Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween ! Are ready for some scary pictures? Here are a couple that my Husband took. He was obsessed with getting the right "glowing" look. There are a lot of potion ingredients on our mantle. Mummy scabs (dried potatoes), dried maggots ( rice), troll boogers (yellow raisins) and virgin blood. Dried alligator skull, beaver skull and a Kane toad coin purse. Witchy books (really just old books, one about mathematics and another about law, but they look the part).

Daylight pictures. Do you see that silhouette? That's me from 1st grade. How about them bones? Aren't they great? They are just foam play dough. The older they get the better looking.

Pumpkins everywhere. The are pumpkins in every room.

Even the bathroom.

Every surface has pumpkins. You all have a great weekend and I will be back with more pictures of goodies and the kiddies I make them for.

We'll talk later, Brandie

What have I been doing lately?

This was something I put together several years ago with the intention of adding some applique. Well that never happened. So a friend of mine asked if I had anything that could be used for a raffle to rise money for the school my kids use to go to. I looked through my unfinished box and this is what I found. So sandwich it, do some fanc-ish stitching and call it done. I feel so productive to finish something so fast.

Speaking of feeling productive, I have made pears from ALL scrap fabric, even the backgrounds. This feels even better. I have been very wasteful. I would just buy fabric, with no plan. Well now I am trying to use up my stash and those boxes of scraps. If it doesn't fit on my shelves or in my boxes, I don't need it. That's something I'm trying to learn. So now I have more room in my boxes, so I guess that means I can buy more fabric.

About 18 pears done. Can you tell whats missing?

How about now?

Still missing, but I haven't found that perfect...........Stem. My husband and I have been disagreeing about whether or not they need stems. I think they do, he thinks it's more artistic without them. Well I am still a very traditional quilter and I always feel art should look like what it is. But many years down the road, I could change my mind and become one of those artsy quilters who glues every thing together.

Just a preview, maybe this is what it will look like when it's done. Though I would add sashing. Last night I found a beautiful batik that looks like it will be a great border. So take care ,

Talk soon, Brandie

Early Fall Quilts

This is one of my first quilts. I wanted something festive to hang up for the Holidays. I used Judy Martin's perpetual calendar, for the large pumpkin. It is all hand done. I use to hand quilt everything, until I was introduced to the Juki. I still love this little quilt.

My Husband went right out the door yesterday and saw this hanging about a foot front the walkway. I guess I don't look up. When the picture came up on the computer screen, I thought, I don't have any red flowers. I need to learn to open my eyes and look up. This amazing cluster is just so festive and colorful. Oh, when I said the picture came up on the screen, well my Husband bought me a card for the camera that instantly (with wi-fi) uploads the pictures straight to MY computer. How great is that, now I don't have to learn anything new. You know how hard it is to teach an old dog new tricks, that's me. Computer idiot. Speaking of, A friendly blogger, Ranette, helped me to change my settings to no longer read "no-reply". Thank You Ranette, I need all the help I can get.

Also hand done. This time I branched out, HaHa, and pieced a background. These leaves are from our neighborhood. I traced them onto the fabric and appliqued them down.

As you can see, I use it as a large coaster. Pumpkins and soup tureens. Some of my favorite things.

This is a antique silk hankie. Would any of you blow your nose into a silk hankie? I hope no one used this. This was done on my Juki. This was the beginning of my obsession with feathers and such. this is also used as a coaster, for what else but a pumpkin.

Have a great day, we'll talk later, Brandie

Now ready for Saturday

So I have been working on Pumpkins. I love pumpkin, but I don't like the color orange, yet. I have always loved pumpkin. My house is decorated with MANY pumpkins, this time of year. I don't know if you have a special helper, but I do. This is PugsLee. She thinks all quilts are for her.and it there on the ground, well that's just an invitation.

My pictures are all backwards, I'm sorry. Well this is the primitive quilted pumpkin border. After doing my quilt show quilts, I needed something less exact. The pumpkins fit that bill. I saw a quilt from THIS AND THAT blog. I thought how simple. So I made my own pattern and used only what I had in my stash, except the backing. I'm very proud of my self for being frugal. My next project is also all scraps, even more pleased with my self. You'll have to wait till later. Sorry to tease you.

Just a few pumpkins to make the picture more festive. I used a variegated King Tut to quilt with. OH, that was another, must buy. I didn't even do any filler quilting, that's how burnt out I am.

Before trimming and binding, but you all understand.

My first picture, from my cell phone. Sorry it's very blurry. just looking for a perfect layout. Also this was taken before I embroidered any thing, or leaves were put on.

Now you can see I put in the pictures backwards.

Take care, we'll talk later, Brandie

More from the Quilt Show

The quilt above, is made by my friend Jozette. This quilt was a viewer favorite. There is no tag on it yet, so I can't remember what it won. Beautiful! Someday I hope to be in the same league.
She was one of my first teachers. She taught me how to make a woven basket filled with fruit. Some of the fruit is stuffed to cover the woven fabric. It is still not quilted, but someday. I have to think up the perfect quilting technique to do it justice.

These next 3, are the quilts I had at the show. This first one was modifed from a picture in Better Homes and Garden Quilts. I wanted it to fit on a bed.

This one is a copy of my front door. A couple of years ago, my son and I took a stained glass class. I made panels for my antique door. Loving my door so much, I decided I should make a quilt. Than I thought it should be my signature. I'm planning to make tea towels and hand towels for the bathroom. I used the same technique Jozette taught me, to weave the stem.
This quilt is my version of "Rose Abunda" from A Dozen Roses by Rounds and Comyns. If you know this book, look it up. My husband named this quilt "Sunny Side Up". he sees eggs in my flowers. My goal was to make an antique looking quilt. I wanted it to look as if it had been washed 100's of times. I think I met my goal.
These last to quilts are my friend Nancy's. Almost looks like she was inspired by eggs herself. Or maybe olives. The small pieces of purple, Blue and plum really set off the greens.

Thanks to my small group for allowing me to show their quilts. Thank You Ladies!

We'll talk later, Brandie

On my walk today I took a picture of a plant I have been admiring. I don't know what it is, but I love the beautiful black-red berries. It seems to be an indengiuos weed. There are several of these plants along the old railroad path. If any one knows what it is, let me know.

Why a blog?

So I have been asked, why Blog. Well I have been watching from afar. Kind of like driving by people's homes and looking in the windows. But better, I got to see quilts. It's like the best part of a guild meeting, show and tell. I love show and tell, but I get in front of 100+ people and I can't wait to leave the stage. My friend Gail says that it is not fair to only look. But I've found a better way. And I can't see how many people are look at me. So that why a blog.
So enough about that, how about some quilts?


These 3 are from my friend Frances. She had another ,but I seem to have missed. Sorry Frances.

This is another of Gail's quilts

Gail's Feathered Star

This is one of friend Gail's quilts. A couple of years ago, I forced her to take this Feathered Star class. She has turned her's into a beautiful wall hanging. Which is good, because her office needs it.

This is my friend Alicia's quilt. Don't you love the pinks? Great good Alicia.

Annie Star Quilt Show

This weekend, our local guild had a Quilt Show. It was a great show! Many of my friends had quilts to display. Some have given me permission to show you their quilts. I hope you all enjoy the small show.

My first post

This is a test run.