A Bit of Pumpkin Play!

In the evenings, when I’ve gone as far as I think I can go on the work front, there is nothing that can energize and re-excite like spending a couple of hours in the studio.

I really intended to come down here and make some sense of the chaos that has befallen me.

I’ve been on the go go go and there are piles upon piles – where one thing shifts on top of another because you need that other flat space to cut or to layout.

You know the drill.

And I thought – if I just LOAD this pumpkin table runner into the machine.  How long can it really take to quilt it?  It’s only 24 X 47.  HOW LONG can that take?

Not long!

I already had the backing picked out and cut to size.  ONE WIDTH of backing fabric!  Whoowhooo!  That never happens to me, this girl who tends to do everything in full-to-queen with the occassional KING ending up in the machine.  This was a fast finish.

The hardest part?  Choosing the thread color.

This looks like “Pumpkin Patch Full of Weeds!”

As I was flipping through photos, I found where I was working on these pumpkins BACK IN MAY.  And before that, they were started for String Fling several years ago, but wound up on the back burner.  It’s time for these to be DONE.

Where black thread is too stark marching across the oranges and the greens, and orange or green would be too bright, I chose a deep copper brown to do the job and the effect is wonderful.  I didn’t quilt this too densely because I didn’t want MORE thread to up-stand the pumpkins and other patchwork.

And bonus?  I had a piece of leftover batting that was just the right size without having to join any smaller pieces together to use them up.  I was ready to do it – that zig-zagging of batting parts, but this was already wide enough and I just had to trim the length.

Binding even went on!

I chose a yellow-orange in a harlequin pattern.

A couple evenings of hand stitching time will see this finished.  And I can’t wait to move on to the grey ones as soon as the order department is DONE.

This morning on the deck!

We have falling leaves EVERYWHERE, and it just seemed perfect to photograph this little thing on the deck with leaves all around.  And yes.  I’m still wearing sandals.  Yesterday it was nearly 80.  I’m not complaining.  I love a warm fall in the south!

Quilty texture with morning sunlight.

One step closer to all I need finished for the NEXT BOOK down the pipeline.  I really wish I had 2 months off to stay home and just sew.  Next book release?  I'm scheduling TWO MONTHS off of travel to be home and get everything out the door.  This has been nuts.  Wonderful, but nuts.

Sadie is happy to let you know that invoice box number 8 is empty!

And we are well into invoice box number 9!

Stuffing envelopes as I go!

These are my new “two-sided” flyers for our two big Quiltville trips in 2017.  I haven’t hardly had time to talk about either or both of these! 

Who wants to go to China and/or Thailand in 2017? These are two places at the top of my bucket list and I absolutely can't wait. I have started the countdown. Won't you come with me? You can find the information under the Thailand Tour and China Tour tabs at the top of the blog.  You can choose either one, or both as they are back to back.

We did 3 Quiltville cruises in a 3 month period of time so I “think” I am taking a year off from cruising and focusing on these as my only BIG trips of 2017.  It’s going to be EPIC!  These are land tours, so we will fly over, stay in amazing hotels and do everything on land.  These are not cruises.

Hubbies and significant-others are welcome!  Sisters, friends, brothers and others are WELCOME!

These are not "sit at a sewing machine all day" kinds of tours.  If you followed my Peru trip a year ago, or trips to Italy, Germany or Bali -- we travel WITH quilters, and we may do a small take a long hand project, but mostly we are seeing all we can see, learning a different culture but seeing things through a quilter's eye.  The colors, the patterns, the inspiration.  NO SEWING MACHINES.  Just taking it all in so we can come home and create anew.

I firmly believe if you don't plan it, and don't work for it it will never happen!

And THIS:

Something is coming up!

Look what arrived while I was in Houston! Volume 14 of Quiltmaker's 100 blocks by 100 designers will be hitting newsstands on November 15th. This is my block, Straits of Mackinac designed after I returned home from teaching at the Grand Hotel in May. You will find it on page 32, block # 1342.

There are blog tours and giveaways planned, stay tuned for more info! Oh, and no! This is NOT the Mystery Quilt block!

And while it looks like I PLANNED it to match the colors in the cover of the issue, this was sent in to Quiltmaker in MAY…happy accident.

Quiltville Quote of the Day!

Antique applique quilt seen in Houston.

Actions are everything. Show others what you mean by what you do.

And into Friday we go!  Have a good one!

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