Fall Has Arrived!

Fall is here and I love it! Warm-ish days and cool-ish nights. It can stay like this awhile, please.

These past couple of days I was sewing with friends at Rock Springs Rotary Park in O'Fallon, IL. What a beautiful setting and the facilities were very nice -- once the gentleman came to turn off the A/C and switch it on to heat! It was in the 50s and I guess a room full of women with irons put out enough heat for the A/C to keep kicking on. Brrrr!

Anyway, the reason we were there was because Dana, our fearless leader, once again invited Irene Blanck from Australia to guide us along with her patterns. You remember how I'd been working on Mosaics by Irene. She is so much fun and has loads of tips for us. This is my 3rd year sewing with Irene and once again I learned a new tip PLUS she reminded me of a couple that I'd forgotten.

There were 17 of us sewing along on lots of patterns. Two of us  were sewing on Eva Grace. I got this far.

Unfortunately I didn't get any of the leaves sewn down nor the two flowers. We all fell in love with my vase fabric and there was talk of not putting that quirky stem & leaves across it. I may not sew on all five leaves from the original pattern but I will be keeping that stem.

I want to let you know that I love retreats. We are all sewing on our projects and just chat about everything and nothing. I met a really fun gal that I might not have ever met since she doesn't live near here. She heard about this retreat through her guild. I hope to catch up with Amy again one day.

Gracie & I had a wonderful walk today. Pictures from this morning's walk include Gracie, the changing leaf colors, and fungi. Enjoy!

I'll be linking up with Movin' It Forward on Em's Scrapbag on Monday. You should check out the incredible projects these ladies are working on!

Off the Grid Lately

I haven't posted in a bit. Not really sure why other than I haven't. Let's change that! I'll work backwards until I catch up or get tired of posting or think that maybe I've bored you enough for one sitting!

Here's a picture of a new project I started yesteday. Yes, I started another project ... but this one is tiny. The only handwork is this 4" x 6.5" background. There is a little wool to be added, piecing involved later, and then it's done. I bought this pattern at a vendor at my guild's last quilt show. Since I'm working as Publicity Chair on the quilt show committee, I thought maybe I should get this project out and finished before next June's show! (This pattern came with two patterns inside and I bought another one as well -- that means three more cute little quilts after this one is finished! Yikes!) 

The picture on the left is how I started my Friday Night Sew-In last night. I'll be linking up with the girls here and there are 21 of us this month!!!! Check in to see what a creative group we are! Thank you, Wendy, for hosting this wonderful group of ladies again this month!!!

Last night I also finished up this little cat stitchery. I saw my friend Pat working on a dog one and I told her how cute I thought it was. Pat explained how it was a kit with everything in there including the drawn pattern on the quilted fabric and a needle! She had a cat kit to go along with her dog kit -- would I like to have it? Um, yes! It was supposed to be stitched in red but I subbed the red out for green ('cause that's my favorite color).

Of course I've been working away on my Dresden Workshop Quilt. I'm still two weeks behind but I think I've come up with a word for Block #1: SING! I thought about WHISTLE in tribute to my dear ol' dad since he was a whistler and his mother's parents came from Dresden, Germany and I still may change out to that anyway. Still have time to figure it out!

This is the block that I hadn't settled on the dresden center. Isn't it cute? Glad I switched it out.

I've also been working on some Christmas projects which I can't share with you yet ....

Also linking up with Moving It Forward. Check out what Em and the rest of us have been doing this past week.

Until next time, have a great week!

Due to the Columbus Day Holiday ...

I was temporarily off the grid. But I'd like to play catch up now.

My Kathy Schmitz "Be Mine" embroidery is done. All that's left is the "finish" to make it into a little quilted wall hanging. So far so good! (It could also use a little pressing!)

The Lady Claire socks I was knitting for Loopy Academy have been 100% finished. That means I've also blocked them! That's a very important step that I sometimes do not actually do. Aren't they pretty sitting with that purple clematis? Can't believe it but I've actually got two blooms due to the unbelievably warm weather we've been having here in the Midwest!

I also finished these two steps in the very fun Dresden Workshop Quilt. I actually am just about done with another step but I changed my mind on the little center so the picture will have to wait until next week. Hopefully I'll have an additional step or two to add to this collection by then. Loving how this is working up .... so far!

I still have a slight dilemna: The very first step was a block with the word "Quilts" in it. That's all fine and dandy for some but I want something different. I've toyed with "Family" and "Ooh La La!" since it's French General fabrics. I also thought about "Gracie" or "Polly" for the pets ... just because. Don't want "Faith" or "Bliss". Any suggestions out there?????

And last but certainly not least, I finished up this EPP design that I stitched up eons ago. I love the quilting on it and the spiffy red binding. Here's the front: 

And here't the back. My initials & year are in the bottom right corner. I'll be taking it to guild meeting tonight to donate for the auction next month. I hope it finds a good home!

On my walk yesterday, I spied these "soldiers" all in a row. Aren't they cute? Couldn't resist a fungi photo!

Have a great rest of your week!