The Adventure Begins

Made it to Harrisonburg last night and woke up to a very pretty Fall morning.  We headed out bright and early to Appomattox to visit the McLean home where Lee surrendered to Grant.  So much history and so much to take it.  I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the room with the quilt!  Now we are in North Carolina, and are headed out in a bit for pizza.  Tomorrow it’s on to Nags Head and Kitty Hawk.  Happy Wednesday everyone.

Tutorial Monday….and Stuff!

First off a BIG CONGRATS to Mary Anne Drury of Moonbeams In A Jar.  You can find her featured in this Mc’Calls Quilting publication.  Her cute runner, Holly Jolly, is 

 

 

 

 

a Web exclusive bonus pattern!!!  So cute….way to go Mary Anne!!!!  So fun to see a fellow blogger in print.

Bounce is rolling along slowly.  Have all the 4 patches done for the big and small stars, all the star points for the large stars.  Left to do, small star points.  Fingers crossed I get this done by the end of the month.

I wasn’t quite on the ball finding tutorials this time…there is just too much going on in Polka Dotland.  I did contact Karen from Sew Many Ways about linking to her cute Christmas Santa Can tutorial…..love this…..and Karen very kindly said we were welcome to use any of her tutorials!!!!  Today I was looking through her blog and noticed she has a wonderful Christmas post linking to 26 Christmas projects and decorating ideas……link here to see all her amazing ideas.  For Pre Holiday Planning Karen has a list here of things we can all start on now to get a jump on Christmas planning.  Karen, thanks so much for sharing all your great tips, and ideas with us,  and for saving me this week!    This month it’s my turn for the giveaway.  If you get a gift made, just link up to Darlene’s blog at the end of the month and your name will be entered in the drawing.

We are off in a couple days for an adventure….. starting out in Washington DC and taking a road trip to surrounding areas.  We are so excited and have lots of wonderful stops planned.  The kids will be holding down the fort at home while we are off gallivanting!! Hoping to blog along the way.  Wishing you all a very happy week!

Happenings

The past week found us camping in Morro Bay for a family reunion with Mr. P’s family.  So much fun to catch up with cousins….lot’s of laughing, remembering the past and lots of relaxing…..BUT----- NO PICTURES!!!  I sure hope the blog police don’t come for me :-)!   It was so nice to escape the 100 plus temps we have been having.  The locals, apologizing for the heat wave….85 degrees!!!  That seemed like a cold snap to us!  Then returning home to much cooler temps….ahhhhhhhhh, Fall is here finally!!!

Speaking of Fall, we have a really fun pumpkin patch that opens this time of year.  Not only is there a huge pumpkin patch, but a corn maze, jumpers for the little guys, and a sweet country store brimming with Fall decorations.

Yesterday I met up with my girl for breakfast…let the wedding planning begin!!!  We are brimming with ideas and the search is on for the spot……so exciting!!!!!  On my way home I stopped by my friend Judy’s shop…..O’Flanary’s Emporium.   WONDERFUL!!!   She is filled to the brim with Fall goodness everywhere you turn.  If you see

 

something you love, she ships too!!!   I just love, love  Fall…….

but now back to reality!!!

Customer bindings are streaming in and I have to put the pedal to the metal .  The bindings on this stack are ready for hand sewing.  We have another adventure ahead next week, so I better lock myself in the quilting castle upstairs to get my work done!!   Happy week friends and welcome Fall!!!!

Wrapping Up September With Some Finishes and Tutorial Monday Early!

September is a wrap….so hard to believe.  Darlene has the most WONDERFUL giveaway waiting for someone.  If you made a Christmas gift this month, make sure you link up over on her blog.  My gifts for this month were very easy.  I made a few of these dish towels last year with a few tucked away that just needed the stitching. Happy to say they are done now!

Mr.. Frank N. Stein is completely done and ready to be hung up.  He will count as a finish for the Sew It’s Finished Group.

 

This months Schnibbles project was Speck.  It was so fun to make and I am checking this one off my list too….. quilted and binding on….woohooo!!!  There was a bit of time so I decided to start on October’s Schnibbles project.  I have picked Bounce.

All the four patches are done and ready for some star making to happen.   The fabric I used is  A Day In The Country….love the fabric!  On the downside, I didn’t get my two Scrappy Star Blocks done for Terry’s group, so October will find me making four!

Now for some tutorials.  A big thanks to the crafters and creators of these great projects for letting me use there pictures.  Please link back to them if you decide to use any of their tutorials.

Our very own Allie, of Allie Opps Sweet Happy Life and the person who started Christmas Through The Year,  is generously sharing her PDF for this wonderful Autumn stitchery.   

 

Melanie from The Crafty Cupboard has a sweet tutorial for these cute Business Card Holders.  Wouldn’t they be great for holding snips of fabric when you are out shopping…thinking some quilty friends would like these!      

Here’s a very sweet, fun Christmas project from Emily at 52 Mantels.  Oh Christmas Tree Wreath, tutorial here.

There are tons of Christmas projects around using photos.  Sarah from Clover Lane has a great tutorial for turning your favorite photos in to “Really Cute Christmas Photo Ornaments”.  They would make wonderful gift tags too.

 

Gotta love snowmen.  Take a look at this guy…SO CUTE!!! I saw this over at Missy’s place, So You Think You’re Crafty…tutorial here.  It was made by Wendy from Craft Goodies.  She was a featured crafter on Missy’s blog.

Well that’s a wrap for this post..wishing you all a very happy Sunday and a great week with some time sprinkled in for crafting.

She Said YES!!!!!!!!

  We are over the moon excited!!!!!  It’s official our girl and her guy are engaged!!!    They have had a road trip planned for quite a long time….and just before they left her guy called to ask our blessings for him to pop the question in Yosemite, one of their favorite spots.  So us keeping the secret for over 12 days….(ugh, that was so hard)…and yesterday morning before making their way home from Yosemite, he popped the question.  There was happy tears, and a beautiful ring, and of course the answer was YES!!!!!!!  Then a call to dad and mom and more happy tears!!!!  We are all so excited and can’t wait for the big day…to be determined!!  We met for dinner on their way home to hear all the details.  I have never seen our girls so happy…..and I can’t believe I didn’t take their picture …UGH!!!!!!!  Too much in the moment I think, but oh such a beautiful ring, and the perfect guy for our “little” girl and our family!!!!!!

Much love to you two, and wishes for all the happiness in the world.   Life is very, very good!!!!!

Warning……..and FNSI Results

It’s so nice to have  friends on the sidelines always cheering you on, and Darlene definitely is that for me.  She always seems to know when I need a nudge, or some good friendly advice.  If you haven’t visited her blog this month, I highly recommend it.  She has been so productive, and gotten so many beautiful things done, which prompted me to ask her to please send some of her MOJO my way.  This is what arrived in my email yesterday………….

“This is a special delivery of MOJO just for you. You are to take this MOJO and use it to play and have fun.  Take it with you into your sewing room to find the special project that you've been wanting to make ASAP.  If no such project exists then you are to use your MOJO to pick up the first project that your eye spots.  Should you chose not to exercise this MOJO then your sewing room will disappear and you'll have just dust.  LOL      Big Mojo Hugs, Darlene”

I love it and it was just what I needed, and it just might be that dust part scared me a bit, so I got productive!  

Here are my FNSI results. 

Punkins 4 Sale was finished a couple of days ago…well I though it was, then I noticed a couple half square triangles were turned wrong…so fixed that.   I have had this raggedy edge posey quilt called Charming Blossoms, cut out for about 4 years…hmmm, seems time to get it done.  Worked on it last night and now I just have one border to go.  

My advice to you, get productive.  You never know when Darlene might be watching!  Can you imagine….poof your sewing room could be gone!!!  Happy weekend friends.

Punkin Time……and Tutorials

The week was a busy one, and there was no time to sew…..BUT today I decided I needed to do a little somethin’ , and I knew just what I wanted to work on.  Got all the half square triangles made, and buttonholed the letters.   It took a bit longer than I thought, but hopefully in the next couple days it will be done.

So have you thought of a Christmas gift to make this month??  If not, here’s some wonderful tutorials that just might make your list.  Thanks again to all the wonderful crafters for sharing their talents and patterns with us.

Marcie at Patch A Lot More, has a wonderful tutorial for this Christmas Topper.  There are a few variations to the pattern featured.  Pop on over and visit her to see more of her great patterns.  Some very, very exciting news.   Due out on September 25 is Fons and Porter’s bookazine on Scrap Quilts.  Marcie’s quilt will be featured on the cover.  A big congrats Marcie!!!! 

I love this sweet Christmas Candy Tree Skirt.  It’s from Jennifer at All Things Belle.  The tutorial was featured at Cutting Corners College by Riley Blake Designs.

 

Growing up my kids loved playing I Spy, and when I saw this idea on Pinterest I knew I would have to make some for The  Dots! This great         tutorial is courtesy of Stacey at Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy.

 

This is super cute for sure, and definitely doable before Christmas.  Lesley at Sew Happy Me has a tutorial here for this great project.

 

Sweet fabric slippers, again so cute!!! The tutorial is here, courtesy of Jaime and Jacinda at Prudent Baby.   Oh the color options!

…….now we are really getting down to it!!!  Three more months left in this years Christmas Through The Year group (we aren’t counting December).  If you haven’t joined in yet, we would love to have you play and get some gifts done too.   Darlene will have a wonderful giveaway for this month, and Mr. Linky up over at her blog at the end of the month so we can all see the gifts that have been made.

So, enough of my blabbing!!  Wishing you all a very happy week.

WOOWZERS!!!

I was very lucky to win one of the giveaways with  the Schnibbles Through The Year group……Carrie, Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co..was so, so, so, so generous!!!  Here’s what I got in the mail Saturday.  A whole bunch of  her new Little Bites patterns, charm packs and Moda Candy (2 1/2 inch squares), 100% hand made labels, a pincushion, and this super duper cute button sewing box!!!  OMW, I almost fainted.  Thank you so much Carrie, and thanks to Sherri and Sinta for this wonderful group.

Speck is done and ready for some quilting.  I loved making this sweet little quilt.   I can tell these Little Bites patterns are going to be my new favorite!!!  You can even order PDF patterns over at Carrie’s.

Us Cali girls just aren’t lovin’ the humidity we have been having…something else for sure!  I decided today to start bringing out some Fall decorations….for sure this will bring on Fall!!   My friend Carol made me the pumpkin quilt a few years ago……so cute!  The sweet Fall banner is from Nicole at Raggedy Old Annies.  Just tell her what you want the banner to say and she will whip one up for you, and take a peek at all the wonderful Annie’s she makes…they make great gifts!!!   So Fall, any time your ready, please stop on by!  Happy week friends :-)!

Little Bites

This months Schibbles pattern is Speck, a Little Bites pattern.  Miss Rosie’s….Carrie, has  done it again, coming up with these cute Litte Bites patterns  using 2 1/2 inch squares…Candy as Moda calls them…..yummy candy.   Today I had a little bit of time, so I cut in to my 30’s stash, and got some blocks together.  This pattern is so fun and fast. 

Tomorrow is play day with The Dots, so no sewing during the day, but may be tomorrow night!  Happy Friday friends!

A Wee Bit Of Sewing…and Tutorials

Last week I put this cute Xmas package runner together, did simple cross hatching and today I put the binding on.  It’s from the book  Christmas Favorites by Nancy

 

Halvorsen.  Isn’t that cover quilt cute.?  It’s on my to do list .  I have the fabric and decided it would be a project for next year, but since it’s National Sewing Month maybe I will start now..hmmmm! 

Just a few more months and you know what will be here…are Darlene and I driving you crazy yet??  We sure hope not!!   Here’s some more wonderful tutorials for you, and thanks again to the amazing crafters for not only sharing their tutorials with us, but for letting me use their pictures!

Nikki at Whimsy Love has two really cute projects.  First a pattern for this great Soap Pouch…very clever and a tutorial for a Washcloth Travel Pouch.

 

 

 

Boy I love totes, and here’s a really super, duper cute one that Kari featured at U Create….tutorial here by Sierra at Blue Robin Cottage.  Love those ruffles.

 

Traci at Beneath My heart has this great tutorial for Easy Tile Coasters Made with Drink Napkins …..oh the possibilities!!  So many cute napkins out at holiday time.  Having these on hand for gift giving will be great!!! Cute, inexpensive and easy is what Traci says!!

Such a cute Paper Holly Garland, and sewn on the machine too!!  Sinead has a tutorial here at The Hybrid Chick.

No plans for us for Labor Day…just relaxing (oh and sewing).  Our weather is still hot and humid, but the sky today was just about as blue as I have ever seen it here.  Come on Fall, I know you are lurking out there somewhere.  Happy week friends!

And The Winner is…..

This months winner for the Christmas Through The Year giveaway is Wendy of Snippets Of A Quilter.  Send me all your info Wendy, and I will get your goodies in the mail!!  Thanks to everyone for playing along in August.  Darlene and I are having so fun co hosting!!!

Speaking of Darlene, I was visiting over at her blog and found out from her …. and she found out from Jocelyn…..that September is National Sewing Month….who knew???!!!  YIPEE, this means we need to sew, sew, sew all month long so I say go forth everyone and sew and pass the word!   Off I go….happy weekend!