TRICK OR TREAT!

Our weather has turned cold, windy and damp just in time for Halloween.  This seems to be a tradition in our area.

A few years ago I made a Wacky Web Halloween quilt and about two years ago I made a huge pumpkin bag to store the quilt in.  Halloween fabrics always make me smile.  I love the vibrant colors of orange, purple, acid green and purple. 

 

Do you have special quilts you put out for holidays?  I love just a pop of something for each holiday.  I don't know why I waited so long to make the Halloween quilt. 

 

 

Come in my sweet ones and allow me to show you what Mr Jack is guarding~~~

 



Wishing you and yours a fun-filled Halloween!

A SPECIAL PLACE

Last week my sweet Hubby and I traveled to Hamilton, Missouri, the home of Missouri Star Quilt Company. We had a wonderful time shopping in all four of the fabric shops owned by Missouri Star and meeting the Doan family and everyone associated with Missouri Star. 

Jeff told me to shop, and that's precisely what I did.  Here are the gorgeous fabrics I brought home ~~

There is enough fabric here for seven quilts, which should keep me busy for the next two years.  The unique thing about shopping at the Missouri star shops is that each one has a theme. 

The main shop is quite large and has an excellent variety of newer fabrics, patterns, tools and gorgeous samples on all their walls.  Two doors down is the Mercantile shop, which sells primarily Civil War reproduction fabrics, but also new lines that would lend themselves well to Civil War patterns.  They also had an awesome selection of 1930s reproduction fabrics. This was my favorite shop. 

There is also a shop that carries holiday/seasonal specialty fabrics (gorgeous selections) and another shop that carries solid fabrics, blenders and assorted other fabrics that are almost solids.  

The very best part of our trip was getting to meet Jenny.

Jenny is such a gracious, friendly person.  We were thrilled to meet her and the rest of her family. 

This is a trip I hope we can take again and again. 

RIPPITT!

There are four basics to making quilts:  Cutting, sewing, pressing and the fourth (and not to be overlooked), ripping.   Each is an art unto itself. 

It takes a bit of experience to make accurate cuts with a rotary cutter.  I am still using my original Dritz stick cutter, which I know to be about 35 years old or so.  The blade is only exposed when pressure is put on it during cutting and that frees me from having to click it open and closed constantly.   Yes, I have purchased several other cutters over the years but I always go back to my old friend.

It also takes time and patience to master the 1/4" seam.  There are 1/4" feet, magnetic guides and numerous methods of affixing Moleskin or sticky notes to the plate of your machine to use as a guide to get that perfect seam width.   Find the helper that works best for you.  Practice makes perfect here.  This is my Janome 9500 that I love to distraction most days.  When I have issues with it, it's usually my error.  She's one smart machine.  I use a 1/4" foot most of the time to sew seams.

I'm rather attached to the Seam-Fix rippers that have a nice rubber end to help you gather up the snipped threads.  They come in two sizes and I'm especially fond of the small ones right now.  Besides being cute, the top fits over the end.

I mention the basics today because I'm working on a Plus Sign quilt and it's been a slow go for such a simple quilt.  I've been spending a bit of time with my ripper collection.  Here's a sneak peek ~~~

The bottom two rows aren't sewn on yet, but you can see the +'s beginning to come together.  This is a simple quilt that requires you to lay the whole thing out to make sure the pattern is correct and then you must pick it up in the correct order for sewing.  This is going to be a small quilt that we will keep in the truck.

Thanks for joining me for this ramble of what's going on in my head this morning. 

Wishing you a blessed day.   Barb

THREAD SPOOL BANNERS

The annual retreat/reunion at Missouri Star is winding up today and it looks like they had a ball getting to know each other and meeting the Doan family.  I think Jenny Doan always makes thing fun.

Knowing that I wouldn't be able to attend the reunion this year I set out to make a few little door prizes and had such a good time making them.  Here are the thread banners ~~

These were made with my embroidery machine and were  ITH (In The Hoop) projects.  I hope the recipients like them.

I'm thinking of making Plus Sign quilt next.  So far I've pulled fabrics from my stash and I need to get busy cutting out squares. 

Have a happy Sunday!

PUMPKIN DUMP CAKE

As requested (Pam), here's the recipe for the Pumpkin Dump Cake I baked yesterday.  I got the recipe from the forum at Missouri Star:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 pan.

Mix together (by hand is fine) 1 can Pumpkin (15 ounces), 1 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour this mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle a dry yellow cake mix evenly over the top of the pumpkin mixture and then sprinkle 1 cup of chopped pecans over the cake mix.

Melt two sticks of butter and drizzle over the top of the cake.

Bake 60 minutes.  I took mine out at 55 minutes because the top looked like it was getting too brown.  This cake is best served warm with whipped cream or ice cream.  Your house will smell so-o-o good while this is baking.

FALL OFFERINGS

I took the Girls out for a walk early this morning and Fall is definitely here ~~~  at least for today. 

I wish you could smell how wonderful the house smells with a Pumpkin Dump Cake baking.  I can smell the cinnamon, pumpkin and pecans baking together.  Later today with some sweetened whipped cream we will have our first taste of Fall.

I also took the Summer quilt off our bed this morning, washed it and packed it away until next Summer.  An old favorite is on our bed now.  I didn't make this quilt but it's one of our favorites just the same.  This is a quilt I don't mind the Girls sleeping on without protection.  It washes beautifully and has served us well for many years.  The Fall colors are easy to live with ~~

I have a large batch of stew meat cooking in the slow cooker and some homemade dinner rolls are rising.  Jeff is going to be thrilled with his dinner.  I haven't done my usual amount of cooking lately and it felt really good to be in the kitchen again.

Wishing you a fantastic Monday!

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

It's become our Saturday routine lately to pack ourselves and the Girls up and drive 90 minutes to our apartments to work.  We are hoping we will have all the work done and everyone settled in so we can enjoy some free weekends this Fall and Winter.

We get to meet such interesting, and sometimes frustrating, people.  A few of them over the years have become dear friends, a few have passed away and some come and go without imprinting our lives.  It takes all kinds to make our world go round.  For many years I watched the I Love Lucy sitcom.  Believe me, the portrayal of the landlords (Fred & Ethel) had no basis in reality at all, but it made for an entertaining program. 

Fall is so close you can taste it. It's the perfect time to gather together some friends for a bonfire and homemade goodies.  A huge pot of chili or gumbo and cornbread sounds wonderful.  Have you ever noticed how everything you eat outdoors tastes extra good? 

My health has been a real concern lately, but I'm on the mend and beginning to feel like myself again.  I straightened up the sewing room Wednesday, a sure sign I'm feeling better.  I'm planning on getting back to the seeing machine real soon.  it feels so good to be feeling better.  Thanks to all of you who sent your well wishes and encouraging words. 

It's time for me to pack our cooler and hit the road.  Thanks for stopping in ~~~~

Wishing you a blessed weekend!