And When October Goes...

First Things First - 

This top is DONE DONE DONE!

I have had a blast making it, and I love the freedom we have as quilters to take elements and move them around to suit our own vision for any given project.

This has always been the case in any class I've taught, any of the many mysteries I've presented over the years.  

Take your parts and run with them - I LOVE to see what other folks do with my designs.

They are simply a recipe, a springboard and an idea to get you started.  You take it from there - and go where you want to go with it!

And this is where my vision lead me.

And I accomplished a whole lot of scrap usage in the process!

I don't have a single purple half-square triangle left over - and only a small length of purple border remains, tucked back into the string bin because I know another project will come along and that piece will be just perfect for wherever it lands.

And it wasn't until I was editing photos this morning that I realized I have this hanging off the long arm machine upside down....all of my baskets really DO point up!

But you can see what I did with the narrower strips of purple string piecing and those leftover triangles.  I really did try to use everything up!

Next up - piecing a backing from random purple pieces of yardage. It's a big enough quilt top that I should find myself annihilating 8 yards or so.

As to the quilting machine woes? They continue.  There is still something wrong.  The machine stitches for about 10 seconds and then the needle stops in the up position and the computer continues to move the machine head, but it's not stitching.  Weirdest thing ever.  So I have another email in to the help department.

It is what it is - and since I can't be machine quilting, I'll just keep piecing.

What else is a girl supposed to do?

I can hang out with the October Quiltvillians!

And we are having a great time - they even took a little road trip to Galax to visit Quilts on Main, get ice cream across the street, and wander a couple of shops and antique malls.

I love it when the quilters get out and DO!

Projects are upon design walls!

Check out the Hunter’s String Star  in blues!

Yummy!

Frolic is being worked on!

And so is Smith Mountain Morning from Scraps & Shirttails II .

Lovely blues!

This bargello is coming together quickly!

And a hodge podge of red scraps is destined for some holiday decor!

Ditch Lilies is happening here - and what looks black is really a lovely shade of green - the light from the windows made the colors go weird.

Melinda is getting her Hearts of Hope quilt center together - assembly rows and reversing rows as she goes. 

Pattern found in my Solidarity PDF pattern booklet including two quilts.

Tonni's Garlic Knots is waiting for borders!

I love it with the black background!

There are only 4 days left in October.  This always leaves me feeling a bit - if not moody - just reflective? Would that be the word?

If you know Barry Manilow, you may be familiar with his song "When October Goes."  Here are the lyrics:

And when October goes
The snow begins to fly
Above the smoky roofs
I watch the planes go by

The children running home beneath
A twilight sky
Oh, for the fun of them
When I was one of them

And when October goes
The same old dream appears
And you are in my arms
To share the happy years
I turn my head away to hide
The helpless tears
Oh, how I hate to see October go

And when October goes
The same old dream appears
And you are in my arms
To share the happy years
I turn my head away to hide
The helpless tears
Oh, how I hate to see October go

I should be over it now, I know
It doesn't matter much how old I grow
I hate to see October go.

I don't know what it is about this song, but it just has all the feels of another October passing by, and then the holidays arrive, and then the new year arrives...and time marches on.  It just is.

So today since the quilting machine is still down - I just may start a new project.  A paper piecing one I think.  Something to make a dent in a different area of the stash than I've been working from lately.

And we'll see where it goes....as October goes.

Don't forget to sign up for yesterday's Quiltmaker Gift-Away HERE!

The drawing for the Bristol Gift-Away is tomorrow, so visit the Gift-Away Page and get your entries in!

Introductory Special: I have placed the PDF pattern for Bristol at 25% off in both the Quiltville Store and the Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop.  No coupon needed!  Sale price good through MONDAY 10/31/22.  Hurry now and save!

I've also placed the PDF pattern for Spider & The Fly  at 25% off in both the Quiltville Store and Quiltville Etsy Pattern Shop - through 10/31/22. No coupon needed!

And of course, you'll be back here on Monday - it's Quiltville Winter Mystery Introduction Day!

Quiltville Quote of the Day -

Why is it that some folks feel the need to build themselves up by publicly raking others over the coals?

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Pointing fingers at others doesn't lift anyone any higher.

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And If ever I am tempted, let me remember this.

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Vintage baskets quilts found in North Carolina.

Happy Friday, everyone!