Leaf's Me Happy

Many, many thanks to Madame Samm and to Cherry for organizing all of us, keeping us on schedule and creating such a fun Blog Hop.

The colors of fall "leaf" me happy so the Leafs Me Happy Blog Hop is right up my alley.  Our instructions were to make fall blocks - not necessarily to finish them up, just make them to share.  So........

I worked on adding some fall colored New York Beauty blocks.

The blue is actually purple!!

They will be added to others that I have been working on to eventually make a quilt.  These are the new ones to which I added a few of the others so you can see where I am going with this.

Our neighborhood is invaded each evening by hundreds of black crows at this time of the year.  They come for the falling acorns that are run over in the street.  The caw-caw calling of the birds is deafening for several hours each night so in honor of the crows I created this.  It is hand quilted and embroidered.

A glimpse of our street with the birds.

What would autumn be without turkeys and the wonderful smells from the kitchen?  This will be my Tom overseeing the cooking of Thanksgiving dinner. 

Lastly, I made a block that Cherry designed.  This is a great paper pieced block in candy corn orange scraps.  One block does not tell the whole story though.  As you add more blocks to this the spinning illusion comes into play.  I'm not sure how big I will eventually make it, but I love it.

Thanks so much for stopping by for a visit today.  As a giveaway for those who have made it down this far, I have a wonderful sponsor for my hop.  Thearica  has generously donated a  $25 gift certificate to her new shop.  By coincidence, her newly remodeled shop will also have its debut during this hop - on Oct. 3rd.   She has all sorts of terrific threads, ribbons, buttons and much, much more.

To enter to win please visit Thearica's shop and come back and tell me what you would buy if you won.  I will draw a name at the end of the hop.  Followers of my blog can have a second chance by leaving a comment that you are following. 

Don't forget to visit the other blogs participating in today's hop.   A full list for each day of the hop can be found at Cherry Blossoms Quilting Studios.

                                                  

                                                    Monday 1

 

Fuzzy Hat Quilter

The Cuddle Quilter

Quilts My Way

Country Cabin Thoughts and Crafts

Dream quilt create

Why-Knot-Kwilt

Needled Mom
Quilter in Motion

Sunshine Girl

Meadowbrook

First Monday of Fall

I am enjoying seeing the photos on different blogs of the fall colors starting to appear.  We don't have much in the way of color changes, but the leaves are starting to fall and the lighting is completely different on the hills.   It won't be long before we are talking about Christmas.  I am sure that everyone is ready for it.....right????

My Christmas tree quilt is finished and ready to hang.  I just LOVE the way it turned out.  As I mentioned in my last post,  it is a design by Cherry from Cherry Blossoms Quilting.  I FMQ-ed  ribbons and bows around the tree and feathers along the outer border - a first for both!
 

Halloween will soon be here and I had a couple of costumes to make for some of the little ones here.  I'm sure most everyone has seen Woody in Toy Story and that was the look I was going for.  One vest has the sheriff badge embroidered onto it.  Why just one???  Well, we all know that "there's room for only one sheriff in this town".   I doubt that the two year old will care that there is only one. 

Mhairi's mug rug for our fall swap arrived from Australia this week.  She included some fancy teas and a wonderful Australian magazine.  The mug rug is so cute and has a handy little pocket on the side for keeping a spoon or a napkin in it.  Thank you so much, Mhairi.  I will enjoy it this season. 

I've had the joy of having little ones several days this week as well as older ones spending the night over the weekend.  Life is busy...life is good!!!



Oh no....I don't have to stay with Grandma...do I????

Here's hoping this posts since I am now being forced to use the new interface!!!!

Still Alive and Kicking

Yep, I am still here.  I just haven't had time to get a decent post off and I didn't have a lot to show in pictures either.  However, I did manage to squeeze in some sewing today that lasted more than five or ten minutes.

Blocks 66, 67 and 68 are done on my Just Takes 2 QAL.  The new set also looks like they will go up quickly. 

I've been working on a couple of blocks for an upcoming Blog Hop that I will be participating in.  My day will be on October 1st - the first day.  I rather like being first because there isn't the pressure of having seen so many wonderfully constructed blocks.  I guess it is like school when I liked to go first before someone else did an awesome job and then I had to follow.  Here is a sneak peek of my block.

I have also been working on a Christmas Tree design.  It is a fusible applique which I really haven't done much of in the past.  Cherry from Cherry Blossoms Quilting is the creator of this fabulous design.  If you are not familiar with her you will be blown away at what she designs.  I am looking forward to finishing the applique and constructing the quilt.

We had five grandchildren staying with us for a couple of days and they each wanted to make something with the sewing machine.  The boys love the embroidery machine and always have fun creating something unique. 

My granddaughter is redoing her bedroom in aqua, black and white so she did a pillow to put on her bed.  I just loved her color combination.

We also got a chance at some wonderful baby snuggles for a few days.  This little one is as good as gold and is just starting to smile.  LOVE it. 

You know it is autumn when the candy corn arrives.  My DIL showed up yesterday with a fresh bag of it for me.  Each year she manages to find a bag before I see then in the stores.  Now I know it is time to start my decorating for the upcoming season!!!  After all.....this is the last week of summer. 

The days have been a little warm here so we always open the house up early in the morning to cool it off.  I had our doors open and two birds hopped right into the house.  When I saw them I went to show them the way out.  One flew out, but the other flew into the door, breaking it's neck.  I was hoping it was just stunned (as they often are) and set it outside.  The poor mate hopped around the limp little bird for close to an hour trying to get it to jump up and join him (or her).  I felt so awful. 

Lastly....the winner of my book from the Blog Hop Party has not responded to my email nor checked my post saying she was the winner.  It has been two weeks so I selected a new winner through RNG.  This time it goes to Susan.  Susan is actually a regular follower of my blog so congratulations to Susan.  I will send you an e-mail.   

Binding Time

I am one of those crazy people who loves to sit and hand stitch the binding on my quilts.  I know many who dread the task, but it is such a relaxing part of quilting to me.  I had Mary at Quilt Hollow quilt a couple of my tops and they turned out beautifully.  She does such an awesome job and I am just thrilled with the results.  Mary is so helpful in selecting the perfect design and is such a dedicated longarm quilter.  I can now say they are officially FINISHED and crossed off of the to do list.  I have one more large one that I am currently working on the binding so it has been a binding week.

Great Granny QAL...I added a DS striped binding to this one since I did not have any extra fabrics.  I will link this finish up to Richard and Tanya's Friday finishes. 

This was a top that Melissa was getting rid of and I loved the colors.

The finishing directions for the Summer Star QAL came out this week.  It called for 8 stars, but I decided to add the ninth one and finish it off a little differently.  I like the way it turned out.   The colors are really off in the photo.  It must be our rainy day today.

The winner of my Blog Hop giveaway is Leslie.  Congratulations!  I have e-mailed you and will send the book off once I receive your address.  It is always such fun to meet so many new bloggers during the blog hops and I hope that anyone who gets a chance to join in on the fun will do so.  Welcome to all of my new followers. 

The week was a busy one with three little ones here while their mommy and daddy were vacationing in Hawaii.  The days started early and were busy until the wee ones were tucked in each night, but we enjoyed the activity and fun times.  I was a little busy to capture much of it on camera.  ;-(

3 years old with a wild imagination.

2 years old and full of mischief.

7 months old and an easy going, always smiling little guy.  It makes getting up at 5 a.m. worth every minute.

The days are getting shorter and the temperatures seem to be dropping for us.  Fall is in the air and will be in full swing in no time at all.  Our summer was so late in arriving and I would love to have a bit more of it.  I do look forward to the comfort food cooking that the cooler weather brings.   How about you?