Wednesday

October Client Quilts

This month I quilted 4 projects for the quilt shop. 

I quilted this table topper and matching table runner. 














I quilted a Christmas wall hanging for the shop too. The original pattern was for a large quilt but the shop manager liked it better it a smaller version so one of my co-workers made the sample using less blocks than the original pattern. I love the star blocks so much that I am going to have to download the free pattern from the fabric manufacturer just to make my own version.












I also made this sample. It has lots of little 'house' blocks that border the panel. I am always happy and amazed when the borders come out the exact size they need to be to match the panel.


The only other quilting I did was for my daughter. She made my granddaughter a butterfly patch quilt and I quilted it for her. I really wanted her to come over and do it herself. But I forget that the longarmer can be a bit intimidating at first glance.



And that's it for this month. I also had one of the ladies from my church quilt group come over to use the longarmer to quilt a small lap quilt. She plans on quilting 2 queen sized quilts next month. I like having the company in the sewing room - it keeps me in my sewing room for the day without the distraction of things like housecleaning or cooking - ha!

Friday

Perfect Table Topper

I made this table topper with no pattern. I used the leftovers from a pillow project I made last fall. Some of the scrap pieces were pretty small so the best I could come up with was 2-inch squares. I sewed 100 of them together - 10 rows of 10 squares. 

I added an inner border cut from 1-inch strips of coordinating fabric. The outer border strips are 2-3/4 inch strips of fabric. I used 100% cotton batting and matching fabric backing layered and quilted in a meandering pattern.

Using the same fabric for the binding as the inner border really made this project look like it was better planned than it really was - ha! The finished project measures 20" x 20" square - a perfect size for the center of any table.

Square Table Topper

Wednesday

Craft Fair Table Runners

In an effort to replenish my table runner selection for my next craft fair, I made a few fall and Christmas runners. I used up scraps from last year for the fall ones, and some new fabrics for the Christmas ones. I was in quite a hurry to complete these, so I didn't spend much time on pattern selection. I really need to take some quality time to look at patterns for Christmas projects, and I plan to make that a November priority but for now, these will have to do. 





Saturday

New (old) Bathroom Door

My husband refinished this old door this week. On one of our antique adventures we picked up the glass door knobs - that's something I look for everywhere we go. This one was so pretty after he cleaned up the plate behind the knob. 



This is our powder room door on the first floor of the house. It's next to my sliding barn-door that's stained the same color. The basement door is also on the same wall and needs to be replaced. Once we find an old door we will change it out.

Fall Decorations

The pandemic has changed so many things including trick-or-treating. In our community, it was cancelled, then reinstated, and now that the cases are on the rise, it's a use your own discretion thing.  Since we don't have small children of trick-or-treating age we are ok with skipping it. We even decided to go light on the fall decorating. We usually go all out with tombstones and giant wooden ghosts and the grim reaper in the yard. It feels like a good year to take time off from all of that.

So our decorations look like this:


That's the back yard and in front we have a mum plant and more little pumpkins.


What I've discovered is that there is great joy in not working so hard to decorate lots. I'm seriously thinking about selling some of my decor next year at our summer rummage sale. I'm surprised how much I enjoyed not decorating. Maybe this is one of the effects of living through a pandemic, I guess time will tell.

Monday

10-Minute Table Runner Test

I picked up a 10-minute table runner kit from the quilt shop's clearance bin and I thought I would test it out. Does it really take just 10 minutes? I was going to find out. 

I felt a little like I was cheating because the fabrics were already cut in the kit. I did remeasure to make sure they were correct so I guess that could count towards the time I saved by using these precut pieces. 

The first step was to sew the pieces together to make a long tube. Then flip it right side out and press so that the feature fabric was in the center.


Then I had to trim the uneven edges off, fold the runner in half and stitch along the cut edge.


Then I had to iron the seam flat.



Once flipped over after pressing the seam the runner looked like this.




At this point the instructions suggest an embellishment to hold the fabric down once folded over. I didn't do that. I think I would like it better if I did some free motion quilting on it which I will do another time. (I don't like to put the free motion foot on my machine until I have more than once project to quilt.)

According to the clock this project took a total of 14 minutes. I guess I will have to work faster next time.

Saturday

Vintage Shop Hop

We went on a Vintage & Antique Shop Hop that happens twice a year - once in spring and once in fall. Participating shops are located in Wisconsin and Illinois. We did it in spring and loved it so we thought we would do it again. In spring we headed north into central Wisconsin and this time we headed south into Illinois. It's a fun adventure. 

I was specifically looking for an antique water pump and I did find one. 

Mostly I picked up on some ideas for my own crafts to make. I tried to purchase a cow trough but it was too pricey - or maybe my negotiating skills were lacking by the end of the day. 




I did get my photo taken at The Copper Cow Antiques with a cow that the owners have as a pet. Yes, pet.

Before we headed home we stopped at The Duck Inn Supper Club in Delavan, Wisconsin. We just love the supper club atmosphere and it's a great way to end the day.

Thursday

What's on the design board?

I finished my Button Collection quilt top and it's currently on the longarmer. I don't know when I will quilt it - hopefully soon but I'm just not motivated to do it today. I took the leftover jelly roll strips from that quilt to make a second quilt. This one is called Pencil Me In. It just happens to use the same amount of 2 and a half inch strips that I have left. I guess it was meant to be haha.

I have all the prints sewn together and I am working on the background now. I don't have enough fabric for the background so I will have to pick up some more next time I'm at the shop. But I will get as far as I can with what I have. 

I am enjoying the beginning of fall so I thought I would take photos from around the yard as it is today. The flowers are too pretty to compost so I won't be doing any fall decorating this week. Maybe after the first frost when everything wilts.