Giant Jack o' Lantern Tutorial

So you say you need to cover your garbage can being used as a safety block.... see the "cobbles behind the can - we don't want them to walk there and trip or sprain an ankle.

Tongue in cheek
Tutorial starts here: Grab some fabric - 3 panels of orange

Sew with a basting sized stitch - so you can retrieve your stash later.

 

 

Drape and tape - top is a nut jar covered in a batik - sacrilege! 

It still needs something...

Bits of black paper taped on from behind....

You'd never know it was a garbage can, would you?

So we are almost ready for the Trick or Treaters... Hope you have a fun evening with a bunch of delighted kids and CANDY!

Hugs,

Terri

No Blogging Lately...

Sorry I haven't checked in with you all. Here's what I've been up too.

First the latest genius idea!  I cut lots of little strips of paper off of paper piecing patterns. Now I'm using them to keep the thread from unraveling off my bobbins when stored.  It's free, and I get another use out of the paper before I recycle. (Can we say "Cheap Skate"?)

 This has been taking up alot of my time. It takes more than an hour to make a block, but that's after the time choosing fabrics, ironing and cutting strips. This is just the rough set... I do like putting 2 blocks together. What do you think?

 This is my current favorite set. 

 But then there is this orange set... next to the pink.  Love this orange set, too.

I do love this yellow with orange veins.  Oh, you know I just love them all.

 

 

 And this is why there aren't more palm blocks. I've made oodles of plants for the Trick or Treaters. I haven't counted, but I'm close to 180.  There probably won't be as many of the cute little goblins this year. Halloween comes on a Wednesday!

So far there are: (L to R) Thyme, Spearmint, Geranium, Pittsuporium Varigata (i think), Vinca in the back of the box and Brown Bean (out of the box at the far R)

 

Here are some of the Morning Glory Vine (this one is a perennial - as are most of the plants I give away ) then more Geranium, in the soda bottles are avocado which were rooted in water in jelly jars in the kitchen window. I'm gonna miss those guys. In the yogurt cups at the far right there are clippings of a button fern? that sticks through the fence from my neighbors, and somewhere out of range are 6 potted Passion Flower Vines from our side of the fence. Only two Mullein plants this year. I love those for automatic bird feeders. They get a tall stalk (5-6') of  many small yellow flowers and make millions of seeds that the Goldfinches love! You gotta love that!  (Even though it is considered a weed in CA I give them as flowers... I've never been real keen on the separation of "real" flowers and weeds. - my garden looks like my sewing room. LOL)

Here is a large variety of starts from around the yard.. The tall one on the left is a nut of some kind started by a squirrel in my flower box on the front porch!  Next is a new Hoya (the mama is hanging down on the far right in this picture. Then there are some Pigs' Ears (actually I don't know what they are called. My neighbor gave me a large plant of them and I've been giving away some of it each year. Behind these are smaller plants. Some are Sweet Gum Trees that started up in our yard - all over the place. There are Oaks that we dug out and some weed trees that I can't ID, and a couple of Mimosa Trees. Also more Hoya, Christmas and Easter Cacti, Lipstick Vine, Butterfly Bushes in two colors - dark purple from the neighbors bush and a lavender color from ours,There are 6 Rosemary and 4 English Ivy I found in the yard last year and  Columbine from seed that my son gave me from his yard. I have a couple of Day Lilies that I started from seed - they are coming along nicely. They stay with me though, as well as the one Elm Tree that I started from seed. (One out of 8 that I potted, and only one remains. It's 2 years old, and only about 2" tall. Talk about slow growing. I might make a Bonsai out of it.

 

Sorry for the rambling.... Roses started below.

Now I need to get my seeds packed up, and I'll be ready to decorate.

See you soon!

 

Hugs,

Terri

A little bit of paper piecing

I've been making a bunch of little plants these past few days, so the only sewing I did was ...


two blocks of pink palm leaves.... paper pieced

and a pink crinkle toy for my grandson's girl cousin - no relation to me.

 

We planted up cuttings to about 100 plants on hand.  We'll see which ones survive to Oct. 31 and I'll show them off then.  We'll be making some thyme today and looking around the yard/garden to see what else we can cut and plant... Should have 150 at least.

 

Hugs,

Terri

Good News on my Chrissy!

No pictures this time....
Chrissy just wrote in her Caringbridge Journal - like e mail, but goes out to lots of people all at once.... She just let everyone know that her liver is getting clearer! This last MRI (on Thursday) of it shows fewer tumors. It means that her regular chemo is working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It doesn't mean that the cancer is gone, but that lots of the tumors are gone, and that may be the best we can hope for at this time...
She thinks its the medicine working, and we will let her think whatever she wants to... I feel it is all the prayers from perfect strangers that is helping. You know who you are! You all who have been praying for her, Thank You!

I met a really nice lady at JoAnn's the other day, we had so much in common. We talked right there in the store for maybe an hour - of course within that hour I told her about my Chrissy. She took my arm and told me she'd pray for her.... We hugged several times and exchanged phone numbers and favorite books and websites for paper piecing.  The point I'm blundering up to is that there are so many nice people out there, who will pray for someone in trouble. What a wonderful world it is!

Please keep up the good praying. My Chrissy is in a better way, but she is still fighting the cancer. I feel that someone has God's ear, we may never know who, so we've all gotta keep praying.

With that plea I will say good night, and hope you and yours have a wonderful weekend.

Hugs,

Terri

Sign, Genius Mister, Pumpkin Makin, Binkie Minders

I took alot of pictures....

Taken a couple of days ago... I'm so excited. I love Halloween!

 

One of my genius ideas... In preface, let me tell you how hot and dry our summer is, and even though the temperatures are milder now, (in the 80s) we are still bone dry. (Don't worry. It is normal for here.) So this mist not only waters my roses - or where ever I put it - it attracts butterflies, birds, including the little hummer, and the bees love it, too.  Know what it is?

It's just my hose with the sprayer attached and hooked to my rain gutter. It sprays a fine mist, and it comes with it's very own rainbow!

Below is the only sewing I've done all week. I wanted to make something to put on a t-shirt for Halloween.  This will be it. Pattern is free from Artisania - the blog. The artist is Sonja Callaghan. You can find the pattern at Sewhooked / free patterns. (Only free to use for personal use - It is a jack -o-lantern, but I didn't do the eyes, etc.) 2 more seams to finish.

Okay, Guess! What is the crazy old granny making now?


These!

Binkie Minders - saw them a while ago on "One Pretty Thing" and since my new Grandboy is having troubles keeping his away from his Doggie Sister and Doggie Brother. (Well, you know the rules... if it's on the floor it belongs to the dog.)  It's alot of work for a 1 month old to keep track of the thing...

so Grammy to the rescue! (Sending these tomorrow, Sarah :-)

 

This is the first block of the next project - already in progress - before the last project is finished, of course. I work better when I've got 2 or 6 in the works. So keep watching to see what it is.

 

Thanks for stopping by. I love comments, but I haven't been answering them lately. Sorry! I spend alot of time on this computer, and am not getting much time sewing.  If you have a question I'll get back to you...

 

Hugs,

 

Terri

Putsing and plants

I decided to puts (meaning to sew stuff I want to sew - nothing on deadline) for a while before I start back to quilting new grandson"s quilt. I found that the word (putsing) is not in my dictionary, and I'm hoping you all will just figure out what I mean.

Here's what I'm putsing around with....

Some paper piecing. I'm thinking about a quilt with rows of butterflies, ladybugs, etc.... all little paper pieced gems.

Here's a leaf that is going to be fall colors. What? Green is a fall color, too.

The latest look at the Magnolia I started from seed last fall.  I tried separate seeds in maybe 10 different  containers. This is the only one I got to grow. (Those $1 large drinks from McDonald's work really well, especially for trees. They want a deep container. I cut a couple of holes in the bottom sides for drainage, and put a salad bowl from Wendy's to catch the excess water.) It is getting really big leaves now, and I am proud as a peacock.

Here is a tiny twosome of MIL Tongue.  They were all rooted in water first... (start with a cutting and let it dry on the cut edge first (a couple of days here, we're really dry.). Then just set it into a glass with a bit of water in it.) Takes a while. They have been in dirt since early summer, but still no sprouts on the other 3. I may just have to keep those for next Halloween.  That green thumb thing is really just patience... wait and wait.....

 

So that's it for today. Come see me at WIP Wednesday at Freshly Pieced and It's a Party at A Creative Princess. They are linky parties with lots of interesting links.

 

Hugs,

Terri

Commissioned Quilt done and shipped - along with a few gifts

My first commissioned quilt - done and shipped

 

Below is the label - I used Fray Check on the raw edges. It should keep it from fraying. I've had a shirt that has raw edged flowers on it, and wear it at least once a week, (so it gets laundered at least once a week for 5 years or so) and the flowers are still in tact!

Below is a close up of the quilting, and the prints. The fabrics - all from my stash - that she chose are sooooo pretty.

She wanted it for the livingroom - to cuddle up in... so I made.....

 a present with the leftover squares... I used some of the waterproof fabric - the orange color - and made 6 coasters, tied with some of the backing material.

 Here are the six. The orange on the back goes pretty well with all the colors. (You can see a bit on the green one, top left, and on the brown one below it.

This is my latest "genius" idea.  It's one of those elastic bands to hold your hair back. The way I made this one, you can adjust it. I thought the grand (teen) girls might like them. This is the prototype.  Below it is extended.

I didn't want to model it myself - and I surely didn't want the hobby to model it... (I think I could have talked him into it, but nobody wants to see a man wearing this.  So (shout out to Sarah -) it is clean and never been worn.

The depression seems to have passed again.... thanks to all you well wishers! I am a bit bummed though. My favorite rubber stamp store is going out of business. Linda has been in business in Placerville for 13 years!!! as  long as we have lived here.  She feels like a close friend. They will be moving to Oregon soon. I will miss her sooooo much.Today is supposed to be National "Make A Card" Day. I should make a Bon Voyage card for her.

Now I'm off to see what this Wicked thing is over at Cheryl's blog. Somehow I missed the directions or description....

You all be good while I"m gone, and if you can't manage that, at least have fun!

Hugs,

Terri