Fall

While summer is my least favorite time of year, it at least has the decency to make way for the best season ever: fall! I love, love, love fall. Always have. When I was younger it meant back to school. Buying new clothes and picking out that perfect outfit for the first day back. Got to see all the friends again that I may not have seen or even talked to over the summer. Soccer games, sleepovers, dances, and boys. My birthday, often falling on that wonderful Columbus Day weekend. Then the temperature started to drop. Cold nights and wood smoke. Apples from the orchard sitting in their white paper bags in the kitchen. Apple pie. And oh the leaves, the smell of the leaves. All the reds and golds and oranges. It doesn't get much better than fall in the Adirondacks.

In the past, I'd get awfuly nostalgic around this time of year as colleges and high schools started classes up again, putting yet another year between me and my youth. Another reminder of a time past when friends were plentiful and responsibilities few. Now, it's not so bad. Now I get excited about the return of prime time TV. Sweaters and pumpkin pancakes. And Halloween. Oh, how I love Halloween.

Summer Hiatus

Wow. More than a month has passed and I've barely crafted, or blogged. I'm really not a fan of summer. I don't dislike it (much), but it's my least favorite season. Sure there are lots of fun things to do, and more events for seeing people I might not normally see, but yuck. Boo to bathing suits, and sunscreen, and tan lines. (not sure where that came from- I'm way past the days of laying in the sun or caring about tan lines) Mosquitos and bug spray. Humidity. Yes, beaches are great. Beaches with kids? I just don't enjoy it. So much to carry. And what kid doesn't have to poop when they get there? Worst of all? That pesky extra daylight and late bedtimes. I am with my kids from 8 AM until 10 PM. Every day. That means no TV for me, no movies. I miss TV and movies. No time for just me and the hubs. I miss having time in the evenings to just chill and unwind. [note: I realize that I'm lucky that the kids sleep in when going to bed late. and that I'm being needlessly whiny. yes, I'm lucky that I'm home all day and have that extra time, I know, I know. nobody else gets to do those things either, but I'm being rather selfish now, thank you.]

I'm not sure when the official end of summer is. That defintion changes over the years. Back to school, back to college. Labor day. Cool nights. I just don't know.

Fabric Obsession

It's more like a fabric website obsession. Ever have a week where things kind of fall in to place? That's how I feel after finding The Fat Quarter Shop. www.fatquartershop.com

I really don't like picking fabric for projects. It's ok, but I'm really bad at finding colors that work together. If I love a fabric and want to design a quilt around it, I do ok, but otherwise I don't really enjoy it.

I did not even realize (stupid, I know) that deigners make collecitons of fabric. Just never thought about it. Sometimes ten, even forty fabrics that all work beautifully together. And it gets better. You don't have to just buy it by the yard. They sell bundles. Fat quarters, fat eighths. Jelly rolls. Yes, jelly rolls. Long narrow strips of fabric all bundled up nice and cozy. But wait, there's more. Quilts are even designed using these cuts. Oh so cute quilts that mash dozens of colors together.

Once I get my next two projects underway, I'm placing a big, big order!

Project #5: Complete

Wedding sampler done! Almost. Waiting on Claddagh charm to come in mail. Then I can can get it framed. WooHoo!

Project #2: Complete

Yeah! Never mind that it took me from midnight to 5:30 am. I did it! I've only used my machine for small parts of a couple projects. It was time to learn. And it was SO fun!

First I had to sew on the ric-rac and then machine applique the fork and spoon. The pattern called for flowers, the Hubs suggested a fork and spoon. He always comes up with my good ideas. I do realize how horrible the applique job is. I'd recommend practicing sewing straight lines before attempting this. At least when I did the fork, I found I could narrow the stitch width to make it a little neater. I probably could have taken out the stitches and tried again (and again, and again), but I wanted it done so this was my first and only go at it.

The rest of the piecing went really quickly.

Pocket detail.

Gather, add pleats and waistband.

Done! I have to say I was surprised how much fun I had doing this. I thought the machine would be harder to use. I even had to wind a bobbin, and what fun that is! I bought some colored thread for my next project and I didn't want to have to wind bobbins. Silly me. Stay tuned for Project # 1!

Monday. Do it!

Monday is my favorite day of the week. I'm sure it would be much different if I had to go to work. But for me, it's a fresh start to a new week. Full of hope. I'm forever making plans, and making messes. I always think that THIS will be the week I catch up. It likely won't be, but I'll try. And I'll commit to finishing something.

What project are you having a hard time starting? Or finishing? Do it today!

I'll be working on Project #1 tonight.

Beginner's Quilting Book

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn to quilt, especially if you don't know how to sew. I flipped through some books at Joann Fabrics, and this one looked easy to follow. It truly is, and I still refer back to it whenever I make something new. A lot of quilt patterns in magazines will give instructions for piecing the quilt top, then end with "quilt and bind as desired." It is nice to have this thourough step-by-step guide to use. Plus it has a couple of patterns that make great baby quilts!

It contains instructions for both hand and machine piecing, so it's good for sewers of all abilites.

Here is my first attempt at both sewing and quilting. It's a quilted Nine-Patch block. Lesson Number One.