Getting ready

I never know what to use for a title for these blogs.  My creativity has never been in writing!

We are getting ready to go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for a few days.  The camper is cleaned up, the water tank is filled and we are ready to start loading food and clothes.  It's not really a huge job, the camper is a small one and we travel light.  I'm not taking any sewing with me, I think we have lots of things to keep us busy, plus I don't want to loose a needle inside the camper.  I do have some magazines to get more ideas of cute things to make.  If we get some good pictures, I will post them when we get back.

I have finished quilting Patriots Home but I don't have a label on it yet:

Here is a close up of the center block:

It is hand quilted, mostly in the ditch, with stars stitched into the corner squares.  I love the fabrics and the pattern.  It turned out quite nice, I think.  It is from the Jan/Feb 2010 issue of McCall's Quilting magazine.  I ordered the fabrics online so I could get the exact ones used in the magazine.  There is a mini quilt pattern on the McCall's web site that I may try someday.  The hexagon template for it is less than an inch wide, so that might be fun.  The mini finishes at 16 1/2 X 16 1/2 inches.  The larger version is 41 1/2 X 41 1/2 inches.  I had fun making it, the flower blocks were what really caught my eye.  They are made from a striped fabric that has 2 1/2 inch wide strips of each of the different fabrics in the line.  The hexagon template is centered over the line between two different fabric stripes to create the pattern in the flower shape.   

I have my September Snowbound block all finished, too:

I think I have to call her Miss September since she is wearing a purple hat and pink scarf.  It's hard to believe there are only three more snowmen to come before the BOM ends.  I am having so much fun with them.

My other finishes are these:

This one is all done.  The next one is almost done.  I still have to add the little glass beads for eyes on the owl, bat and cat and "write" on the headstones. 

Each headstone has a quilty saying.  There are two more blocks to be made yet, one with a pumpkin and one with a black cat.  They will make up a Halloween wall hanging that I hope will be ready by the end of October.  These block patterns were free at the shop stroll from a couple of weeks ago.  

I have been working on Two Piece Puzzle a little.  I have about half of the red star blocks finished and only one of the blue star blocks ready.  I am anxious to get them done so I can sew them into rows and get the quilt top together.  Once that is done, I can put my swap blocks together into a top and I still need to sew the Snowbound blocks together with their Irish Chain blocks.  I still have lots to keep me busy!

Now it is time to go bake some oatmeal cookies for our trip, tomorrow is laundry and packing.  I won't be near a computer while we are away so I will catch up with everyone when I get back! 

I love to get the mail . . .

Wow, where has the summer gone?  I love all the lovely fall fabrics in the stores, all the yellows, oranges, reds, greens and browns.  They are all so "comfortable" feeling.

I have more swap blocks to show off:

From Liri:

I love the fabrics, especially the little apples in the one block and the funky jungle print in the border of the other one.  The beautiful yucca embroidery block is so nicely done.  She also sent some chocolate, it is long gone but was so yummy, a picture frame, buttons and the great piece of fabric.  Thank you Liri, you are so generous and talented!

Next, from Mary:

 Mary went all out with her package.  Her blocks are so pretty, she has some really beautiful fabrics in them.  And Fannie May candies, I can't get Fannie May in NM unless I order it online . . .  Originally being from the Midwest, I love Fannie May chocolate!  She also sent a Hancock's of Paducah catalog and a Quilt magazine.  I can spend hours browsing through them.  The Hancock's catalog is fantastic, I can get lost in there.  And the NM gardening book.  She remembered my blog where I talked about how different gardening in a high semiarid desert is from where I grew up in Illinois.  This is a "thank you" for the funny chicken pattern I tracked down for her earlier this year.  Mary, this was way more than I expected and I thank you very much!

And these just arrived today from Christine:

These fabrics are wonderful reproduction fabrics, I love them, too.  I have some very similar fabrics in my stash.  Thank you Christine, you made my day!  I am really enjoying receiving all these different blocks.  The variety of colors, styles and fabrics are just so much fun.  My quilt will be a beautiful scrappy one. 

What have I been working on?  I have 'Patriots Home' almost all quilted.  I want to stitch some stars into the corner blocks before I add the binding.  I have not worked on the big red, cream and blue quilt for a while.  It will be next.  I have been playing with the Halloween applique block patterns I got free as part of the shop stroll I blogged about in my earlier post.  I have one almost finished, three more to go but I think I can have the wall hanging done for Halloween.  We will see!  The next Snowbound block comes out on Sunday so I am anxious to see what it will be.  I have pictures of the eight snowmen that are complete on my Flickr page.  It is such a treat to have comments from Anne Sutton about each block.

We are planning a trip in the next few weeks to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  I needed a haircut, so I decided I wanted something different.  I went with a layered cut and a perm.  I had done it years ago and really liked the effect.  Not this time, I hate it!  The perm didn't turn out as curly as I wanted, it was just kinda wavy when I let it air dry.  I didn't want to haul the hair dryer and curling iron on the trip but I think I will.  It is better when I straighten it with the dryer and then curl it.  I'm not happy with it, but it will grow out and I can try something different the next time.  

That's about all for now.  Keep on sewing!