Wall hangings finished

I got some wall hangings prepped to finish in Colorado.  Thought Jackie would enjoy working on them since it was something she could do "bed resting."  The snowman was a pattern, and there is also a stuffed snowman that's supposed to go with it which I didn't get done.  Of course I used the pattern for a guideline, and didn't exactly follow all the instructions to the letter.  I appropriated a strip of flying geese for it that had been given to Pat for our kid quilts, and I hope whoever made them won't mind!  ;-)

 I also used this idea to create an advent calendar.  I thought making all the ornaments of felted wool would take more time than I had, so I used some of my milagros collection that Pat gave me.  


I thought Jackie could count down more days toward her goal of 36 weeks for the twins.  It would be good to keep them in at least that long--which is around December 20th.  


Now I have to get busy and make another calendar for Lindsay, and I want one too!  We don't put up a tree as often anymore, and this would be a good alternative.

Cooler temps

The temperatures have really dropped.  A few flakes fell on my way to shopping in Albuquerque yesterday, but today it is clear and sunny, albeit cold.  Good temperatures for spending most of the day cooking and dealing with all the groceries.  I baked muffins early, made a big pot of butternut squash soup, and another of red sauce.  I'm anticipating having company to help me eat the stuff that Dale can't.

I finished the baby quilt for my daughter's friend.  It's for a girl, though she chose the colors. I loaded it the standard way...and then realized that it made more sense to load it sideways in order to do the design I had decided on.  I decided it was worth it to take it off, and load it so I could do the design lengthwise on the quilt, horizontally on the table.  Thanks to Shelley for featuring a similar quilt on her blog.  It's one of the hardest things for me to do--come up with a viable all over quilting design.  

 

 I tried a new pantograph on this donation quilt, which is also from Shelley.  It's a dense design, but flows nicely.  I must admit I had my doubts about Shelley's claim that the foundation tissue paper that she had used would disappear in the wash, but I quilted without removing it.  Like magic it did disappear in the wash! 

Okay, back to the kitchen.  I still need to cook dinner and Dale is out of his cookies.  Baking those will warm up the house.

Fall colors hanging on

I started this post after we got back from a quick trip to Colorado and only got as far as the title.  Dale is on the mend after a surgery for his torn rotator cuff.  Much better than enduring the pain with no end in sight. 

We enjoyed some beautiful fall colors at the River Walk in Cañon City which was conveniently close to the surgery center. 

 
Fall colors seemed to be hanging on throughout the drive, though the aspens were all done.  We've had a few frosts at home, but the leaves haven't all dropped off yet.  Still enjoying warm days and cool nights, with too much consumption of baked goods on my part.  It's such a good way to warm up the house...

Plugging away slowly

 I finished another one in the pile of donation quilts.  Pat put this top together.  I backed it with a soft pinwale corduroy that I had.  It is a nice bigger quilt which will be great for a teenager.

My quilt holder is temporarily out of commission with a torn rotator cuff so I draped it over the couch.  Hopefully he'll be able to have surgery soon, and on the road to recovery.
 

The corduroy posed no problems with the quilting, and I have more to use for backings that was donated to us.  I used a pantograph, Quills, which is a design with good flow. 

I started on a top for my daughter's friend who is expecting a baby in December, using this great pattern.  

    

Early rising

I wake up too early.  Most mornings I'm up around 4:30 because I just can't sleep.  It's always more difficult for me to adjust to the time change in the fall because then I have to convince myself that I can't get up when I'm wide awake at 3!  

But getting up early has its rewards.  Especially at this time of the year, when the skies are rich with clouds and colors.  True, the sun is just barely rising at 6:30, but I'm ready to get out to the sewing room and finish the quilt on my longarm, after pausing to enjoy the sunrise.  

Winter feels just around the corner...

The temperatures have really cooled here, enough so that Dale cleaned our heat stove and lit the pilot.  In fact we already used it yesterday afternoon.

The full moon was visible through some virga.  We weren't too disappointed since we recently had over an inch of rain.

Today I'm warming up the house with baking.  I finally tried the pecan cranberry whole wheat bread recipe Dr. Kaufman gave me.  It's a wonderful bread that saved me when I was in the hospital for my total knee.  

We can still see the fall colors in the mountains.  I doubt they'll last much longer.  It's already been over a week since we drove up to see.  

 

 I'm not in a hurry for winter.  Fall could last longer than three months if it were up to me.

Quilt finishes

I finally got some quilts done.  Thanks to all the friends that have donated blocks, tops, and or fabric, I've had quite the queue of quilts to be quilted.  I had to finish the twins' quilts and bears, and have made a second chenille bear, as Jackie chose that one versus the wool bear, though she wants to keep the wool bear as well.  She first tried to get another of each bear!  I forgot to photograph the finished wool bear.  

 This quilt that Cathy made just needed the borders quilted.  I did a freehand feather design.  Still trying to stretch outside the pantograph box.

I first tried using the Gammill workstation on Sharon's stack and whack blocks, but it proved to be too much work.  I think it would be easier to do with two people, and maybe when Pat's here, we can use it together on an appropriate quilt.  After the first block, I just did a freehand design.  

I opted for a pantograph on this fall quilt also from Cathy, as I really couldn't think of a freehand design for it.  I still have a half dozen quilts left to quilt.  Back to the sewing room! 

 

Twin quilts done

I finished the twins' quilts, and the matching bear quilts with the leftover blocks.  I did a dinosaur pantograph on all of them.  The flannel backing features dinosaurs.

I made the first bear out of chenille from an old bedspread.  I wasn't really in love with it, but went ahead and finished it, but not before cutting out another from felted wool.  I think that one is going to have more body, but I will finish both of them and let Jackie decide which fabric she'd like for a second bear.

 

I didn't really read the pattern directions closely--just followed the pictures and sewed the back halves together the first time...not the way to do it.  You sew a back and front together, at the side seams then sew on the arms and legs on each half before closing it all the way around except for a small opening to turn it right side out, then stuff, and close all the openings that you stuff through.  I've made a number of these before--used to dress them with Route 66 tapestry fabric vests and sell them at the motel. 

  

 

Twin tops finished

It's a wonderful weekend in Show Low again, and I've finished twin quilt tops.  They are going to be backed with green flannel with dinosaurs.  Jackie wanted "primitive" in the same colors and fabrics as her bed quilt.  The twins' first quilts will be what she wants...future quilts will be what grandma wants to make or of the boys' choosing.  (well maybe!)  I've already made the faux piping binding for these quilts. 

 

The weather has been perfect here.  Cool nights, warm days.  I didn't even have to drive through rain, as Tropical Depression Geraldine had already passed east when I left. 

Today we're going to the quilt show here, and doing some retail therapy.

 

Sailors take warning?

We're supposed to have a 70% chance of rain today.  That would be most welcome since it's been a long time since we've had any.  This gorgeous sky photo is not photshopped.  Sometimes I enhance photos because what comes out of the camera just doesn't accurately reflect what I see, but this pretty much captured real life this morning. 

.

 I have so many pictures of sunrises and sunsets here.  Anymore I usually just enjoy them without photographing.  I love the way the light affects ordinary things in the yard.

 

Our stucco wall is actually white instead of the pink hue it's wearing.  Looks like my geranium needs a little work before I bring it in for the winter.  Fall is quickly approaching.