Trick-Or-Treat Quilt

 I spoke previously about pattern testing this quilt for Meags & Me.  

I finally finished the top. 

 It is ADORABLE!  

I handed it off to Liz to quilt today. 

 I just thought I would share the top with you all. 

 If I were to make it again, if they didn't make this change,

 I would decrease the applique pattern by ~20%.  

Doing this would allow the rest of the quilt (very top and very bottom) to fit on the width of fabric. 

 I ended up having to piece it (and I am not fond of pattern matching). 

 I do have info on how I do it though that you might find helpful so will share that in a few.

That top fabric, the cameos, are from AGF Spooky and Sweeter line.

I used Lupine Grunge for the applique background.

Here is where I pattern matched on the top.

It was along the skeleton.

My favorite way to pattern match is to fold under one side and using a glue stick stick it in place to match up with the other side.

You do need to make sure you have at least 1/4" though!

I press with the iron, then open it up and using a ruler, draw a line in the crease.

If you have really good eyes, you don't have to draw a line.

I just find that I can sew it better if I have a line to follow.

If light fabric, I use a Frixion pen.

If the fabric is dark, I use a Chaco liner pen.

Then I stitch down on the line, and if the seam allowance happens to be larger than 1/4" I trim it.

MOST of the time it works really well.  

I find the glue stick really helps keep everything in place.

If you give it a try let me know.

Additionally, I don't cut 2 pieces at the same time.

I cut one to the correct size, then see where the second one needs to line up before I cut it to size.

I have been burned by cutting BOTH sides then not being able to line them up and keep my length.

If you have any tips please share in the comments.

~XOP~

Shipshewana, Angola, and ME

**First know there is a photo you may not want to see of a fish hook in my foot**

It's farther down the post but if you are squeemish beware!!! 

It's after the picnic basket photo

**********************************************************************

We decided on a last minute trip to Shipshewana.  

We went on a Wednesday and it was SO crowded!

I'm thinking maybe it was the flea market.

  Note to self, don't go on Wednesdays!

I didn't get any photos except for this one, hahaha.

We went to E & S Sales and I found a TON of my favorite coffee flavor!!!!!!

Peppermint mocha.

Doesn't have to be Starbucks, just that flavor.

I was SO SO SO excited!

We did not stay long but we had a great time and I found some good fabrics for an upcoming project.

On the way home we stopped at a quilt shop in Angola.

The owner was there and she was super nice too.

There was quite a bit of the Windham Mendocino.

Chris went to the little antique shop next door and made me go in after the quilt shop.

He was very excited to show me something.

It was a very expensive Featherweight.

The booth it was in had LOTS of treasures including this quilt ladder.

Unfortunately it was not for sale. 

Chris was checking it out so maybe he can make me one!

Hey, I can dream right??

I was super excited to fins this green Elna.

While not an original "Grasshopper" she sure is a beauty!

When I get a hot second, I will work on cleaning and oiling her up.

She does run, so she will be my new project.

WAHOO!!

Chris was out of the dog house for buying me this for my birthday!!

There were so many Longaberger baskets all over this shop.

Chris found a great picnic basket with all the dishes and it was a steal! 

It even had the original flyer with it.

This gem came home with us.

I guess I need to make a picnic quilt to use with it now huh?

All was well until about close to bed time.

I was walking around barefoot in my family room and stopped on a barbed fishhook.

It had somehow been left in the carpet after Chris had been sorting through some of his fishing stuff.

Wait...did I say he was out o the doghouse?

Well, not anymore!

I foolishly let him try to pull it out with a plyers (not once but twice!) but of course that did NOT work.

Since it was after 10pm we headed to the ER.

Let me just tell you how much it HURTS when they inject Lidocaine into your foot!!!!!

They cut off the part sticking out and pushed it through to pull it out.

I'm ok now, but it was not a great night.

Do you remember my fall and stitches last year on the day before my birthday?

Maybe I just need to ignore my future birthdays.

Seems this is not a trend I want to continue!

Last up I went in and got my hair highlighted.

Looks so crazy when they are doing it doesn't it?

Ahhhh, much better!

So folks this is me at 63 no makeup, wrinkles and all, but with good hair,

 LOL

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

~XOP~

Some Life Happenings

 I found out that the National Breast Cancer Foundation sends out amazing free Hope Kits to women diagnosed with breast cancer.  

Look at all the goodies I received!  

You can go to their website and request a kit or donate so that they can send more kits to others too.

I even put pink on for the photo!

Next up were these butterfly blocks for our Birthday Club.

Nancy has a birthday in July and these were her request.

She wanted these butterflies in blues and purples.

We send a few little gifties along with the blocks too.

(I forgot to take any pics)

I wanted to get them done before we went camping.

We tried a new campground and I loved being at the pool!

We did manage to visit a couple of quilt shops.

One was this adorable Amish place.

Surry Road Quilt Shop

I have no idea why, but I needed this fish fabric!

It was so bright and cheery.

I could not resist bringing a few yards home with me.

This quilt shop was called Keepsake Quilting.

The owner was such a sweet lady!

I spent quite a bit of time here and bought a few things that I didn't take pics of (LOL bad habit I know)

Both shops are in the Mount Pleasant, MI area.

Both were worth checking out!

~XOP~

Quilt Retreat

 Every year, to celebrate my birthday and my friend, 

Cori's birthday, we go to a retreat at Creative Passions.  

This year was no exception. 

 I went with my friend, Cori, my sister in law, Mary and our friend from WI, Traci. 

 We had a blast, as usual AND we were all super productive! 

 Win-Win! 

One of my goals was to finish making my Ocean Waves blocks. 

 I think I needed 36 blocks total and was down to my last 4.  

These blocks have a LOT of pieces so take me a long time to sew, but I got them finished.  

The quilt will be too large to try to lay out at retreat so I just opted to finish the blocks.

Here is one of the blocks.

I did finish an entire top but it was a super secret project so I can't share it just yet.

Trust me when I say you are totally going to want this new pattern!

It was a pattern test for Apples and Beavers.

We all took a trip to Seven Sister's Quilt shop as we usually do. 

 I bought a kit for the cutest Coo by Art East Quilting

Me and my sweet SIL

The people that own the retreat now have a new quilt shop.

We, of course, had to go visit that too.

It was a cute little shop!

I found some adorable fabric to use for lining a mondo bag!

Of course I brought Jack with me.

He so loves to hang out with us ladies!

We ended up in the basement of the house this summer.

Usually we are in the back side of the church but we had a date glitch.

The basement is where we usually go in February.

This is the set up we have there.

We had to try out the new Mexican place.

Check out that Margarita!

Since that following Monday was my birthday, this was the gift from Cori.

I use SO much white thread she gave me a whole pack, plus some pretty teals.

Also, that adorable bunny fabric!

Traci gave me this cute kit to make a hanging pod.

She knows me too well.

Look at that Heather Ross fabric!!

Traci brought us all a kit and me an extra kit.

I made mine, and Mary's and Cori's for them too.  

Then I made one out of the cutest cat fabric too, once I got home!

I am so far behind on my postings.

I hope to catch up soon though.

So much to share

~XOP~,

Bjorn Bear

My Niece and her husband are expecting their second baby.

They found out it will be a boy.

I had all the stuff to make the Elizabeth Hartman pattern, Bjorn Bear.

I used a Grunge for the background and a FQ bundle of cross weaves for the bears.

 If you look closely, 
you can see that I used fabric from each bear face in a strip along the bottom in the binding.

My quilter, Liz, did bees all around the bears.

They turned out so cute!

She did bear paws in the outer border.

I love it!

I had some bear Minky in my stash, but needed just a bit more, so my SIL cam to my rescue.

She had some that she let me use.  

I was even able to pattern match those cute bear faces.

I LOVE these labels from Ever Emblem for labeling.

So quick and easy!

I sent along some more burp cloths.

That bear one was made from left overs of the matching sheet I sent along with the quilt too.

This is the bear sheet, finished.

That lion backing goes to another quilt that has not been gifted yet. 

I mailed off the goodies to my niece.

She has received them so I felt I could now post about them.

Have you made an Elizabeth Hartman pattern?

There are a lot of pieces but her directions are very good!

~XOP~

Friend Time

 While Chris was in Canada, my friend lost power at her place. 
 She decided to bring her dog and come stay with me. 

 We set up my whole downstairs as a sewing camp!  

We ended up making Quicksmart, Midi bags. 

 We made them as Trick-Or-Treat bags.  

We pooled our Halloween fabrics to give us no duplicates.

I love this girl so much!

I cut out enough to make a few more too.

Cole was helping me.

Finn too!

Finn loves Kailie

Our finished bags!

We both have more to sew.  

I cut out a bunch for my SIL's grand kids and gave them to her.

I cut out more to make for some other kids too.

Waiting on more Midi interfacing.

~XOP~