Hubble Hubble Toil and Trubble

Well Blogger published my title minus the text and photos and now it has disappearred!  So I will start all over.  I chose Carrie's pattern Hubble for my October Schnibbles project.  After considering several fabric options, I decided on a black and white combination.   Many many many years ago, I cut out a magazine page featuring a bedroom decorated for Halloween.   Twin beds were covered in black and white quilts and the room was decorated with orange accents.   Thought it was  about time to use that inspiration.  I used more of a creamy white than a pure white.   I played with the borders and added some applique.  I wanted a quilt I could use through Thanksgiving...not just Halloween.  My first thought was to have some pumpkins on the bottom and an Autumn or Harvest Blessing at the top, but I decided I would need something on the sides as there was a lot of "white" areas.  I thought some sunflowers would grow fine there!  Anyway...this is what I ended up with.  The pictures are not great.  It has been SO WINDY from Sandy that I couldn't get a good outside shot.  I took a few quick ones today.

 

 

 

Carter, my 4 y/o GS, drew one of the pumpkins.   I had him write his name on it and then I embroidered it.  My sweet hubby wanted to know if this was a squirrel or our cat.  Guess it could be either one!

 

 

After I appliqued the mouse, it looked like a little Sunbonnet Sue with a tail!!!

 

 

Hope everyone is having a fun and safe Halloween.

 

Debbie

 

Applique Thursday 10/11/12

How about that date!  I think I need to call it applique design Thursday.  I am designing a fall border to go on a top I just finished.   I want to have sunflowers on the sides, various pumpkins on the bottom and some autumn "wording" on top.  I have spent most of the day drawing, cutting, and positioning...I think the sunflowers will be the most challenging.   I finally found a placement  I like and I have one side ready to applique....hopefully tomorrow! 

I'm using the ribbon for my bias stem placements.    I recently finished another couple of blocks to my Gingerbread Joy BOM. 

 

 

How about some eye candy.  Recently signed up for this BOM.  I just can't resist Christmas Quilts!

Picture from  Ladybug Hill Quilts

 Linking to Applique Thursday..... Check it out! 

 

Debbie

Rehab Session

This weekend we took probably our last long beach weekend of the season, and the weather was perfect...Did a little fishing....golfing for the guys... shopping for the girls....And a great weekend to watch football and baseball...(if we don't count the Braves game!)  Anyway a great weekend with friends.  So this session of rehab was spent on applique and embroidered projects.  I almost completed another block of Gingerbread Joy and worked on some of the wording sashing strips.  We left Sunset Beach around lunch time in temps in the 80s.  By the time we got home Sunday night (made several stops at antique malls) we were in the low 50s.  Hello Fall!  Definitely quilting season and soup season.  What a great combination!

Debbie



BOM Rehab

I was able to finish a couple more blocks for my Gingerbread Joy BOM....a 12 and 6 inch Oregon Star.  When this quilt is finished, it will be a long time before I make 6 inch blocks again!!  Make sure you go to Sinta's blog to see who else spent some time in Rehab.  I sure hope she continues this next year....I've already signed up for 2 more new programs! 

The rest of the weekend was spent working on some non sewing projects around the house.  I'll share some pictures when they are completed...On Friday, we went to the Antique Show at Liberty.  I was able to find a couple of things there.   There was more quilts at this show than I remember in times past.  Several that really caught my eye but I resisted!   I'm glad we went on Friday as we had a beautiful day.  Drenching rains came on Saturday.  The "pickers" from the PBS show, Market Warriors, were coming to tape an episode on Saturday.  I'm sure they got soaked.  Can't wait to see the episode and what they purchased.  Here is one of our finds.   My husband collects anything pertaining to Gulf Oil.  We saw this big grease can...not in great condition but perfect for a fall arrangement. 

I'll be showing some of my fall quilts over the next few days.  Above is a little candle mat I made years ago. 

Debbie

A little "Speck" of Christmas

When I saw this month's project was small quilt, I knew I wanted to make a quilt for my vintage doll bed.  Knowing that Christmas is less than 3 months away and this bed needed a Christmas quilt, I pulled out some of my old Christmas fabrics to get the vintage look I wanted.   I'm sure some of the fabric was over 30 years old!   Such a fun pattern to make.  I changed up the border a little by adding the embroidery. 

 

 

 

Can't wait for tomorrow to see this month's parade.  I've already seen a few on blogs and they are all so cute. 

 

Debbie



 

 

Welcome Fall and BOM Rehab Time

We had an absolutely amazing fall weekend with warm days and crisp nights.  I did manage to get a little sewing done on Saturday.  I spent some time finishing Speck and starting Hubble for AYOS.  I love both of these patterns.  For both of the quilts, I dug into my scrap pile for the fabrics.   I really need to do this more often!  I just seem to REALLY like all the new fabric lines I see!  The only BOM I worked on was the Designer BOM from the FQS.  I am so glad to say I am now caught up.  It just makes you happy to sew with Vintage Modern! 

 

Sunday after church and lunch with 2 sons and families...(sorry Dustin...you should have come home this weekend), we went to the Farmers Market in Greensboro.  Too many choices for pumpkins and too many decorating ideas on Pinterest to decide on which ones to buy!  Carter and Callaway picked their favorites.

 

But I think Callaway enjoyed papaw's ice cream cone better!

 

 

Have you ever had unexpected breakfast guests?  This morning after Callaway and I were finishing with ours, I looked out the back door and saw some visitors.  They were happy to stay outside and munch on acorns. 

 

 

 

I counted at least six and they stayed about 45 minutes eating and frolicking. 

 

Debbie

 

 

 

 

 

And the Winner Is.........

.................Apple Blossom!   A winner was selected with the help of Random.org!   I've sent you an email and as soon as I get your address this great layer cake will be on it's way to you!  Congratulations!

 

In addition to meeting new bloggers, getting quilty inspirations, and just having a good time, there was an important discovery during this Back to School Party.   The cause of "Global Warming" has been solved.   Too many trees were sacrificed to provide the paper needed for everyone to write lines for all the mischief that occurred in school!   I love how some adapted by taping 2 or more pencils together...( I never thought of that)  The best was the commenter who had pre-written her sentences at home and had them ready for the teacher as soon as the punishment was announced.   That would not have worked with one of my teachers, he would just randomly open the dictionary and we would have to copy a few pages.   All the comments brought back so many memories of school and classmates.  Hope I didn't stir up any bad memories.  Some of the "nun" stories and "ruler" stories were kind of scary!   How we made it through school without years of therapy is amazing...Maybe that's why we started quilting... Just want to thank Michele for hosting another great bloghop!

I had to smile last weekend when we were at an antique mall and I spotted a paddle!   Looked like it was from the 50-60s.  The fun part about it was that it had Dick and Jane characters painted on it.  Really cute.   I wonder if it was a giveaway from the publishers to the schools.  I wanted to buy it to display with some fabric, but it was a little pricey. 

Thanks to everyone who visited during the party.  I have briefly viewed your blogs when reading your comments, but will go back and take a better look over the next few weeks.  

Happy Fall!

Debbie

Rehab tiime

How are you spending your Labor Day?  I'm trying to spend a little extra time in Rehab!   I finally made the first block for the FQS Designer BOM.   I must say Vintage Modern has become a favorite fabric line.  My goal is too get caught up before the next block comes! For some reason my flash isn't working so my pictures are a little dark.

 

 

 

 

I also made another block for my Civil War BOW that was offered by Barbara Brackman last year.  I got behind on these blocks and they got pushed to the side.  I only have a few more to go plus a few more connector blocks.  I really want to get these done just in case I decide to start her next BOW that started this week.  Grandmother's Choice will focus on the fight for women's rights.  I will definitely follow along on the blogposts even if I don't make the quilt.  I love Barbara's history lessons. 

Were you in rehab this holiday weekend?

Debbie

Are you still Hopping?

It  has been a great Back to School Party, but the celebration is not over.  I'll keep my giveaway open until midnight Monday night.  I'll announce the winner on Tuesday and get the layer cake in the mail to the lucky winner. 

Don't forget the Glorious Autumn Block Party starts next week.  Always something fun at the Quilting Gallery.

Debbie

Dimestore

I tried to find a photo of the dimestore in our county, Rintz's 5 &10, in Mocksville.  We seldom shopped there.  Instead of going to Mocksville for our shopping trips, we would head to the "big city" of Winston-Salem and that was only once or maybe twice a month.  Not really a dimestore but this is where we shopped:

F.W. Woolworth's

 

This Woolworth's store was in downtown Winston-Salem.  My dad worked at Modern Chevrolet and we would park there and walk several blocks (seemed like a lot more back then) to all the department stores and Woolworth's.  We would never think about parking in a paid lot.  Well maybe I did, but my mom didn't.  This picture was taken during the Christmas parade in 1960, which opened the Christmas shopping season, and we would go to Woolworth's after the parade.  This wasn't the day after Thanksgiving either.  More like the second Saturday before Christmas. 

 

When I was deciding on the fabrics I wanted to use for my Dimestore quilt, none of the charm packs I had on hand seemed to be what I wanted for this pattern.  I decided to just use from my stash and scraps.  Didn't take long before I decided on reds and creams.  Seems like that combination comes up a lot in my fabric selections!   While I was pulling fabrics, I found some baseball fabric. (Light bulb goes off here!)   I decided to make something I could use as a table topper with a baseball theme.  Even though football season is beginning, baseball is so exciting this time of year with division races, play-offs, and of course the World Series.  My Dimestore quilt has become a baseball celebration quilt.  So why not make it in honor of Chipper Jones'  last season with my Atlanta Braves.  I hate to admit that I teared up the other night while watching their game at San Diego.  Think it was the 8th inning, and the announcer said something like...This may be his last bat in San Diego.  Their fans gave him a standing ovation.  He stepped out of the box and tipped his hat to the crowd.  He got a hit, but the Braves lost the game.  So here is.......

 

Hats Off to Chipper

 

 

 

Can't wait to see the other versions of Dimestore during the parade tomorrow!

 

 

 

 





A Celebration Quilt

Thought I would share a quilt I made for my cousin to present to a couple who are moving out of state.  They moved here when they bought her family's home place in Huntsville, a small rural community.  For those who live in NC, did you know that Huntsville almost became the capital of NC????  Just think how different our little neck of the woods would be!!  After being part of the community for a few years, they have decided to move again to be closer to family.   As a going away gift, the Huntsville Historical Society wanted to present a memory quilt to them in honor of their work and friendships in the community. 

Here is a close-up of the center.  They had pictures of the historical home in each season.  I wanted to make these the focal point of the quilt.

Around the center I added words and photos

 

Huntsville Methodist Church

This church was closed years ago, but the historical society is preserving the church.  It is used for weddings, funerals, special services, and a beautiful Christmas Lovefeast

 

A dime at a time

This was his favorite saying at all the yard sales, bake sales, etc for the society

 

 

 

 

You can't have a gathering without lots of food!

They will be greatly missed by the Huntsville community.

 

 

 

Back in Rehab

I decided if I didn't get back in BOM rehab, I was going to need the other kind of rehab and soon!   Even when my sewing time is limited, I usually can find a few minutes for some hand stitching.... But not so much lately.   I decided to pull out a block in my Gingerbread Joy BOM that I could prep fairly quick and worked on it.  I also got a little of the embroidery done.  Ahhh!   Great therapy! 

                        Make sure you visit Sinta's blog and see who else is in Rehab this week.

Is everyone having as much fun hopping in the Back to School Blog Hop as I am.  It's not too late to join in for the chance to win some awesome prizes and meet some great bloggers. 

Back to School Blog Hop!!!

OK.  You may not need those #2 pencils for this blog hop, but I bet you will need some healthy snacks while visiting the participating blogs this week.   I chose a great layer cake for my giveaway. Perfect for your back to school sewing projects.

Moda's ABC123 by American Jane.  Your chance to win will be as easy as Abc123 too.  No tough final exams....I'm sure we were all perfects students, maybe even teacher's pets....but did you ever have to pay the consequences for misbehaving????   Leave a comment telling how you (or classmates) were disciplined.   I'll never forget my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Tolliver.  He was the first male teacher I ever had....one of the few at our elementary school.   He introduced me to this poem....written over and over and over......

The wise old owl

Set in an oak.

The more he saw

The less he spoke

The more he listened

The more he learned.

Now why can't I

Be like that wise old bird!

 

 

I guess that is why I still today am not a fan of owls.  Where was the copy and paste key in those days!!!!

 

Head to Quilting Gallery to see the list of blogs or click the button on my sidebar. I will ship internationally!   Have fun!

 

Debbie



Back to School

It is hard to believe school will start next week.  Summer vacation was just getting under way when I last posted on my blog. This has been a bitter sweet summer for me.  One of my husband's older brothers lost his almost year long battle with liver cancer.  We also lost a few other family members and friends to cancer.   Watching your loved ones struggle is painful, but I truly have been blessed to witness the faith and courage shown.  Such an inspiration and many lives were touched and changed during these times.  God truly does have plans that we don't understand and even question at the time,  but we see his love in action all around.  To God be the Glory!

We have also spent most of the summer getting my mom's house ready to sell.  It is so hard to go through all the "stuff".  It is like looking at a timeline of memories from a 60+ years of  a marriage and family life. Needless to say, I brought home boxes and boxes of stuff that I just couldn't part with at our sale.  I have had very little time this summer for sewing and quilting.  My sewing room has become a catch-all for boxes and bins that I am gradually finding a permament place for....hopefully, I am getting back to some normal routine.

What better way to get back in the swing of quilting and blogging than a blog hop!  Another great hop from  Quilting Gallery  celebrating Back to School starts Sunday night.  Check back later tonight for my giveaway details.  You can find more information and a list of participating blogs (on Sunday) here:
http://quiltinggallery.com/quilters-fun/quilters-blog-hop-party/

Debbie

Back in Rehab

After a few weekends off, I'm back in rehab!  Well sort of.  I had to work on a quilt with a deadline....Doesn't that always take the fun out of quilting!  I was able to make another block for my Gingerbread Joy BOM.  These little 6 inch blocks take almost as much time as the 12 inch ones. 

Sorry for the blurry picture!   Check out Sinta's blog later today to see if anyone else spent some time in Rehab this weekend!  I think the doctor is prescribing a few extra sessions for me this week!

Debbie

Applique Thursday June 7, 2012

I can't believe that it is June already.  The days are flying by.  I have only added a couple of pieces to my Night Before Christmas block so not much to show, but I'd thought I'd share one of my older quilts. 

Stars of Glory
"Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord"

I finished this quilt in July of 2000.  Up until this time I had only done machine applique and wanted to learn hand applique.  So I just jumped in on a project and taught myself.  So began my love of applique and especially the combination of piecework and applique.  I think an applique border on a pieced quilt adds just the right touch. This quilt pattern, Stars of Glory, was featured in Fons and Porter's magazine and I fell in love with it.   I love the scrappiness of it.  And believe it or not, the star points did not scare me away!!  Make sure you go and visit A Quilting Readers Garden sometime today and check out some great projects and inspiration!  I love to see what all of you are working on.
Debbie

Pretty Package

I had 3 packages in the mail when we got back from the beach.  So which one do you think I opened first???

Isn't that the best mailer you have ever seen....but what was inside was even prettier!!!

A jelly roll of pastel Moda marbles!!! So Yummy....

Sharon at Vrooman's quilts had a month long celebration with May For Me and I was one of the lucky winners in her giveaways!!!  Now to find the perfect pattern to showcase these lovely strips.  Thanks so much...I love them!

Sharon is one busy quilter and blogger and happens to be my swap partner in the Santa Swap block.  I'm having a good time following her blog trying to get ideas for gifts!   Hope she hasn't noticed but I've sent my little elf friend to spy also.....

Debbie

Have Doc will travel

Well this post took about a week to develop.   I finished my version of "Doc" last week and took a photo before we headed to Kure Beach for a long weekend.  No problem as our hotel advertised the best wi-fi on the beach.  I'll write my post when we get there.   After a few attempts, I knew I would not be able blog anything.  I'll just email Sherri or Sinta and send a photo.  After 2 hours I was able to attach a photo, clicked send and hoped for the best.   Wasn't sure if it would make it for the parade or not.  Luckily it did.  

Our neighbors our expecting their first child, a boy, any day now.   I thought this pattern would make a perfect baby quilt.  I chose Peak Hour for the main fabrics and found another moda line in the same colorway for the background.  I wanted a smaller quilt, one to throw over the car seat...I decided to go with 4 blocks, but added a wider sashing.  It turned out a perfect size.  I decided to hand quilt it, so I spray basted it before leaving for the beach so I could do a lot of this........

We spent more time than we usually do on the balcony just rocking, reading, and quilting.  A great relaxing weekend.  We also managed to spend some time here.....

We also found our way to the near by antique malls and quilt shops.  One day we took the ferry across to Southport.  Love that little town!  Of course, being that close to Calabash, we had to make a visit to the Christmas shop at Callahans!!! It was great to get away for a few days.....

Debbie

Memorial Day 2012

In the summer of 1993, Terry and our youngest son, Dustin, went with his scout troop to Washington for a father and son outing.  While there, they had the honor of placing the wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington.  Dustin is second from the left.  A trip they will never forget....

Day is done, gone the sun,

From the hills, from the lake,

From the skies.

All is well, safely rest,

God is nigh.

Go to sleep, peaceful sleep,

May the soldier or sailor,

God keep.

On the land or the deep,

Safe in sleep.



Applique Thursday

This week I started another block for my Night Before Christmas quilt.  It is hard to tell much from the photo with so little added to the block, but this is another rooftop scene.  I love to see these blocks come to life...And since it's Thursday, I''m linking with Applique Thursday.  Head on over and check out all the beautiful applique everyone is working one.

Are you planning on a sewing night tomorrow?  Join Friday Night Sew-In  and we will all sew together.   I have been trying to decide  what to work on.  There is a big project I NEED to work on, but several I WANT to work on.  I wonder which little voice I will listen too!

Debbie

Santa Sack Swap

Doesn't this sound like fun!  I signed up for Cheryll's Santa Sack Swap this week...Can't wait to get my swap partner and start some Christmas shopping and sewing.

Reindeer Games....

....Even Rudolph can play....Have you seen this cute quilt yet?  My little grandson is still playing reindeer games.  Every time I put all the plush toy reindeer up, he has to pull them out again.  What can I say, he gets it honest!   I can see us playing on this little quilt next winter (or this summer!)  Barb of Bejeweled Quilts and Caroll at Attic Windows Quilt Shop are offering the blocks in a fun game starting tomorrow!!!   Barb's quilt is applique and Caroll's is done in redwork.  Check out their blogs for all the details....They are too cute to resist....

Don't forget to check out Applique Thursday...I don't have anything new to show today.  I sewed the background  for my next Night Before Christmas block today, but not exciting enough for a picture.  I did get a small amount of embroidery done on my Over the River Quilt.  I pulled this one back out and decided to make it my traveling project for the summer...Lot of stitches to go on this one.  Pictures soon!   I'm heading to Angie's for some inspiration!
Debbie

Gingerbread Joy

I finished another block for Gingerbread Joy.  I sure hope the next big applique project I start will not have any little circles on it!

Speaking of next project....I picked up this cute pattern last weekend.  I have been wanting to make my DILs a beach quilt.  A few years ago, I made a flip flop quilt and they both loved it.  This should be a quick machine applique project if I can just find the time.  The pattern is Splash by Custom Creations.

Here is my quilt with my little granddaughter at the egg hunt at church this year.   The pattern was from Fons and Porter's magazine several years ago.






Head to A Quilting Reader's Garden for Applique Thursday for some eye candy...Would love to see your projects there too!


Debbie