Homespun Halloween

Happy Halloween to all my friends, family, and followers! I can't believe my Halloween cross stitch calendar revealed the final motif for the month of October today...I'm not quite sure where the year has gone - it seems it has disappeared rather quickly...and soon Thanksgiving and Christmas will be upon us (GASP!). My neighborhood celebrated Halloween last night with trick-or-treaters rushing from house to house getting their fill of candy - I always look forward to seeing the creative costumes that show up on our front porch....and last night I saw some great ones - including the best Ghostbuster I have seen (with an illuminated backpack) and an adorable horse (her mom had sewn the costume). I also enjoy seeing some of the fun decorating that happens in our area...here is photo I snapped of a front yard just up the street from us...I see they are ready for the negative election campaigns to stop - it made me chuckle.

Over the past fifteen years or so, I have celebrated my love of Halloween by designing quite a few needlework charts and  sewing projects especially for this time of year...I thought it would be fun to share a collage that includes many of my spooky pieces...you can find additional information on each of these pieces by exploring my website and/or Etsy shop (including "Behind the Gate" - the Halloween calendar shown above)...enjoy!

Finally....since it is always 'all about the squirrel' - even on Halloween...I had to share an image of the front of a Halloween card that arrived in my mailbox this week from a very dear friend....it made me smile immediately when it arrived! Inside, it says "Peek a BOO!"....

May Jack-o-lanterns burning bright
Of soft and golden hue
Pierce through the future's veil and show
What fate now holds for you.
                                                           -Author Unknown

Pumpkin Patch Placemats

Hello creative friends! Be sure to head over to the AccuQuilt Blog today for my latest guest blog post...there you will find a complete tutorial for my "Pumpkin Patch Placemats" with all the details, so you can make a set of your very own...

These patchwork pumpkin placemats use traditional piecing and are perfect for a beginner...and the entire project was cut on my GO! Fabric Cutter (project is GO! Big, GO!, and GO! Baby compatible) using:

GO! Qube Mix & Match 8” Block (55776)

• Dies Used: #1 GO! Square 4” Finished, #2 GO! Square 2” Finished, #5 GO! HST 2” Finished Square, #7 GO! Parallelogram, and #8 GO! Rectangle

GO! Qube 8″ Companion Set-Classic (55780)

• Dies Used: #10 GO! Signature Block

GO! Strip Cutter-2″ (1 1/2″ Finished) (55025 or 55164) (binding only)

This project is great for scraps or fat quarters...and while I used autumn print fabrics, these placemats would look great in a variety of batiks or solids. Each placemat finishes 20"W x 14"H - and the instructions are written for a two placemat set.

So be sure to stop by the AccuQuilt Blog for a materials list and step by step tutorial, with images:
https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-project-tutorials/pumpkin-patch-placemats-a-quilting-tutorial/

I know they look a little complicated, but I show step by step how to create them...and you could have a set completed by Thanksgiving!

...and while you are visiting the blog, be sure to check out all of the inspiring projects - there are endless creative ideas to get you in the sewing/quilting mood!

Creative Catch-up

Hello friends! Finally - I have a minute to blog (whew!)...it has been an INSANE month and I have quite a bit to share. Please excuse my absence - between quilt market projects/my workload, my husband having back surgery, Simba (a senior Shih Tzu) needing quite a bit of extra attention right now (he will be 15 in November and is having some health issues), and the weight of everything on my immune system (of course I get sick), I have been a little overwhelmed. I am, however, hanging in there and keeping my creativity flowing....and doing my best to remain positive...and tonight (while happily listening to the Cubbies game), I found a quiet moment to share some photos with you. Here is a taste of what has been happening in the studio this past month (these are some of the things I can share)...and I'll be back tomorrow to share my AccuQuilt Blog project for October (it's an AUTUMN design)....

I finished up quite a few customer needlework pieces...here are some images...these were stitched by a favorite customer that pretty much lets me finish her pieces how I see fit - she gives me a few details, but I get to be creative and pick all supplies - which makes the process REALLY fun for me!...and even more fun, a couple of these are my cross stitch designs!

Of course, I have had more orders for zippered project bags and tool pouches (here are photos of a few)...I have a bunch more in the works...and at the time of this post, a few are still available in my Etsy shop (which is RARE!) - including a couple made from Halloween fabrics...
https://www.etsy.com/shop/BlueRibbonDesigns

I have also been working on some large quilting projects...I finished another BIG team quilt (Auburn Tigers) for  customer and have been working on a couple other sizable pieces (which I can't show just yet - but I can share a photo of some of the pretty Robert Kaufman fabrics I have been working with)....

Finally, here is a sneak peek of tomorrow's post...a fall project I have been working on for the AccuQuilt Blog....

Thanks for visiting today - I've missed you...and stop back really soon to check out the "pumpkin" project...it makes me happy!

Jewels and Vines

I am a bit behind on my blogging (several of you have noticed and checked on me - thank  you!) - when things get hectic in my studio, my blog always seems to end up on the back burner, just simmering...and with quilt market right around the corner, I have some major freelance projects with fast turnaround times keeping me overwhelmed busy. The list is LONG - in fact, my to-do list has five different post topics I would love to show you - yep, I have been creatively busy and have a TON of things to share (needlework and quilting)...just be patient a little while longer.

So, today, I am here to share with you my September project tutorial for the AccuQuilt Blog (yes, I should have shared this last week - ho hum) - my "Jewels and Vines" table topper.

This project was cut entirely with my AccuQuilt GO! Fabric Cutter (you could also use the GO! Baby or the GO! Big Electric), along with the GO! Qube Mix & Match 9" Block and new GO! Qube 9" Companion Set-Classics....plus I used the GO! Strip Cutter-2" to cut my binding. I chose two blocks from the new GO! Qube 9" Companion Set Classics-72 Block Patterns Booklet: the GO! Drunkard’s Lane Block and the GO! Endorsement Block...and I have something VERY fun to tell you - I designed, wrote the instructions, and named all 72 of the blocks found in this pattern booklet (for all four set sizes). Now that the GO! Qube Companion Sets are available, I plan to share more with you in a future post...and I will show you just how versatile they are...but for now, we are talking about my "Jewels and Vines" project (stay on track Belinda). You can find the complete tutorial to create this  table topper on the AccuQuilt Blog - I provide you with step-by-step instructions and images:
https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-project-tutorials/jewels-and-vines-table-runner-a-quilting-tutorial/

The fabrics I used are from Timeless Treasures - a fat quarter stack I received as part of my honorable mention prize package from the 2016 AccuQuilt Quilt Block Contest -  it included several collections from Chong-a Hwang (“Essex”, “Suffolk”, and “Tree of Life”) and several Timeless Treasures Spring Basics (https://ttfabrics.com/fabric/spring-basic-10/).

Be sure to stop by the AccuQuilt Blog for a materials list and step-by-step tutorial, with images:
https://www.accuquilt.com/blog/education/go-project-tutorials/jewels-and-vines-table-runner-a-quilting-tutorial/

...and while you are there, check out a plethora of creative projects - there are TONS of wonderful ideas to get you in the sewing/quilting mood!