View

 View

This is my view at work. 

It is such a blessing to have a window at my desk. It feels great to be able to look outside and see what is going on. Rain or shine I love this little window.

My view!

Family

 Family

I spent the weekend with family. Family from afar. Getting to meet our newest family member for the first time.

My baby girl with our newest family member ... my great nephew!

Sweet babies!

Our great niece made this scarecrow ... my sister decided we needed to have our picture taken with the lovely lady.

My sister ...

Me

My baby girl enjoying some snuggles and love.

Pumpkin Patch

 Pumpkin Patch

I spent a little time on Saturday afternoon working on blocks for my Pumpkins quilt.

The pattern is from Allison at Cluck Cluck Sew

@cluckclucksew on Instagram

My very own pumpkin patch is in the works!

All of the fabrics that I am using are from my stash. I was really surprised at the amount of orange fabrics that I had in my stash. It's great! and I love it! I love using fabric from my stash.

These pumpkins make me smile!

Trick or Treat Tote

Trick or Treat Tote

Ta Daaaa!!!!

Saturday morning in my sewing room.

I completed sewing up my Trick or Treat Tote!

I'm not really sure the reason but this year ... I'm all about Fall and Halloween!

From totes to quilts ... 

Enjoying the season!

 

Pajama Pants Sewing 101

 Pajama Pants Sewing 101

Wow!!! I did it! I made a pair of pajama pants!

This is a easy pattern ... I could actually figure it out without to much difficulty.

I was so nervous cutting into the fabric with the pattern piece on it. But, I just re-read the instruction and went for it.

It was a bit nerve wracking ... but I managed to cut out the pattern pieces correctly.

I cut the medium size but the next pair I make will be the small size and I didn't cut the elastic for the waist correct. I should have cut it 1 inch smaller than my waist size instead of 1 inch larger than my waist size.

I even had a pair of pinking shears to trim the seams.

But all in all for my first time sewing clothing ... pajama pants, in general. Following a pattern and sewing up my very first sewing project.

I'm really really happy with the results.

Trick or Treat Bag

 Trick or Treat Bag

Trick or treat ... smell my feet ... hahahaha!

I'm branching out or at least trying to. I have 20 unfinished quilt tops so I figured that I would spend a little time learning new skills. Sewing pajama pants, learning how to knit continental style, and now ... sewing up this cute little tote. 

You're never to old for a Trick or Treat bag ... right?

I will be making a few other totes and zipper pouches in the future. I would like to learn more about bag construction and sewing in general. I've always admired those who sew their own clothing and can sit down at a sewing machine and whip up a shirt or dress or whatever it is they want. Sewing clothing and such has always been very intimidating to me, so hopefully I can conquer my sewing fears and learn something new in the process.

👻👻👻

Do You Throw or Pick

 Knitting ...

Do you throw (English style) or do you pick (Continental style)?

Photo is of Betsy Bond from Google Images

I learned how to knit English style but I really want to learn how to knit Continental style. Needless to say both styles get the job done but continental is supposed to be faster and less stressful on your hands. Continental knitting is also supposed to make Colourwork knitting easier as well as cable knitting.

I've been watching YouTube Videos like a crazy woman obsessed with learning how to knit Continental style. Honestly ... it has been really really slow going. I'm not sure if it is because I learned English style knitting first or if it is like anything new that you begin learning to do. That being said, I'm going to keep plugging along until I figure how this whole Continental knitting thing.

Wish me luck!!!

 

 

Pumpkins

 Pumpkins

Apparently, I just can't help myself ... I started piecing a new quilt pattern.

Even though I have several completed quilt tops that need to be quilted and finished up ... I just couldn't help myself ... I started this cute little pumpkin pattern by Allison of Cluck Cluck Sew.

I'm always love how fabrics come together to make such a pretty palette.

I'm all into Fall this year!

👻👻👻

Sweater and Boots Weather

Sweater and Boots Weather 

Finally, the weather is changing ... last week it was up in the 80's this week it will barely reach 70 for the highs and the lows are in the 40's.

I need some new sweaters and some new boots ...

Here's a pair of boots that I'm crazy for ...

I'm pretty sure I'm going to purchase these ... I 💖them ...

I love these shoes too! 

I'm very fortunate that I work for a company that has a very relaxed dress code. I've been looking for some new work clothes ... sweaters and boots!

Tools of the Trade

Tools of the Trade

An ironing board is essential in the sewing room ... and lately mine has been a dumpster fire.

Dirty, ripped ... and that rip is the one place my iron goes regularly ... making the rip larger. It had become real annoying! 

I've been shopping around for a new ironing board cover. I even considered making my own ironing board cover. There are several patterns out there and more than a few tutorials on YouTube for making ironing board covers. But honestly I didn't really have the desire to make one.

Amazon to the rescue ... I will also be giving this ironing board cover a very good review. It fits perfectly. It has a velcro strap to secure the cover to the underside of the ironing board keeping the cover tightly in place. I like that the cover is stain and scorch resistant as well. 

Overall I'm very happy with my purchase. Very affordable as well at $16.99, here is the link if you are in the market for an ironing board cover.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PZCNGTF?ref=ppx_yo2_dt_b_product_details&th=1

I feel very accomplished with my brand new ironing board cover.

 

Fall 2021

Fall 2021

We have had a few delightfully cooler fall feeling days. Mid 60s during the day and mid 40s during the nights and mornings. I am loving it. Yesterday was a rainy morning but the afternoon was beautiful blue skies with puffy clouds.

The leaves are changing and falling but the grass is still green.

I finished my Easy Patchwork QAL quilt top @sewhungryhippie on instagram

I enjoyed making this quilt top so much. 

I've enjoyed looking through my fabric scraps and this quilt top just makes me smile.

Pajama pants fabrics ...

I have 20 completed quilt tops ... 20 ...  I have 5 quilts presently at my friend Sharon's for longarm machine quilting. Three more ready to take to Sharon for quilting. I have 1 quilt ready for binding and I am presently hand-quilting 1 quilt ... needless to say ...

It is time to switch it up, so I purchased a pattern to make some pajama pants. I'm thinking about making some zipper pouches and tote bags too. 

 

Easy Patchwork QAL Update

 Easy Patchwork QAL Update

www.sewhungryhippie.com

It is a rainy morning here and I'm loving it! I've been making progress on my Easy Patchwork quilt and I absolutely love it. I love that I'm using up the scraps and swatches fabric left over from quilts that I've made over the years. 

It also makes me happy that I am making a patchwork quilt. I have never made a full on patchwork quilt made out of a little bit of this and a little bit of that. 

It's dark in my sewing room this morning due to the rain ... and the early hour but I still love these patches.

Just look ... it just gets better and better ...

Almost there  ... just 4 more blocks to go!

Inspiration

Inspiration

Instagram is my favorite place to glean inspiration ... not just for quilting but mostly for quilting ...

I was looking through my inspiration folder on my phone and apparently I have all things Fall and Halloween on my mind these days!

Decisions ... Decisions ... Decisions ...

👻👻👻

 

Crocheted Stuffed Animals

 Amigurumi ... crocheted stuffed animals

I've made several of these little bears over the years. This is one of my favorite patterns for little bears. I made one for my daughter's crocheted Easter Basket last year. As she is a therapist, she took the Easter Basket and little bear to work with her and they are a big hit. She asked me to make her another one ... so that is what I am doing.

I have all of the parts and pieces ... everything is stuffed ... now I just need to connect all of the parts and pieces into this little bear.

Unearthing Projects ...

Unearthing Projects ... and ... Inspiration ...

It's funny how cleaning and organizing a closet can unearth forgotten projects ...

I found this cross-stitch project ... I started this project last year. I wanted to make a pincushion for my sewing room from this little cross-stitch patch.  I have no idea what made me put this project aside but I'm really glad that it has been unearthed.

I found this little gem on instagram ... I'm inspired and I'm considering buying this pattern. I'm going to put the year I purchased my house instead of 2021.

 

Hackberry Tree

 Hackberry Tree

Two species of hackberry are commonly found in Tennessee: southern hackberry or sugarberry ( Celtis laevigata ), and northern hackberry ( Celtis occidentalis ). In this area of range overlap the two species hybridize, so it is often not possible to unambiguously assign an individual tree to a particular species.

Normally, I don't like cutting down trees but I had a rotting from the inside out Hackberry tree right at the corner of my home. Every time a storm would roll in or the wind would pick up ... I would pray that the tree wouldn't fall down on my house or onto the storage barn in my neighbors yard or the privacy fence in my other neighbors yard! So that tree had to go!  Now that it has been cut down and the stump has been ground down ... I am breathing so much easier. 

11 Fridays Until Christmas

11 Fridays Until Christmas

Wow!!!

Hopefully that will be enough time to completed my embroidery redwork Nativity.

And, Christmas shop ... and ...

😜😜😜

 

Cotton Yarn Dishcloths and Coasters

 Cotton Yarn Dishcloths and Coasters

Along the lines of making things for myself ... I spent a little time yesterday crocheting a few coasters and dishcloths.

I love this cotton yarn. This yarn works up into coasters and dishcloths beautiful. It is 100% cotton and machine washable.

A few years ago I picked up a book at Joann's ... okay not really a book, more like a little booklet ... flyer ... with a few dishcloth patterns in it. There are a ton of tutorials and free dishcloth patterns online, but I tend to use the little booklet 

The Flower Coaster Pattern is a free pattern from 

www.1dogwoof.com

I have these coasters everywhere ... I have them here at home, at work, and in my car. The best part about these coasters is that when they get dirty I simply throw them in the washer and dryer to freshen them up. 

A Maker

A Maker

I enjoy making useful things and things that aren't so useful too. Through the years my reason for making things has changed and evolved. I used to make things, specifically quilts, as gift. Mostly for family but also for friends. I made graduation quilts, baby quilts, and t-shirt quilts.

Then I tried my hand at making quilts for profit. Commission work as Gibby Girl Design. I was mostly commissioned to make t-shirt quilts. Sadly I found there was no money, profit, in doing commission work. Simply ... most folks aren't interested in paying what a handmade quilt is actually worth.

These days I've been making the quilts that I'm interested in making. I've purchased patterns over the years but because I was busy making gifts or working on commission work never had the chance to make. Well, for the past three years or so I've been making those quilts ... for whom you ask ... for me. I've been making for me, for the challenge, for the joy, for the excitement and pleasure of just making. Not with a recipient in mind ... not as a gift ... not as a request ... not as a business venture ... just making to be making. Enjoying the process and loving the satisfaction of doing something that I love.

Here are a few of the quilts that I have made just for me ...

Red/White Collection

Cat Faces

Crescent I

Crescent II

Cactus Quilt

Fancy Fox II

Ghosts!

Moda Love x 4

Red/White Collection

Orphan Blocks I

Great Smoky Mountains Panel Quilt

Red/White Collection

Tribute Star

Red/White Collection

Historic Redwork Quilt