Pumpkin Days

Over at Quilting Arts they are having a forum challenge on "thread designs".  The piece can not have any fabric additions!  No applique...No piecing!  HMMMMMM.....


So I came up with the idea of a pumpkin at night!  Well it is October, it also sounded easier than anything else I came up with.

There's Mr. Pumpkin drawn in chalk with a nice bat in the corner.  I spent 2 days and at least 5 shades of orange doing the thread work.  So here he is halfway through the 1st bit of sewing.

He's showing up nicely.  Now here he is with the open areas painted yellow.  ( I promise I painted them!) And it's after the last bit of sewing.

He's coming along very well I think.  I took it off of the stabilizer thinking I would only do a basic outline for the bat and then use a little glow in the dark thread for the pumpkin face and an all over quilt design.


What do you think I should do with the bat?


Happy Quilting
Caren

Sew much to do, sew little time....

I woke up this morning from a rough night. #2 daughter had a nightmare and kept us up half the night. So I am sitting here with a cup of hot cocoa....trying to wake up enough to do some much needed work.  I did snap this nice little photo this morning.

Sorry it's a little blurry.
In case you are not from around here....this is a hurricane lily .  I don't know their proper name.  They are called Hurricane lilies because they bloom for one week during hurricane season.  Most people consider them weeds, these days.  They are kind of old fashioned.  I love them.  They are extremely hardy.   Meaning they will grow anywhere.  They have been known to grow and bloom when sitting on a little dirt on concrete.  Of course they will not grow in my yard.  My yard is some sort of a gardening black hole.  Things that should grow will not.  When my husband and I were first married I planted a hundred of these bulbs.  They came up that first year and never again :(

This is my newest mug rug.  I know you are tired of these:)  This one is drawn from an elephant ear in my yard.  They are quickly dying back for the season.  This variety actually has black ears.  The more shade they have the darker they are.  The fabric was painted and they fused and free motion quilted.  Again I just used what I had laying around.

Christmas Sewing List
1.  Finish the last (!) CD cover
2.  Make 2-3 ornaments
3.  Make 2 more notebook covers for my girls
4.  Make 2 aprons for mom
5.  Make Quilt Guild Christmas presents?
6.  Finish Winter Quilt
7.  Make mug rug (last one)!

I think that might be everything!  That's enough to keep me busy for a while!
Happy Quilting

Caren

Fall, part 2

I worked on my tree yesterday.  It was drawn using the oak tree in my backyard as inspiration.  I layered diffeerent fabrics on a piece of double sided fusible web.  Heat set it, and cut it out.  Then I placed it on the background.  I love my tree!  It was so much fun.  I thread sketched it down to keep any little bits from falling off  (that didn't get heat set witht the iron).

Then I cut up little snippets from the dyed fabric, after they were placed on double sided fusible web.  It was a pain placing each piece of fabric on the background.  I had to make sure they were sticky side down.  I do not want to buy a new iron today!  My little girl loves the swirling leaves.   I have had this hanging up all night.  Looking at it to decide on a border or not. 

To Border or Not That is The Question?
I originally wanted a one patch border all around, a way to use up my stash.  (As if that is actually possible!)  Looking at it now, I think that would be too busy and would take away from the piece.  My husband agrees, he thinks I tend to go a little overboard.  I like busy!  At this point I am thinking a 2 inch brownish border, maybe a 1/2 inch tiny inner border of orange.  I really want to use orange for some reason.  Or just bind it.  HMMMMMMMMMMM................  I have to think about it.

Happy Quilting!

Caren