Happy Halloween !!!!

My second favorite holiday of the year!  I love the colors of fall, the kids in all their costumes, giving out candy to all the excited trick or treaters (although where I live, we never have any trick or treaters, bummer!), and all the Halloween decorations.

The 2013 Wicked Blog Hop already started on Oct 22nd, but if you stop over to my friend Joan's, blog, Moosestash Quilting, you can see all her wonderful Halloween projects.  She is so talented and I covet her collection of Halloweenie items.  If she lived closer, she'd be missing a few of them, lol.  Then check this page for the list of bloggers participating.  You'll see some fabulous example of why I love Halloween decos.

Amy's annual Blogger's Quilt Festival has started.  Be sure to stop in every day and see all the wonderful quilts made by bloggers from all over.  You'll find lots of inspiration for your future projects!

My friend Joan is entered in this one - check out her entry called Wish Upon a Star.  Isn't it beautiful?  Go to her blog and view all the other pictures of this quilt, you won't be sorry!

Then mark your calendar and vote for her in the Applique Category from November 1 – 7th.

I found these 2 cute Halloween quilts on the web years ago, but never could get the patterns.  Aren't they cute?

I'll leave you with some cute Halloween cartoons.  Hope you have a safe and happy Halloween.

Happy quilting and Happy Halloween from Sharon and the Marmalade kitties, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash

     

Stitch and Bitch....

We had two birthdays to celebrate this month in my Stitch 'n Bitch group and my fire hall group, Donna G and Gail.  For their birthdays, we went out to lunch at an Italian restaurant and then on to the new quilt shop in our area,  The Witch's Stitches.  Lots of laughs and eating went on, but forgot my camera again, so sorry - no pics.

Some of us get to celebrate Gail's birthday again in the S 'n B group, so this time we're going to the best local Oriental restaurant in the city, Beijing Gardens.  We'll also be celebrating Carol M's birthday that day, so I'm looking forward to the shrimp and scallops in hot garlic sauce. Yum!  Afterwards we'll come back to my house for birthday cake and ice cream and presents!  I love presents!  (And birthday cake and ice cream, too, lol.)

Mary has been really busy this month, with several projects to show us at S 'n B.  She made the 1600 Strip quilt with a black and white jelly roll and it came out stunning.

Then she made the cutest witch's boot to put on her front door!  Of course, Patsy Cline had to check things out!

 

Mary showed us another of her fruits and veggies wall hangings - this one has a jar of dog bones with a doggie trying to get at them.  Too cute!

And I actually finished a stitching project this time!  It's going to be a gift, so I can't say for whom it's intended, but I wanted to post it just to show some people that I do eventually finish things, lol.

This was the very first (I think) First Friday Freebie that Kaaren at The Painted Quilt gave us.  It's only taken me 1 (or 2 ?) years to get it done.  Kaaren is a very talented lady from Nova Scotia, whose blog I follow.  She has lots of wonderful free designs on her blog and often show pictures of her gorgeous home.  You can follow her by email if you subscribe to her blog and believe me-it is worth it.  I love her creations.  Stop over and see her and tell her I sent you.

Until next time,
Happy quilting and Happy Halloween from Sharon, Patsy, and Johnny

Hug Club

Once a month, a group of us meet at O'Susannah's Quilt Shop in Watkins Glen, NY to make quilts for people who are having a hard time and just need "a hug" to let them know someone cares.  Last month Sue asked us to make items for the community hospital's Christmas bazaar fundraiser.  She had some cool Riley Blake fabric samples for us to use, so we decided to make placemats, hotpads, potholders, and mug mats.  We worked at her store on our meeting day and took home fabric to work on them at home, also.  When we came back this month, we had 64 placemats, plus lots of other items ready to put together.  We got all the placemats sewn and turned, now in November, we'll finish up the rest.

Bettina, Mary, Lynne, Judy

 

Darlene-our iron lady

 

Judy also brought her latest creation to show us--a patriotic stars quilt made for her nephew.  It is so gorgeous and she does all her own quilting on her regular sewing machine!  She does such beautiful work, and I know her nephew will love it.

Until next time,
Happy quilting and Happy Halloween from Sharon, Patsy, and Johnny

Where did the last month go?

I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted.  I guess I've been so busy that the time just flew on by!

Yesterday was sewing at the fire hall again.  Most everyone was there, but we did miss Bonnie.  She always has such neat projects to show us that she's working on.  But she went to PA to spend the week sewing with Beverly, so we know she was having a good time, too.  Since it was such a chilly day, Donna G's choice of menu was perfect.  She was so excited the past week over "traveling tacos" that we all brought different taco fixings and she showed us how to make these "walking tacos".  You take a small bag of Doritos-the nacho cheese are best-and crush them up in the bag with your hands. then add all the fixings right into the bag!  You eat out of the bag with a plastic fork or spoon, while you "travel/walk" around and talk to your friends. It was really cool--and soooo good!  Donna says it's her kind of meal, no dirty dishes, just toss the bag and silverware when you're done.  I can't wait to try them again when we have a family gathering.  Wish I'd remembered my camera so I could have shown you pictures.

With Mary's help, I finally got my Halloween quilt finished and am using it on the couch until I can get a large enough dowel to hang it with.  It's a pattern I tested last summer for Jessica E. Smith of the Quilt and Needle.  I couldn't wait to show it, as it has a black cat on it that brings back memories of our beloved "JD", the only black cat we've owned.  He was such a sweetheart, so I'm glad to have a quilt to remember him by.

I have to put his purple bow tie and green eyes on yet, but I love this pattern!

We've been doing serious sewing at Joan's house on Wednesday's, and we had a visitor one day.  Donna W's daughter, Rae, came to say hello.  Donna W is back in Arizona at Rae's house, recovering from knee surgery, so it was nice to have one of her twins visit and give us an update.  We so miss her stories and laughter, but we're hoping next year she'll be back for the summer again.

 

 Here's some of the gals hard at work.  And look at Sharon D's newest baby quilt!  It's so cute.

Until next time,

Happy Quilting and Happy Halloween from Sharon, Patsy Cline, and Johnny Cash