How is it possible that Thanksgiving is next week?  It really sneaked up on me.  The good news is that dinner is not at my house this year.  The bad news is that there's still a Halloween quilt on the couch in the family room.  The other good news is that it's a sunny day and I have energy to put away the last vestige of Halloween.

As I'm looking around for any other little forgotten Halloween things, I'm looking at my quilting space with a new eye.  It's always good to survey one's turf.

What I'm seeing in my quilting and office spaces is not attractive.  The studio is in its usual mid-project turmoil.  I'm not a particularly tidy quilter, so the space gets pretty nuts when I'm in the middle of a project.  After piecing, it gets cleaned up before quilting.  I  can (and do) live with that.

The office is currently a pit.  An old desk is about to go and a newer desk, which has been filled with whatever junk didn't have a home, is moved to the office.  I threw away what seemed like a ton of old junk, some of which has been hiding in that desk for about 20 years.  I was hoping getting rid of stuff  would make a bigger dent in the overall collection.  As it turns out, not so much.  Do junk drawer inhabitants mate and make new junk?  Sure seems like it. Even Toby can't stand to look.  Bummer!

On a happier note, a big quilt that will be a Christmas gift is nearly ready to be quilted.  It has retaught me some lessons that I apparently forgot.  It's really annoying, but I won't make that mistake again soon.  I will post a picture when it's finished, but maybe not until after Christmas. I don't want to accidentally give the surprise away.   My mother always says not to say or write (and by extension, email or post) anything you don't want to see on the front page of the NY Times tomorrow morning.  Good advice.

The quilt above is an oldie but a goodie.  I made it from a pattern, which is long gone, about  20 years ago and I don't know who the designer is.  After all this time,it's one of my favorites.  It just says "chilly fall evening" to me.

I took this picture this afternoon (while enjoying unseasonably sunny weather) and find it interesting that this tree dropped all the leaves except those on the right of the shot.   I can't remember if it always does that or this year is special.

I am given to understand that dogs don't understand photographs.  I believe this.  Yet someone who lives here seems to understand posing to her best advantage.

"Am I not lovely to behold?"  This dog is a piece of work.  But if you need a furry foot warmer, this is your girl!

Enjoy this moment!
Candy

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!

We're hoping it doesn't rain on our trick-or-treaters.  The good news is that it's warm today - around 60.  The bad news is it's been raining.  A LOT!  We are, however, not complaining since as huge as Sandy is, she won't reach us.

Barb sends out home-made Halloween cards each year and this year went for quilted postcards.  Is this cute or what?

It will be in our next Postcards Pattern along with designs for September and November.

I have made and sent  postcards, but only to people I know will appreciate them.  A quilted postcard is a special gift.  They get sent through the mail like  paper postcards, although postage is 62 cents.  They don't get as abused as I thought they might.  If you add embellishments like beads, they must go in an envelope.

Tomorrow I'll put out the less weatherproof decor and hang the carved faux pumpkins.  I hate spending a lot of time carving intricate designs on "real" pumpkins as they'll be moldy in a couple of days, especially in this warm weather.  At first I used regular pumpkin carving tools, but a few years ago discovered a wood-burning tool that has a blade like an exacto knife.  It slices through the plastic easily and isn't as messy as cutting with a knife.  The only downside of faux pumpkins is that they're really light and I lost one on an especially windy Halloween night a few years ago.

The only new addition to my usual Halloween stuff was the rat-witch trio.

They kind of border on disgusting, but I get a kick out of them just the same.

This sort of thing sort of lets out my inner kid so I can be a grown-up (more or less) for the upcoming holidays.  Wish me luck; I'll likely need it.

I find that some really great Halloween and Fall prints come in stripes and I'm always looking for fun ways to use them.  Cutting them into on-point blocks was an idea that worked out well.  The light allover print would have really suffered if it had been cut up, so I used big hunks to preserve look of the print.  This is a perfect October nap quilt.

Barb and I send prayers and good wishes to all affected by Sandy.

Candy

A Step in the Right Direction

I finally did something this morning that I've been putting off for a while.  I cleaned out the quilting book case.  Most of the books were in alphabetical order, but there was a pile of books and magazines that didn't fit and I really did need to thin the herd a little.  (Actually, the whole house could use a little thinning, but that's a whole other thing.)  Looks pretty good now.

There's no 'before' picture, mainly because I didn't think of it and also, nobody really wants to see that.  Now I have a small stack of books that aren't really my style anymore and two stacks of magazines to check through before I dump them in case one might have an idea for the ultimate quilt.  I have file folders full of great ideas that have been collected since about 1979 when I discovered Quilter's Newsletter.  I go through them every few years and dump out the stuff that no longer appeals.  If I live to be 120, I couldn't begin to even consider all the ideas.  And then there are the books.  Should quilting suddenly go out of style, I'm good for three or four lifetimes.  And yet there's always room for one more book or magazine.  In an odd way, they comfort me.  They're new, yet familiar.  And the ultimate quilt idea might be in there.

I'm meandering a bit, but I actually have a point.  There's more to cleaning and straightening than creating a neatness,(although that's really nice) and passing some stuff on to someone who'll use it and appreciate it more (which always feels good).  Looking through the books about color and technique and creativity reminds me of why I do this in the first place.  I love learning new things and trying new techniques.  I love the colors and the fabric and the thread.  It's less about gifts and projects and more about expressing something that can't be explained in words.  And reviewing where I've been and where I want to head resets my brain from "I have to get this project done by next week," to "This is what I want to explore and learn about."

Sunny Days and Green Tomatoes

We're enjoying what looks to be our last sunny fall day for a while.

 It's been the warmest, sunniest fall in recent memory and I'm loving it.  I still have lots of tomatoes on the vine and we'll have a batch of fried green ones for dinner tonight.

The only problem with a glorious fall is that while I'm outside messing around in the garden and planting Halloween pansies, quilting is not happening.

  I have three tops all sandwiched and ready to quilt, a Christmas gift quilt in the midst of being cut out and some fun Christmas fabric just mocking me from across the room.  Christmas fabric can be so sassy.

Since today is a (theoretically) undisturbed day at home, I indulged in a few minutes of laying in bed this morning listening.  I read somewhere that this is a good creative exercise and I must admit that there was plenty to hear this morning.  My husband is an early riser (who wisely gave up on my lack of merry sunshine attitude at the crack of dawn) so I hear water running and the bells on the door when he lets the dogs out.  There's a school bus, some other dog barking and Toby's answer.  The desk chair squeaks when my husband site down to read his email.  There's a train whistle in the distance and bells again as the dogs come in.  They pound up the stairs like a small buffalo herd and have their morning wrassle  including  all the doggie sound effects.  This game is mostly leaping around with snorting and snarling noises.  No living human being could sleep through this.  Just to make sure, Toby bumps his nose into mine.  I hear the garage door open and a car start.  My husband is already on his way to work and I'm still listening to the sounds of life all around me.  The phone has yet to ring, there are no sirens and no complaints.  It's already a good day.

The sun beckons me outdoors and when it warms up a bit, I'll go pick tomatoes and dead-head the pansies.  Until then, I'll let the sun shine into the studio and actually sew something.

And Now For Autumn

I can't believe it's been two months since my last blog.  The time has just ripped by.  Add that to the reality that everything takes way longer than I think it will and poof!  Two months are just gone.

The good news for us in the Northwest is that we are enjoying an absolutely fabulous fall.  Today is pretty typical of the last two weeks - sunny, breezy and low 70's.  Don't know whether to work in the yard or quilt.  Quilting seems less like work, but we Oregonians really hate to waste the sun.

My husband and I took the longest road trip we've had in 30 years, to an Oregon State football game, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and the airplane races in Reno.  I've never been to Yosemite and found it both gorgeous and a bit overwhelming.  It was a little hazy, but you get the idea.

There must be a quilt in there someplace.

The airplane races were great fun.  We were only there the first day of five days, but it was really cool.
Check these babies out.  Might be a quilt there, too.

I visited a couple of quilt shops in Reno.  Found an app for my iPad that shows the nearest quilt shops wherever you are.  Now that's pretty fun.  My husband was a trooper for the quilt shop visits before the airplane races.  One shop was brilliantly sited two doors down from a wood working shop.  Someone was really thinking.

After a week with no actual sewing, I was ready to jump in when we got back.  I finished these two quilts (which are the same pattern).

The pattern will be available on the website next week.

And speaking of the website,  it is close to being new and improved.  It will have a better layout and be more secure.

Now I have to open the door and let some sunshine in.  If only I could save some up for winter and spring.


Candy

Loving Summer

I'm not quite sure what happened.  One minute it was mid-July and I was wondering if my zucchini plant would ever make a veggie and the next minute it was August and I've got a ton of zucchini.  I also have a couple of million green tomatoes.  Soon we'll be having tomato everything.  It's one of the things I love about summer.  Also, the warm nights, the smell of sweet peas and so much wonderful color.

Now that I can look at all the Sisters Outdoor Quilt Show pictures without feeling totally overwhelmed, I'd like to share a few.

Theses quilts were featured at the Quilters' Picnic in the Park.  Some were made by employees of The Stitchin' Post and others by The Folk Art Chicks, Tonye Phillips, Gwen Marston and Sue Spargo. The photos were taken as the quilts were walked by.

Look at those luscious colors.

The quilts below all feature the Three Sisters Mountains, which the town is named for.

Now to the Folk Art Portion:

I have to admit that by the day of the show, I feel overwhelmed by quilts and colors and new ideas.  This was my 20th year and I don't take as many pictures as I once did, but I can share a few that were favorites for one reason or another.  This show has to be seen in person to be appreciated.

I really love this last one.  Don't see that sentiment much!

As you can see, there's all kinds of everything.  As usual, it was incredibly organized.  The whole thing is hung outdoors first thing on Saturday morning, all over the town of Sisters.  It's a lot to take in over just one day, but always worth the time.

Enjoy August.  I'll have pictures of quilts made from out new pattern by the end of the month.

Keep Quilting,

Candy & Barb