MaryMack's Blog: October 2016

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Eerie Nights Blog Hop

Welcome to my day on the Eerie Nights Blog Hop!

It's the last weekend before Halloween! I've been enjoying seeing all the decorations around my neighborhood. I am amused by the skeleton bones "climbing" out of the lawns, and all the "cobwebs" and blow-up lawn decorations. Do your neighbors decorate?

Thanks to Sew Incredibly Crazy and Marian at Seems To Be Sew for coordinating this fun hop. There are great prizes and lots of inspiration. Enter, if you dare (insert squeaking door sound, lol)

I also had a challenge as an Island Batik Ambassador.

We were asked to create something with a pumpkin. Between the Ambassador posts and the other Eerie Night posts, it's been so inspiring to see what everyone has been creating! Search the hashtag #IslandBatikPumpkinFest for more from the Ambassadors.

I picked 4 orange batik fabrics, and put it with solid black. I used a gorgeous green Island batik for the leaf and stem, and added a border from Fabri-quilt that is for sale in my etsy shop. The pattern is Pumpkin Grins by Quilt In a Day.. And I created a smirky grinning face after looking at some suggestions on Pinterest.

I like mixing batiks and regular cottons. I've done it before, and it's fun, and it looks great.
Some of the "big" name designers do it, and the oranges from the batiks are a great match to the pumpkins in the print.

I used Aurifil clear nylon thread to quilt spider webs to the pumpkin. And I added LED lights. There's a small pocket on the back that holds a flat battery pack, and has a switch. I've done quite a few lighted pumpkin grins, and they are always so much fun to create.

I put a hanging sleeve on the back, so it can either be on a wall, or you could add magnets to hold it to a steel door. If you look at the close-up you can see the tiny light bulbs. I had a friend who put Fibre-Optics in some of my quilts, and made these small LED light sets for me.

So, I hope I've given you some ideas, and that you've enjoyed the hop. Please remember to enter the give-away below for the Quilters Dream batting! Just tell me your favorite Fall activity.

And check the others posting today to check out the other give-aways. Thanks so much for stopping by!

October 20th

Seams to be Sew

Cloth and Paper Studio

Thrift Shop Commando

Sew Many Yarns

October 21st

Quilting Affection Blog

Life in the Scrapatch

October 24th

October 25th

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

October 26th

October 27th

October 28th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Maryellen

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Folk Art Quilted Traditions Blog Hop

Hi! Thanks for stopping in for my day on Suzy Webster's Book Launch Blog Hop!

I LOVE being asked to help an author launch a book. It's fun, and I get the challenge of creating something new. Have you ever done layered applique? I hadn't. It wasn't even on my "bucket list" of quilting things to do. I've done applique, except for needle turn. I was satisfied. Until I saw this book. The 12 Hungarian inspired applique blocks are so pretty! Suzy asked the Island Batik ambassadors to pick one block, (or more, if you were adventurous) and use it to make a project from the book, or something else.

I decided to do a table runner. I figured I would have time to finish it. LOL. Not exactly. Almost.

I read through Suzy's great directions, and picked Block 12. I really liked the way the flowers looked. And since it was my first time, I didn't want to go too crazy with the layers. This one had 5. I went through the box of Island Batik fabrics I had, and picked some from Red Tide, as well as some random squares and scraps for the colors, and a background, Parchment, for the Jeweled runner from the book. Although I could have created more applique blocks, or created my own setting blocks for the block I made, I really did like the look of Suzy's design, and wanted to use it.

And then I got some special orders, had a craft show, went on vacation (although I did prep the Light Steam a Seam 2 while away, doing the tracing, and some of the fabric pre-cutting).

We got home from the trip, and I've been working on the stitching for the applique. And working on another project, and working on getting things organized, and repaired.

Did I mention living with my mom, and taking care of her, is a full-time job? Did I mention my brother is moving, and when he comes back to visit, wants to stay in the other upstairs room, across from my sewing studio? Did I mention we needed to replace the tile floor in the upstairs bathroom, because it was broken and leaked, plus paint and refinish the floor in the other room? And we're also fixing up my childhood bedroom? And I needed emergency dental surgery to pull a broken tooth that was so painful? Yes, and more. Although we had tried to schedule the tile 2 weeks ago, something came up with the installer. It was rescheduled for today (Wednesday). Yup, the day I needed my machine and studio the most, I had no electricity for a few hours, because they were installing a new mirror and light, plus ripping out the bathroom floor, and painting the hallway and doors upstairs (the one to my studio, etc).

So, before they turned off the electricity to the 2nd floor, I was able to press the pieced units for the side blocks. But I couldn't sew, because the bathroom vanity (which was removed so they could rip up the tile and fix the holes) was IN FRONT of my sewing desk!! YIKES!!

I pressed, and trimmed the sections, and went back down to my vintage machine to sew the sections together. The worker said he would move the vanity. He did, but couldn't put the electric back on. Back up 2 flights to trim the blocks and back down to sew them together, set up the iron and board in the basement, press everything, and go outside to take some photos.

So, here's my version of Suzy's Block 12 and Jeweled Runner.

Yup, just for fun, to show you what's on my lawn today. The toilet is a kid's height one, and we're replacing it with an adult (chair height) one.

After I took the photos, I waited until the power was back on, layered the runner with Warm & White batting, and a white backing, and got a little bit of quilting done. I tried to quilt more after dinner, and broke 3 needles. I give up for tonight! lol

We'll see. On days like today, I wish I had a Fitbit. I would love to know how many flights I did. I'm also glad I can work around the issues when things get wacky!

So, it's not finished, but I hope to have it done soon.

I do recommend Suzy's book! I hope you consider adding it to your library and trying one of the projects. I LOVE the Indigo Star quilt. I would love to make that one one day.

Indigo Star, designed by Suzy Webster, pieced, appliqued, and quilted by Kathy Shier

Which block or blocks do you think you'll try? Remember to check out the other bloggers, and to enter to win a copy of the book and some Island Batik Fat Quarters.