Happy Halloween

Oldies but goodies!  Small wall hanging.

Table topper

Another table topper

Happy Halloween!! Have a wickedly good day.

Mary

Sunday Card Making

Sunday I woke up very early and after some puttering around decided to work on some card making.
This is my dining table in all its glory.  I have a ton of card making supplies.  I like to working on iris folding cards. It is like quilting, it became addictive.

These were a bunch of cutouts I had acquired and just had not gotten around to use.  Done!

Iris folding is like a two step process.  In the evening I work on doing the iris folding.  It is like paper piecing.  You cut little strips of paper and using a pattern place and tape them down.  Once a get a bunch of them done, then I will go about creating the card.  I add papers and card stock and embellishments.  Once I have the face done, I put it on folded card stock to make the card.  I will put a verse on the inside, and maybe even more embellishments.  Most times I remember to sign the backs of my cards.

I made the ducks into birthday cards for men.  Feminine cards are easy to work on.  I try to find apertures already cut, as I feel I am not a very good hand cutter. It does take me quite a while to work on them.  I take my time to make each card an individual. 

These two cards needed finishing too.  I finally decided to make them into birthday cards.  I still have quite a stack of iris folding shapes done, but not made into cards.  I do make them for each holiday.  Last night once the light outdoors fades I started working on some turkey iris folding.  I like the daylight for picking colors of card stock. Just like in quilting, it is harder to see colors in night light.

I also got one more project done. Just had the binding to finish on this table runner.

Today is another catch up day.  Cleaning, bills, you know all the stuff that gets in the way of a day of sewing.

Have a great week.
Happy Sewing

Mary

This time Southern Iowa

We took a little overnight this week. I had read about a great store in Iowa and told Ron about it. He loves to play tour director. I give him an idea and he runs with it.  This time it was to the Villages of Van Buren in Southern Iowa.   First stop was Kalona.  They have completed the "Quilt Block Walking Tour", which consists of quilt blocks made of bricks in the sidewalks around town.  They have created 42 blocks. The brochure gives the information about the block and who has sponsored it.  Very neat!!

Did made a stop at the local quilt shop, and look they have a mini barn quilt.

On the way south, out of town the Beachy Appliance Barn has a block called Lattice Square on the side of their building.

This Pinwheel Square is on the Colliver Family Barn, south of town.

This is Dog's Tooth, same block, in two colorways. 

Double Aster on the way out of Washington.

In Cantril is the Dutchman's Store.  It looks like they grew and grew. As a store became vacant next door they expanded.  It is now pretty much the whole city block.

It has a bit of everything.  Naturally, I checked out the fabric aisles.  Check out the rainbow of colors.

Looking into the grocery aisles.  Ron had fun looking at all the products they carry.  This store has footware, books, toys, bulk and canned food, a bakery, craft supplies and a bit of every thing else.   Cantril is described as "a town where dreams become completed projects."

We spent the night at the Riverview Motel in Keosauqua.  It is an extension of the Hotel Manning which sits on the Des Moines River.  This was our view from out motel porch.

The next morning we traveled on to Bentonsport.  This is an Iron Truss Bridge built in 1882 for horse and buggy use. It is the oldest and o=longest original bridge across the Des Moines river.  Now it is just a foot bridge.

In Burlington, Iowa we went down "Snake Alley"  It is this one way road down the side of a hill.  There are houses along the "road".  Amazing road work.

We saw barn quilts along the way that are not part of any trail.

Ron was kind to stop and let me get pictures.  We are both fascinated with them.  (It is the closest I can get him to quilting.)

Here is the suspension bridge back to Illinois and home.  We try not to use the expressways.  Taking the back roads is so much more fun and interesting.  You never know what you will come upon.

I got a little bit of hand sewing done on my bow ties.  Now to work on getting that quilt together.

Back to sewing. Seems my son has a project for me.  A Halloween costume needs some alterations.
Happy sewing.  Have a great weekend.

Mary

Oh what a beautiful Autumn day

My husband suggested we go for a ride on Sunday. It was so beautiful out. The sun was out and it had turned a bit warm. We did not have any destination in mind.  I suggested we go down a road we had not been on before.  To our surprise we found a park operated by the Oswego Park District on the Fox River.  Here is one of the views that awaited us.  It was gorgeous.  There were a couple of men attempting to fish in a boat that was on water that was only ankle deep. There was a couple with dogs running in and out of the river.  It was so beautiful.

There was a bench we sat on and just watched the river move along.  You could not have asked for a prettier Autumn day.

The leaves were floating down the river.

You can just see the men in the boat.

Ron noticed the wasp hive in the tree, and thought it was funny to scare me saying a wasp was behind me. Not! It was huge, and the first time I had ever seen one in a tree.

Then we stopped at the water full in Yorkville.  There were these two egrets attempting to catch fish.  One had just flown off.  It too was beautiful.

One the way back to the car, I saw these flowers still in bloom.

There were kayakers on the rapids of the Fox River.  It was perfect.

We moved on to another spot we had never been. This one was taken care of  by the Kendall County.  It was a whole complex we did not even know about.  I got to "feel the burn", by walking half mile down to the Fox River again.  This was the scene I came upon.  There was an overlook, that was so pretty.The river has lots of little islands in it. Eagles are coming back to the area. We think we did see one today, soring above us.

We were gone only a couple of hours, and I took 72 pictures. Thank heaven for digital cameras.  It was a beautiful distraction today.  I had been cleaning out the pantry, and then was sorting through my Dad's stamps to see what was there.  Seems like a lot of people have been tackling cupboards and draws that are over crowded with stuff.  Time for me to take the bull by the horns and dig in.

Thank you for indulging me with the trip down the Fox River.  After the hot and dry summer we had, this was so refreshing.
I hope all of you got to have a chance for a super wonderful Sunday.

Have a great rest of the week. 
Happy Sewing
Mary
 

Michigan part 4

Here is what I was working on.  I had started this at the retreat the previous week, and did not like what was going on with it.  I took some of the center apart and added the black star strips and like it much better.  Now for quilting.

I made a twister too, and will add applique around in the brown border.  It was suggested that I put a pumpkin or two.  Have to work on that.

Got the twister table runner top done.  This was a kit I had picked up last year, and had not gotten around to working on it.  The kit had an off white fabric around the twisters.  I did not like that, and replaced it with the cheddar fabric. Like it much better.

I had found this great little pattern at Primitive Gatherings.  It is a candle mat by Farmhouse Threads.  The binding is sewn now, and I am working on the applique to get the snowmen and trees done.

Made a couple more fall mug rugs.

Pat liked the twister pattern so much that she made another, bigger one and is going to add the leaves to this one too.  They look so nice.  She is doing a great job on hers.

Here is a close up of the snowmen we made.  I found out that the pattern for them is also from Farmhouse Threads.  What a coincidence.

Fall colors.  It was beautiful up there, even if the weather was not the greatest.

Tuesday Sew again.  Ron said we did not have to leave until noon on Tuesday for home.  Lois brought back her completed quilt that she worked on last week.  Look how wonderful all her thread play appliques look.  We were all amazed. The dimension is fabulous.

Here is another finished project one of the quilters brought in.  The place mats and runner are adorable.  She was also making napkins to go with them.  I think she said these were going to be a wedding gift.  What fun.

On our way home, we ran into a rain storm.  I had to try to get the rainbow through Ron's side of the car.  Involves a bit of tricky  posture for me to get the picture.

It was a wonderful week.  Pat and I have known each other for a very long time.  When Ron and I were married, almost 29 years ago, our wedding reception was held in their home in Williamston, Michigan.  Pat's husband Tom, passed away in February of this year.  We all felt he was there with us.  We miss him a lot. 

We met Andrew, our son, for dinner on our way home.  It was good to catch up with him.  I think we got home about 10 o'clock that night.  Unloaded the car and I was off to bed. 

I came home energized.  Started to clean out some closets and taking care of more of my Dad's things.  Have to get that garage emptied, so I can get my car in there before the snow flies.  People are going to think I am a hoarder!  Time to get moving.

Have a wonderful rest of the week.  Hopefully, I am going to get some sewing done.

Mary

Michigan part3

Ron and I decided to take a little drive on Monday.  The sun was shineing!  We went down the peninsula and found a little part beside the lake.  Ron found the swings!

It is cold.  I had 3 shirts, one being a sweatshirt.  I forgot to bring a jacket.

Look what someone did with hay bales!  Too cute.

Looking out to the lake.  It is a fishing community.

Some fisherman were out on the lake.

Nancy was with us on Sunday, working on her twister quilt. 

Pat and I worked on this snowman from the latest issue of Primitive Quilts magazine. 

This is the Noah's Ark piece Pat did.  She is going to make 5 more of these. One for each of her children and their families.  Pat has 5 children and 13 grandchildren.  She has made quilts for all of them.  In the evening she works on wool applique.

Here we are with our snowmen.  They were fun and easy and took only a few hours to make.

Ron is his favorite chair.  He got caught up on a lot of reading!.  One day we put him to work.  He made chili for us for dinner.  So good.

One more posting to go.

Have a great day.
Mary