Tag Archive | Halloween

And… the holidays are here…

This year is flying by!  Much too fast for my taste at the moment.  Especially when I can actually sense when my kids have “grown up” a little since last week.

Lots since the last post, just not a lot of time to sit and type up a blog entry.  I appreciate that you stopped by – hopefully you will see something that interested you.

Since the last post, many things have gone on around here.  Long post with the pictures, but since I’m down to a single post per month – maybe you can persist with me?

My company moved their office to a completely new building – all new construction and only one other company that moved in the same weekend as we did with three other floors vacant.

Here is my new office.  Light, bright and very sterile.  I’m deciding on some custom quilt wall hanging to coordinate and decorate my space.  Not a lot of wall space (just one full wall and that narrow strip you can see in front of my desk – just perfect for a wall “runner”:

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We also had a huge yard sale, which wasn’t really worth the effort that we put into it.  And Halloween came and went.  Our cat is now as big as my daughter!

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During the same weekend, I was able to get a few hours in at the annual Quilt Festival.  My husband was a great sport about it and went along with me.  First time for Fat Quarter Shop to attend as a vendor and I was very excited to meet them in person!  Love their new t-shirts – super soft!  I also stumbled into the booth for Red Crinoline Quilts without realizing it.  But I looked around and thought … “I know these quilts!  Where am I?”  Got some great photo ops with everyone!

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I finally put the binding on this quilt and wrote on a label, using one of the neutral block squares on the front of the quilt (which I did after taking this picture).

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Then, this past weekend, I decided to buckle down and start on a quilt for a dear friend.  I thought about getting my Reach for the Stars done and gifting it to her, but I think she would really like something more colorful (but not too bright as she has told me).  Dawn – you would be proud of me … I at least put on a couple of the inside containment borders, and I left my stuff out and available to get back on this ASAP.

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So – I went back to my original plan of Sandy Gervais patterns and fabric.  I had selected the Fine China pattern with the Rambling Rose fabric collection to make for my friend.  But, the quilt would end up being a huge 102″ square.  And I need something a little faster.  You see, my friend has been diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer which has already spread to her lungs and stomach.  We are hopeful for the treatment therapy (oral chemo) to work a miracle for her.  I am devastated by the impact of such a close friend going through this.  I work with her every day and I just have no thoughts other than positive to keep her around.  So, I took my fabrics for Fine China and am now going to make them into another Sandy Gervais pattern called Rose Garden.  I think it will be a great fit for my friend’s personality and tastes.

I grabbed this screen capture from Sandy Gervais’s website that shows the completed quilt.  You can follow this link to see the pattern details and order directly from her site.

Rose Garden Picture

You can see I’m using the same fabrics as she did, but I am planning on finishing it a bit different with an extra border in the aqua/rain color print on the left and top sides.  I want it big enough to be a lap/couch quilt.

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So, it is a labor of love and I’m enjoying the soothing, romantic feel of the Rambling Rose fabric.  I hope you are finding inspiration today in your projects as well.  Thanks for stopping by and I hope to blog again soon!  If you want to check in more often, you can follow me on instagram at jengwyn and I hashtag my posts with #seamscrazyquilts.  I think I’m doing it right.  Not entirely sure!!

Jennifer

Another Friday, Another late night opportunity

Fridays are particularly special for me because I have no hesitation to stay up late working on my quilt projects.  I can get the kids tucked in, and then it’s all about “me time”.  Yes, I do have a husband, and he does live with us.  However, he has no capacity anymore to stay up past 9:00 pm.  So – I get to go a little retro and pull late night sessions like I was in college again.

First – I wanted to show you what I have in my shopping basket right now with FQS.

There is a new collection of backgrounds/neutrals that really caught my eye.  It is Linen Closet by Renee Nanneman.

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I have two favorites in this group … the bees and the pins:

LinenCloset Bees

LinenCloset Bees

LinenCloset Pins

LinenCloset Pins

Both of these come in two colorways – light gray and wheat.  I’m thinking the ‘Pins’ fabric will be a perfect background to go into the next Vintage AYOS pattern, called “Gentle Art”.

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Gentle Art Pattern

If you were following some of the quilty blogs late last year, there was a big sew-along on another thread spool pattern.  Although I had my fabric all picked out for it, I never got around to starting it.  Now I have another chance for redemption – because I do think a “Spool” wall hanging is a must-have for anyone with a spare bedroom corner of a sewing room.  The May AYOS pattern is called “Gentle Art”.  You can purchase the PDF pattern through Carrie’s website by clicking here.

My thought is to browse through my vast collection of charm packs and jelly rolls of vintage Fig Tree fabric (perhaps Allspice Tapestry or Mill House Inn) and get started on this one as soon as I get my order in from FQS for the background.  I was so inspired by the parade of quilts this week, that I am going to really study this pattern to see how I can make it my own.

Finally – I suppose it is time to get started on my Halloween BOM that I have collected over the past six months.  I ordered the Sew Spooky BOM from Suzanne’s Quilt Shop and have all the components now, except for the backing.  You can find this BOM at a lot of online shops, just search for it on the internet.

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Isn’t it adorable?  Some piecing, some applique, some fussy cutting and an accessory kit to go with it.  Then I came across a new collection of Halloween theme fabric, called Spooky Shadows, while browsing “What’s New” on the FQS site and I believe I have selected this to be the backing.  Cute – yes?:

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Ok, I guess that’s enough on my plate for today.  Hope you are getting excited about some upcoming, quality “me time”.

Have a spectacular weekend and thanks for stopping by today!

Jennifer

Weight Loss through Quilting!

Or, at least offset some of the weight I’m likely to gain by sitting at a machine for too long!

I gathered up my Yo Yo supplies and found a neat stackable set of bins that was perfect.  I can fit my full size scissors and lay my charm squares flat inside.  Got this during Joann’s sale last week at almost no cost given the discount and coupons I had for the sale!

Stacker Trays

So, my weight loss tip is to pack a lunch and eat at my desk instead of going out for fast food or really anything that would be obtained in a restaurant.  Come to think of it … Quilting helps me save MONEY too!!  You can NOT beat that!

Here’s my progress on the Yo Yos in Tapestry that I’m making for the Yoyoville quilt (pattern by Bunny Hill Designs).

Yo Yo Progress 10-10-2012

I love these colors!!  And finally, a shot of the trays all stacked and snapped together:

Cute, huh?  Will be perfect for any hexagon project I may want to tackle later, after the Yo Yos are done.

Also wanted to show a few gratuitous pictures of the kids from last weekend when we went to a combination pumpkin patch, petting farm, etc… ranch here in Houston (Halter, Inc.).  They are open each weekend during October.  They also have a playground area for kids, haunted trail, pony rides, pony cart rides, face painting available and sell home made goods along with snacks, drinks and hot dogs/hamburgers.

Oliver with Goat

Nora with Goat

You can really tell better from this picture in the pumpkin patch that is was quite warm on this Saturday (probably in the upper 90s).  And of course we were there in the middle of the afternoon.  Luckily, fall weater rolled through the next day and it has been really beautiful lately!

Pumpkin Patch

Also received my backing fabric yesterday for my MIL Stars and Stripes quilt.  It will be just right!  But, I think I need to finish the baby quilt I made for a friend, since the baby is now two months old!  How fast time flies when you have to work, cook, clean, bathe, take care of family, maybe sleep, commute, eat, ….

 Happy Quilting!

Jennifer

Fall Projects Planned

I have a couple of projects planned for the fall along with smaller items I hope to give at Christmas time to co-workers and family.  I have seen a lot of good ideas like pin cushions, table runners, candle mats, mug rugs and zippy cases that would work well.  But I have two larger projects that I want to start.

First is a Halloween themed table topper that I don’t have a pattern for, but I saw this picture on someone’s blog a couple of months ago and just loved it.  I’m pretty sure I can figure it out by easily sewing lots of strips together and then cutting them into the large triangles.  It’s probably pretty easy – just have to figure out the right size for those smaller triangles that make it look layered.  Here’s a picture of my inspiration (if you recognize where I got this from in blogland, please leave me a comment):

Halloween Table Topper

I’m not even sure how big this is, but I can adjust my strip sizes to make it as big or small as I want.  Let’s see how that goes…

The second project is a special quilt for my grandmother.  She has given me three quilts in my life and was the one who inspired me to take up quilting when I was in college.  I started first by making cardboard hexagons and trying to hand piece fabric cut from bandanas (for some reason – I’m not sure what I was thinking about now).  That was quickly abandoned and I ended up making my first quilt as a small Christmas wreath wall hanging that I gave to my Mom and then a King size log cabin Christmas quilt that I gave to a boyfriend and then reclaimed on the premise that if we didn’t stay together, the quilt stayed with me.  Therefore, I still get to enjoy it almost every day.  He didn’t appreciate me enough to keep it.

So… back to the quilt for Maw Maw.  I have thought about it and looked at different ideas.  She always made hers with bright colors and fabrics.  I hope she will like this one…

It’s a pattern by Lori Holt of Bee in my Bonnet fame.  I’m also using the same fabric that is in the pattern, which is called Millie’s Closet by Lori Holt as well.

Millie’s Closet fabric collection by Lori Holt

Bright enough for ya?  I wanted a lot of contrast and colors for Maw Maw.  I got all my stuff from the Fat Quarter Shop, which is my fave.

Happy quilting!

Jennifer