Say It's Fall Please!

 The month of September brings fall activitites, cooler weather and fall leaves!  And my mind turns to making that autumn leaf quilt top--this will be a table runner instead of a whole quilt top--well, let's hope!  And I can almost complete all the season of table runners for the brown headed daughter. 

It took some time to round out my list of scrappy leaf patterns.  For the month of September, you can visit several designers who have created a free fall block--check it out here.

Aby Quilts  has a lofty goal to complete a 6" leaf block through September and October

I'm so anxious for fall to appear  --I even hung our fall wreath on the front door although temps are still in 90's.  I'm sure the wreath will bring those cooler temps!

My friend and I did long arm quilting yesterday.  She didn’t have a quilt top Of her own to quilt so she graciously said she would do one of mine.  I was delighted!  She does great free form quilting. 

This quilt is called "Postcard from Sweden" and came as a kit.  I purchased this many moons ago

and didn't work on it for many months--it looked complicated--all those colors had to go in a certain order!

I had to be organized when I finally decided to work on this--lots of postit notes!

and when I got to the last row, I was ahhhhhhhhhhh--so confused!  just add the row and forget it--

okay, it turned out right.

not easy to see the color of the backing--I dyed using blue and yellow and of course, you get greens--I went soft on the yellow so I got a lime green---just perfect!

This top is "Be My Neighbor"--I started work on it and then quit--I wanted to use all plaids--

then I saw Pat Sloan during this pattern so back I went to the neighborhood and finished!

The backing is dyed with blue--fabric is squished in the dyepot dry, fill with water, then sprinkle dye over, heat and ta da you have an interesting backing.  

Now, that I think it's getting to be "fall" type weather--the binding will go on and I'll relish the time I sit with the quilt on my lap and handstitch the binding down--now, that's agood fall feeling!!

Season of Tablerunners?

The table runner was born in the Middle Ages, mainly because medieval folks were sloppy. The tablecloth was considered an aristocratic innovation, but it needed protection from lively and careless royal revelers who spilled, drooled and made a mess!  No doubt, the wise women responsible for laundering linens came up with the innovative idea for the table runner in an effort to save the tablecloths from unnecessary laundering.  Napkins were also invented because it was no longer considered acceptable to wipe your mouth on the tablecloth.

These ingenious long, narrow pieces of cloth now known as “table runners” were placed over the tablecloths. They were gathered up at the end of the meal for washing and the tablecloths remained intact and clean. The table runner along with tablecloths became fixtures in everyone’s collection of linens by the 15th century.

It MUST be the year of tablerunners!  Why?  Because, I already began several runners for a gift--well, actually, these have been promised to brown headed daughter for years--just never decided that I wanted to construct them.

Now, I'm on a roll, because Fort Worth Fabric STudio gave me the push!  

Spring runner

St. Patrick's Day--I added an extra two clovers to make it longer

Patriotic runner--really liked making this one.

This is one of my ideas since I had turkeys left over, along with pre=printed panels

This one is smaller for my table.

Still need to make a fall and holiday runner and then that gift will be complete!

Luann Kessi has the pattern for this fun runner--I'm thinking hard about making this for a summery touch.

A Quilting Life has many ideas for runners. 

Diary of a Quilter 

Quilter Blogs

Sulky blog  I like this one for Fall!

Pinterest can always have a long list of things that interest you!

Most table runners come in standard widths such as 10, 12, 13, 14 or 15 inches and standard lengths such as 54, 72, 90 and 108 inches. If you have a dining table that is 84 inches long and 42 inches wide (7 feet by 3.5 feet), you would need a table runner with the dimensions of 14 inches by 108 inches.

What are table runners and how to use them

Tips and tricks of table runners

 

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Digging For Treasures!

When we moved Mother into assisted living, we had to vacate her house—that was 6 years ago.  She is 103 now and non verbal, so I can’t ask her any questions about items we removed from her house.  I’m really sorry I didn’t talk to her earlier.  We bundled up many things and carried to our location, six hours from her Assisted Living Facility- I’ve not taken much time to look into what we have until recently

This is a well worn book!  Don’t know that it was used often—mother was never a great cook—only decent.  She did feed us kids and our father.  Can’t complain too much. 

Her meal plan was simple—Saturday nights we had bbq hamburgers that she cooked on stove.  Meat loaf!! Oh my! Lots of meat loaf!  And to this day I will not eat or make meat loaf!  And Spam!  Oh yes, lots of spam and potted meat sandwiches! 

This was written note at the top “my first cookbook given by Richard, July, 1940”. Richard is my father given at their wedding time!  What a gift for a new groom to give his new wife!?? Wonder what she thought when it was gifted??

She had a a marker between these pages—it’s pie section.  Don’t remember her making pies—hm! 

Found this little book slipped between other cookbooks—interesting to read but nothing here to really cook.

Here are her other cookbooks on my top shelf of bookcase and one book of poetry—surprised to find that among her sparse number of books.  She had many of those Reader Digest Condensed books, which we gave to library book resale shop. 

Afraid I took too much time digging through these treasures—nothing like going down a rabbit hole to get out of housework! 

Are you a Blockhead????

 Dictionary says a blockhead is  bonehead, chump, dolt, dummy, dunce, and fool.and included is not smart!  Well, I'm hurt as I'm not a blockhead when it comes to working with the blockheads, which mean something total different in quilters' language--I'M very smart as I'm planning on being a real BH along with many others.

NOPE!  These blockheads are building BLOCKS for a quilt top!

*BH5 is a FREE block-of-the-week quilt-along that features block patterns from fabulous designers and Moda team. *There will be two phases to this year's Blockheads program, giving quilters the option to complete a smaller project first. *There are more designers participating this year than ever before, including several new designers who have not been part of Blockheads before! 

 Join Moda Fabrics Facebook page and sign on to be a blockhead! The project will be in two sessions--first beginning today, September 6. There will be videos along with each pattern released. You can join in any time to receive the FREE patterns from super duper designers.

This is the last Blockhead 4--will give you an idea of what to expect from these remarkable designers.  

I don't recall if I participated in BH4 so I certainly need another quilt top, don't I???

Laboring on Labor Day?

 Hopefully, your Labor Day weekend hasn’t included physical labor but fun laboring!  The last hurrah of the summer leading us into a delightful fall.  It’s time to spend with family having some laboringly good fun!!

I “labored” over this hat—but it was so much fun to knit!! Using my stash tiny yarn bits makes for an interesting combination

Done!  And done!! A hat to add to my pile of charity stash!  Ready to labor over another one?  You bet!

I really am laboring on this!  August dishcloth pattern from Kitchen Sink patterns.  I really don't know why--it's not the yarn as it's my handspun cotton; pattern is easy enough--just can't get into the rhythm of knitting this easy pattern--I will labor on and get it finished because September 1 rolls around, there will be another pattern and I really don't want to be left

I definitely ‘labored’ over this quilt top since I royally screwed up when I worked on it last week

Just take a gander at this border on the right--that was when I quit for awhile--I gave up!  But, from the next photo you can tell I went right back to it and got it right!

All four corners match!  Yay!

I've had these 'turkeys' running around my studio for couple of years now--a friend gave me several 'orphan blocks' and these dresden plate were included.  I tried to use them in another orphan quilt layout--just didn't work!  Then had an idea (novel for me!!) to use the dresdens as back feathers for a turkey body!  Well, it worked.  I"ve already made one table runner 

THese last few blocks didn't have buttonhole stitching around them--another thing, I labor over.

Found this fall border print, on sale(!) and it worked perfectly for this small wall hanging and another tablerunner.

Here's hoping that your 'labors' will be mild and easy this weekend!

Hospital Visit to a Mighty CDH Warrior

WE have made many a trip to the hospital to visit our little great grandson, who is recovering from surgery--he is a CDH baby.  Baby JD is now six months old--celebrating with his nurses and parents one day last week.  He has had at least nine surgeries but the last one was by far the most serious, reconnecting his intestines.  

Here is our path after we park in the large underground parking area (got to remember where we parked!)  We come up the elavator to floor 8--sign in at registration where we are given our pass to the Pediatric wing; sponsored by Roger and Debbie Clemens--there are several "pods" in the wing, each with a different city where Roger Clemens played baseball.  JD was first in Houston pod but after his last surgery, he was transferred to New York pod.  Throughout the wing, there are displays of various baseball gear and several art projects that the children have created.

This is the door to JD's room--he is quite loved by all the staff!  He has been one of the longest staying patients in the wing.  The baseball card is the birthday card that was designed by nurses and doctors on his care.

Sweet baby JD!  working hard on his recovery.

Our last visit he was not in a great mood and was ready to take a nap.  I rubbed his head and held his hands till he drifted off to sleep.  His grandmother visits every day after work and he knows her voice so when we do a face time, he is smiling and happy to see her face and hear her voice!

We can't even imagine how much their hospital stay is costing--out of his six months of age, he has only spent 5 weeks at home!  He is intuned to the hospital room as his home--

We are working on a fund raiser for him and CDH warriors like him.  WE are gathering donations for silent auction plus a chance of 50/50--there will be food, music, good fun and lots of great gifts to bid on.

We hope that this will be helpful with the family and besides, it gives us something to do for his care--we feel so helpless most of the time.

If you believe--please pray for JD and his caregivers!  He is definitely a warrior!!

 

Agatha!!

I’m back reading Agatha Christie as we have been watching some documentaries about her life.  A few years ago, I was a member of Agatha book club

The group was reading Agatha’s books in chronological order-sorry to say I didn’t keep up with the list—always a chance to begin where I left off 

The other day there was a mention of a “new” Agatha book —alas, there have been no great discoveries of new found manuscripts—this book is short stories written by today’s female authors!  

New stories about Miss Marple!  What could be better than that?  Of course, reading her original books are the best; this is a nice read—each author gives their interpretation of Miss Marple in short story form—

In the organized Agatha book club, the object was to read the book and find a knitting project that would fit the story line.  Sometimes, that wasn’t an easy task but challenging! While I was reading these short stories, I decided to continue on my cooking adventures.  I fondly remember our times in United Kingdom and afternoon teas.  I decided to make scones to serve with English tea.  Searching for the right recipe--Authentic British Scones!

Yes, you can buy mixes for scones but the above recipe is easy to make from ingredients you have on hand.  There is a recipe for clotted creme but I took the easy way out and bought it! 

Found it at our local grocery--little expensive but we're indulgent for this time.

Look how pretty the scones turned out--whipped up within an hour from dry ingredients to table!

I've even serving the scones on my English purchased dishes--along with fruit jam and that delicious clotted creame!  What a nice treat for the mid afternoon 'tea' time!

Wait, got to fix the tea to go along--which teacup will I choose?