Happy Halloween!

 We do have a great, even though small, sub where we live.  Just wanted to share some pics for this Halloween season. 

this is an elaborate Halloween decoration placed by a couple who recently moved to our sub.  Eric and Holly are the cutest couple and from what Eric has told us, they love to decorate for Halloween!

Is this so cute or what!

Holly said she found the fabric at JoAnne's and it worked perfectly for a spider web!

Yes, I am fixated on this herse!  And horse!

they even had a cemetery set up!

this is a side street between our two streets in our sub.  A group from both streets have a FB page and organized a Halloween party two weekends ago for kids and adults.  They had chili cookoff, pumpkin carving for kids, etc.  

Of course, Bob and I didn't attend...it was quite cool out!  And besides college football was on!  HA

It really is such a nice and quiet sub with good people.  I've always felt safe here and it's one mile around both streets so perfect for my walking bud, Donna, and I to walk around twice for our 2 mile walks!

Now just to wait for the influx of Trick or Treaters.  We are putting out a large container full of candy along with a sign telling kids to "take some and leave some for those coming behind" them.  No answering the door this year!  

We've had as few as 98 (in 2019) and as high as 298! in 2006.  Yes, I keep track and have done so since 1998...we had our home built in 1996 so I missed two years!    Happy Halloween!

12"x12" challenge for 2020!

 Last spring five of us decided to do another 12"x12" exchange challenge for 2020.  These are always fun to participate in.  A 12"x12" square isn't that difficult or time consuming to make.  And you can make them all the same or different and you don't have to make one for yourself, but I like to keep one along with the ones I receive back.

It's always fun to see the different quilts as well as the different techniques and styles we each work in!  So here are the 12"x12" squares from this year, in order I received them!  Do click on each picture to appreciate the work each lady put into their quilt.  Thank you each!  I love what I received! 

This was completed by Tommy!  Some of you know her as 'Tommy The Material Girl'.  She no longer has her blog available for folks other than family but she still has her Tommy Cooks blog that has some fantastic recipes on it!

Tommy has her own unique style and I always love seeing what she's completed for our challenge!  What a great use of color and design and use of the quilting to add to that design!  Love it, Tommy!

This quilt is by Gayle who lives in Michigan and recently moved to a new home!  And she still finished her quilts for this challenge!  You'll have to click to see the detail Gayle added with embroidery stitches and machine quilting.  Her French Knots are beautiful and consistent!  Well done, Gayle!

This piece was done by Carol who lives in Santa Rose, California!   Carol did a great job incorporating machine and hand embroidery as well as machine and hand quilting on geli painted fabric!  Lots of techniques but she pulled it off didn't she!  

Also, check out the card Carol included with her quilt!  These are the five quilts she made!  I think this is a special touch and what a keepsake!  Thanks Carol for the wonderful quilt and card!

This next lovely piece is by Mary who lives in Indiana!  Some of you  may follow Mary's blog.  Mary posts so many beautiful pictures of flowers, nature, landscape, etc. (in addition to some of her quilts).  It's no surprise to see Mary create a quilt with a nature theme!  Once again, workmanship is as wonderful as is  her choice of fabrics to complete the piece.  Click on the picture to see her beautiful machine work on the leaf. 

This is one of the five I created using my own leaf stencil printed fabrics and hand embroidery as well as free motion quilting.

  I didn't have enough of either fabric to make five using the same leaf prints so two received the green/yellow and two received the turquoise/blue, and I kept this green/yellow.  I had enough to make three.   

What fun these type of exchanges are!  Gather up four or five of your quilting buddies and get started!  Just make sure they are folks who will commit to completing the challenge!

Great Weekend!

 

We had such a nice weekend!  Ron, Bob's son, came to spend the night Saturday while MaryJo had a sister's weekend in Oxford.  Worked out great so Bob and Ron could yell at the TV together while watching college football!  Michigan did a great job so there were happy faces...doesn't look like it in this picture (I have to sneak taking pics!).  It's always fun to have the kids here and Ron and Bob are great at the banter and cheering on Michigan! 

It was a good game to watch..although I was knitting and would get thrown off counting my stitches when either Bob, Ron or the announcer would talk about yardage or scores...I would be counting stitches and someone would say "19" and I'd think...hmmmm thought I was only on 15 stitches!  Yep..I did a lot of recounting!  

Darrin and Nick were at the Boo Bash Lacrosse weekend in Indiana!  They were in Ernie, PA last weekend and now this past weekend!  Yes, they get Covid tests often!!  Nick scored several times this weekend...and had a few assists as well.  He's really doing so well at Lacrosse.

And we received news last week he's been accepted at Lawrence Tech U, for engineering (here in Michigan) and was also offered a spot on the LTU Blue Devil's Men's Lacrosse Team.  His official signing is planned for October 30th at LTU with Coach Nemzek, mom and dad.  So excited for Nick!  

That's our boy, #2!  But number 1 in my mind!

Darrin said Nick has really increased his speed running the field and he's playing better since he's been accepted to LTU!  

Darrin sent out this picture....he said "this now means our house will have a SAINT and a BLUE DEVIL"...Amber goes to Siena Heights and plays Lacrosse (yep, she's the Saint).   Funny!

Bob and I raked 8 bags of leaves after Ron left!  We're way behind on raking this fall but the leaves haven't fallen that bad....yet...we had over 23+ bags (Bob's count) last fall.  Appears we have quite a few yet to go!

Sharing some beautiful work from a friend

 

I've mentioned my Florida friend, Verna, often on my blog.  Verna is one talented lady...she's known as the OP baker because she makes cakes friends birthday's.  Every cake she makes look and taste like something from a famous baker!  Verna is also an accomplished seamstress, quilter, heirloom sewer and hostess just to name a few!  Her workmanship is impeccable...I wish you could see some of her work in person but hope you'll enjoy some of her past and latest projects....of course, I'm showing some of her fantastic cooking/baking pics as well.  ENJOY!  With Verna's permission, I would like to introduce you to her again!  My talented friend, Verna!

 

This is the finished quilt Verna completed!  I think it is beautiful.  I've seen this in progress when we were in Florida and it is beautiful!!!

I love the scalloped edges!!  Again, workmanship is perfect!

Close up of the quilt blocks.

How many of us show the back of our work!  Well, this quilt can go either way!  How beautiful.

This is still the back of the quilt...but check out the pillows she made to go with the quilt!!

Some of the flowers she embroidered on her machine

This is the pattern she used for this quilt.  I love the colors Verna picked for this quilt!

Verna also does beautiful Heirloom sewing (Martha Pullen) and machine embroidery work.  Here are a few items she has made.

Again, workmanship is impeccable!

Hand towel...so delicate!

This is another current, finished project Verna completed.

this is the slip from the pattern! 

Are these adorable or what!!!!!

Verna is a wonderful hostess as you can see from one of the tea's she had for us a few years ago!

The food was delicious and just look at her table!  Martha Stewart doesn't have anything on Verna!  I think Martha may have met her match!

I almost forgot...Verna does the most beautiful calligraphy when addressing note cards, place cards or envelopes.  I love receiving an envelope from Verna!  Just beautiful!

This is a black velvet shoe bag Verna made for me!  I've used it a few times but now keep on my shelf so I can just look at it from time to time!  No more traveling for us!  HA

It is beautiful and so elegant...

And now introducing you to Verna the "baker extraordinaire"!  These are just some of her cakes from our past winters in Florida.  Verna would always make me a cake (as well as others in our group of 12).  I certainly do miss those days too!  

This was a chocolate/chocolate cake and it was delicious...hard for me to pick which cake I liked the best...have to say they are all SO good...but you know me and chocolate!

I believe this was a carrot cake and Verna is known for her carrot cakes!

Check out the beautiful, decorative flowers!

And tasted fantastic!  I think I ate most of it myself!

In 2019, our last winter in Florida, Verna and another bud came over to do some ice dyeing and it was a fun day.  I wished we would have done more playing with dyes/paints/etc. but I'll always remember the times I have spent with this lady...and she is a lady!  I hope you enjoyed meeting another one of my talented friends!  

Knitting Time (again)!

 

Yep...it's knitting time...at least inbetween my online class work with Hilary.  I am still working on silhouette's and background inspiration(s)...but I've narrowed it down and that makes me excited!  Now to make a few small collage pieces on what I may want as my finished piece.  Until then, this is my latest knitted project!  The pattern is call 'Ixia' and was designed by Susanna IC (her web site is called ArtQualia) and this pattern is available on Ravelry.  

This is a picture of the lace pattern on the bottom hem as well as on the sleeves.  I'm hoping with the needles I'm using to obtain gauge that this T will fit!  That's always a concern!  

This is the yarn/color I'm knitting my T in...my sister is also knitting the same pattern but she'll finish hers way before me!  I've only finished the yoke and will now start on the body/raglan sleeves.  The pattern is worked from the top down or up depending on how you look at it!  HA

One of the reasons I mention this designer (besides I loving her patterns!) but she was so kind as to answer emails I had on one of the stitches she uses in this pattern.  I had emailed that I was self taught so this stitch was 'new' to me.  Susanna was gracious enough to link me up to a YouTube that certainly explained it...in a funny way, but it worked!  And, come to find out, Susanna is self taught!  WHAT!  I was shocked to hear that...you have to see some of her patterns/designs!  She does quite a lot of lace work,which ya all know I love now!  For those followers, who are knitters, check out her web page or Raverly.  

And to show some beautiful fall color from Michigan!  How about this fall picture, taken from our DIL, Kris! It's a picture of our grandson, Nick, with his Jeep and his latest finished project of adding a "Lift pkg" and big tires! No, I don't know what all that means other than I will need someone to help me get up into Nick's Jeep for my next ride!

12"x12" Challenge

 Five of us who have previously participated in a 12"x12" exchange did it again this year!  It is so much fun to receive these little quilts and see the different techniques and styles of each person.  I'll be posting the ones I received when I have all of them..our mail out date was just this week.  Until then...here are the ones I finished.  I wasn't sure who received which one as I put them in envelopes and then put on the labels!!  I couldn't decide which to send to whom!  HA  These really are 12" square!!!  I need to learn how to photograph my work don't I!

This was my first sample/test 12"x12" quilt.  I kept this for myself as I had other ideas/colorways after I did this one! 

The leaf print is one that I made last summer using a stencil I made of leaves and stamping with thickened Procion dyes.  Only problem I didn't have much of this print...but I did have two small pieces in different colors.

This was the 2nd one I made using the yellow border, which I like so much better than just the green binding in the first one.  

I used Aurifil Lana threads to embroider the leaves and free motion quilted around the leaves.

I actually had to buy some commercial fabric, the blue center fabric, as I didn't have any color fabric to match!  Go figure, right!

I haven't been in a quilt shop in over two years since my quilting bud, Susan and I went while we were in Florida!

And the last one!  I enjoyed working on these, with the exception of the last few weeks trying to embroider with stitches in my thumb!  Yikes!  Even when the stitches were taken out, it's still tender but nothing a band-aid and a rubber finger couldn't fix somewhat! 

Next post should have the four I receive!  Love getting them in the mail!