A Really Random Autumn Thursday

Autumn days are quickly turning colder and winter seems to be knocking on the door. Since I haven't done a random post in awhile, I thought that today I might give a glimpse of what I've been doing with my days: 

Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, and a baby Lady Bug invited me along while they rang doorbells and looked cute asking for handouts of candy.

Several lines of Bonnie and Camille charm packs all mixed together have made for some fun and easy quilty goodness.

Sewing the charms into groups of four gave me a starting point when laying them all out for a twin size quilt I'm making as a Christmas gift.

 After sewing together the rows, some hot pink paper helped me keep the rows in the right order while I pressed the seams. This just might be the easiest quilt that I've ever put together!

 Speaking of quilts, these big guys, who live down the road from me, are sporting some pretty fancy ones! 

 Have I ever shared that horses are my mostest favoritist animals ever?

 I think they like me too!

 Another thing that I like is finding a new place to shop for quilting fabric. This fun find is in  the small town of Jamesport. Jamesport is home to the largest population of Amish in Missouri.

I spied a few fabrics to add to my collection. One even found it's way into some Friendship x and + swap blocks I'm sewing....(show you soon!)

The colorful leaves were extra pretty around our yard this year.

But, the beauty is short lived and soon the branches were stripped bare. This will be my view out the window for the next four months.

Vicki and I are having a ball sewing spider-web blocks from scraps. Her string pieced blocks has an autumn feel to them.

My spiderwebs are more of the the summer variety...sunglasses needed!

Last weekend, during an all day sew-in with the Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild I had a serendipity experience: Krista was getting out her cute little Singer Featherweight at the table directly behind me. She soon realized that she didn't have a pressure foot and so I loaned her an extra that I had in my Featherweight case. I noticed that she and I were both sewing up some X and + blocks, but didn't think much about it at first. After about an hour, I realized that Krista is part of the Friendship x and + Swap!

How fun to meet a virtual quilting buddy in person! I also love how quilting bridges the generation gap......Krista is young enough to be my daughter!

I"m linking up with Cindy at Live A Colorful Life for Really Random Thursday. 

Modern Baby Book Review and Give-Away

=Today, I want to introduce you all to a fun new quilting book full of adorable designs just for babies!

Modern Baby is a compilation of  original quilt patterns by 14 talented bloggers. There is a design for every skill level within the pages of this book. From my stash, I chose 3 solid fabrics from Connecting Threads, plus some Kona snow and a Moda Verna charm pack that I have had for several years.

 This cute, modern quilt design, by Jen Eskridge, caught my eye as a fast and easy pattern that looks more complicated than it is.  That's right up my alley!

After sewing fabric strips together, I folded and cut them at random, as instructed. Moving the pieces slightly, I re-sewed them to created the background for the quilt.

 After trimming and straightening the sides, my quilt top is ready for the fun part: hexies!

 Using a template, and 25 or so charms from the pack, I cut out hexagons and a facing for each from muslin. Sewing around each of the six sides of the hexies assembly line style went quickly.

 A quick press with a hot iron and my friend, Best Press, and the hexagons are ready to turn into appliques...

 The secret trick was to cut a little slit in the back of the hexie linings!
After turning them right-sides out, a porcupine quill (that's right, folks!) was the perfect tool to poke out the corners nice and square!

 As you can see, no one will ever know that there is a slit in the back once the applique is sewn down.

After another press, the beautiful hexagons are ready to attach to the quilt top!

 I chose to straight stitch around the edges with my machine, but other options could be used, such as a button hole stitch or hand applique.

 I must have rearranged the hexagons ten times before I finally told myself, "Stop! Sew!".

 The possibilities are many for this style of quilt. Next time, maybe I'll try an ombre gradation of color for the background and hexagons.

 Fractured Hexagons is a fun and easy pattern; definitely doable in a weekend or even a day with simple quilting added. 

There are 13 other creative designs in the book, many that I can see myself using over time for baby gifts. This one, by my friend Shea Henderson (Empty Bobbin Designs), is one of my favorites and would be equally as cute using prints.

 Or, how about this simple fusible applique Birdhouse Quilt design by Carrie Bloomston...

 I can see this sampler, by Sarah Flynn, being used as an I Spy game as well as a good way to teach the names of various shapes.

 With the last name of Timberlake, I am always drawn to tree shapes, so this fun design, by Carolyn Friedlander, may have to be added to my "To Do" list as a wall hanging!

 The straight forward directions, modern designs and quality photographs all add up to a book any quilter would enjoy! Shea has generously donated another copy to be given away to one of my readers! So, if you'd like to own your own copy of Modern Baby: listen up! 

For a chance to enter, just leave me a comment telling me your favorite shape.(USA readers only this time, please.) Be sure that you are not a "no-reply blogger" for a valid entry. A winner will be chosen randomly on Friday morning, November 15.

For a second chance to win a book, another quilt sample and more pretty pictures, visit Flourishing Palms!

The winner has been chosen and this contest is now closed.

Pop Stars

A Spider Web quilt has been on my "To Do" list for years. My sewing buddy, Vicki, and I decided to make that our next project for "Sewing Tuesdays". Since we just finished up making playhouses for our grandchildren, we are both ready for some quilty fabric love!
Kathy Doughty's instructions will be our guide.

Our webs will be made with 1.5 inch strips so I dug through the ones that I've been accumulating from other projects and pulled the bright ones. Today, I'm adding more strips cut from my fabric stash. Since I store my stash in drawers by color, it is easy to pull out a drawer and choose the fabrics I'd like to add to the quilt.

When Vicki and I sew together, I usually get out my lovely featherweight Singer and park her on the dining table. (Looks like she could use a dusting!!)

Vicki sews on a Pfaff which is very portable, as well.

I'm loving the look of Vicki's beginnings of a web! Using a stash of reproduction fabrics that she collected several years ago for the strips, she is adding a large red dot which will be the stars in the design. The spots really brings a modern balance to the traditional look of the strips.

For the stars in my quilt, I chose a bright red floral called Gypsy Girl by Lily Ashbury. The selvage notes 16 colors in the design. That's good, since I'll be using tons of colorful strips to make the webs!

We have agreed to only sew on our quilts when we can do it together so we will probably be working on them all through the winter months. They will add some cheer to the drab cold days ahead.

I can already tell that making these blocks is like eating potato chips...it's hard to stop at just a few! Our next sewing day can't come soon enough!

Sunday Morning

"I have strength for all things in Christ

Who empowers me [I am ready for anything

and equal to anything through Him Who 

infuses inner strength into me;

I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 AMP

Flying South

Having very little experience with making art quilts, I was a bit hesitant to join the Four-In-Art Quilt group when invited by Elizabeth last summer. But, being game for a new adventure and thinking that I can't mess up a 12 inch quilt too badly, I held my breath and said 'yes'! This is my rookie entry: Flying South.

Each year, the group has an overall theme with quarterly challenges connected to the theme. Beginning in November, this year's theme will be Urban. Our first quilt challenge was to depict the word "maps".

Coming from a family of map lovers, this first challenge was a fun one for me and I immediately starting thinking of ideas. Looking at real maps helped guide me to try my hand at creating highways bisecting the make-believe city, Hometown.

By fussy cutting two different red fabrics from my stash, I endeavored to make interstates, as well as highways, connecting suburban towns to the heart of the city.

My selvage stash became a great source for naming make believe suburbs. I also tried to separate the improv pieced township areas with subtle color differences as well as quilting motifs.

A Sweetwater map print by Moda made the perfect backing, I think. Architextures by Carolyn Friedlander for Robert Kaufman adds believability to the map as well as making  a great binding. 

 And, this time of year, who hasn't seen a flock of birds flying south for the winter?

Being a rookie, I'm probably too green to realize what difficult future challenges I'll encounter, but for now, I just know that I had a fun time making my first map! I hope that you will take a look at our Four-in-Art Flickr site and find out how the other 7 quilters interpreted this first Urban challenge.Their blog posts are listed below:

Leanne of She Can Quilt, Rachel of the Life of Riley, Amanda of What the Bobbin?, Nancy of Patchwork Breeze, Anne of Springleaf Studios, Elizabeth of Occasional Piece and Betty from her Flickr Site.

I am also entering 'Flying South' into the art quilt category of the Fall Blogger's Quilt Festival. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy all of the categories and entries.Be sure to vote for your favorites!