have bought enough fabric to make two.  I adore this quilt!  It lives on the back of their couch and I love to visit it.

What also makees this quilt a little different for me is that I didn't use a specific printed pattern.  Highly unusual for me (although I'm trying to do more on my own).  I knew what I wanted it to look like and thought these colors might look good done in the Jacob's ladder block.  I thought the "stripey" set would set off the colors well.  I was really happy with the fabrics I chose and the quilt wound up being pretty large (I forget the actual dimensions). 

I thought the striped inner border really set it off well and as you'll see I used the brown for the binding.  I quilted it using the Lace Quilt EZ pattern board.  The quilting doesn't look so great up close and personal in this picture, but the pattern looks great overall on the quilt.

I was thrilled with how it turned out and she loved the quilt (now if I can just get her to start quilting o:) )

If you'd like to see the parade, go to Amy's blog - you'll find lots of cool quilts and blog links!

Kenny's Flea Market Finds

Here are two more knick-knacky things my dear husband came home with the other week.  This cute little treadle machine with a "quilt" in progress....it's very sweet.

This shadowbox of buttons is really cool and will hang on the wall in my sewing room...I love the "wallpaper" used as a background - I think it really pulls the whole idea together.  I don't know how old this is, but it really gives off an "old-fashioned vibe.  The buttons look fairly old too.

Happy 5th Birthday!

To our sweet girl Lilly....

We hope you know how much joy you've brought into our lives you sweet little pumpkin!