I Can't Keep A Surprise

I had to ask for a gift back.  This. 

 

Because I entered it in a quilt show. 

And as I found out, when you enter a project in a quilt show, there are submission guidelines as to how it's supposed to be presented.  Like a label.  Still have to do that.  Like a way to hang it.  Thank goodness this is a mini quilt, and L sewed two little rings to the back when she received it from me.

But it also needed a presentation bag.  Yes, a pillowcase would be acceptable, but it would be TOO big.  Plus, I wanted to surprise L as I'd had to ask for her gift back.  

And I knew EXACTLY what bag I wanted to make.  This one.  My favorite.  It's SO easy because Jeni's instructions are clear and precise.  Besides, I've made a gazillion of them now.  That's how much I love it.

But this bag had to be special.  I knew I was going to make improv wonky stars and I knew I had more than enough Halloween scraps.  I knew, because this is for my besty after all, that I was going to use black and gray, and that kitty-with-the glowing-eyes print.

Well, I can't keep surprises.  As soon as I this little wonky star block came together, I took a quick picture with the iPhone and sent it to her. 

So here it is.  Front.

And the back.

Together.  All ready for the show.

I really can't keep a surprise.  

Playing

Now that I am the blogger for our guild, ECMQG, I feel the urge to put more here.  There's still something about putting my little world out there that unsettles me.  But, as I seem to keep pushing others to come out of their comfort zones, I have to do the same.  


Today I am pulling out my Halloween fabrics (not that they were ever really "put away") to make a bag for this little mini quilt I entered in a local show, the 2013 Emerald Coast Quilt Retreat and Show. 

Funny, when we were "challenged" to enter a quilt, I thought nothing of it.  Other quilt-y friends, found it uncomfortable. Not that I have any aspirations about winning.  Because I don't.  I'm just thrilled to have a chance to show what I love doing with others.  Others who may not be modern quilters.  Others who sew and quilt and who LOVE fabrics and color, but are not as apt to "play" like I do.  Others who may have taken a sewing class years ago, but haven't "played" with fabric in too long of a time.  Others, like me, who don't draw or paint, but can fill that creative desire, by "playing" with fabrics.  To me, it's all just play.

The little bag I'm making for this quilt to travel to the show in is none other than Jeni Baker's lined drawstring bag.  I love it (obviously).  It's super easy.

So while it's February and the predominant colors are white (snow), gray (clouds), brown (dead grass like where I grew up in Virginia), red (Valentine's), or pink (Valentine's again) I'm going to go play with orange, and black, and purple, and chartreuse, and gray.    

This is Halloween! (WAS)

Well all of this would've been relevant if I'd pressed the publish button in October instead of February.  Such is life.

Queue The Nightmare Before Christmas.  This is Halloween, this is Halloween.  Pumpkins scream in the dead of night.

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1st set of Trick-or-Eek! lined drawstring bags.  Our guild, ECMQG is participating in a bazaar at the end of the month.  I won't be there as it's Fall Festival Day at my children's school, so I'm making these medium sized bags for our booth.  It's the weekend before Halloween, so these babies ought to sell, right?  Nope, none sold.  Bummer.   Fabrics for these are from stash (yes!), and recent purchases.  Back in May, (or was it June?), I fell head-over-heels in love with the ghosties, fabric during a visit to my LQS.  Had.To.Have.It.  

2nd set of Trick-or-Eek lined drawstring bags.  From Jeni Baker's tutorial.  Serious Halloween love happening in my world.  Some of these fabrics are from my summer road trip (FL to DE and back) buying spree.  I fell instantly in love with the monsters and the hearses.  Most of these are from the Eerie Alley 3 collection by Robert Kaufman.

A little something for my VGF (very good friend) who started me on this quilting journey. We both ADORE Halloween.  She's in Virginia where the weather is cool and crisp and where there are pumpkin patches.  I live along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico where 90° days in October skew the fact that  it is, indeed fall, and not summer.  

I hope you're being creative today. 

Mailbox Goodies and Other Things

This is what was in the box on my doorstep when we arrived home Friday afternoon.  This is from my friend who I was supposed to quilt with all of those years ago before the US Navy started moving us.  And not just scraps, but unwanted yardage, a very cool Halloween t-shirt, a few Halloween baubles for BabyBird, and L's name badge and pin from her days with the Tidewater Quilters Guild.  Thank you.

Look real close, right there in the center of the picture.  See it?!!  Yes!  None other than the hard-to-find Heather Ross Goldfish in Bags!!!  Awesome.  

Where has the time gone?  Oh, I know, sewing all of those lined drawstring Trick-or-Eek! bags.  This doesn't include the ones I made and dropped off at the post office.

Realized yesterday, I hadn't made any more blocks for the QAL.  Oops!  After a day of school activities with BigP and BabyBird, I pulled out the scraps and made these last night.

I've decided I'm going to sew my rows together as I make the blocks.  It's one less step.  And, to qualify for the prizes in this QAL, I need to have at least 30 blocks for a lap size quilt, 40" x 48".

Off to sew I go.  

Production Day

No sewing today.  Just fabric selection and cutting for the latest batch of Trick-or-Eek! lined drawstring bags.  MANY of the Halloween fabrics in my stash didn't make it into this pull.  Is there such a thing as too many Halloween fabrics?  Maybe.  Some people in my family would say so. I don't think I belong to that line of thinking though.

These are the fabric sets for the 14 bags that need to be sewn.  I think my favorite is the 3rd row down, 3rd set on the right - medium black spiders and webs on an apple green background.  I coordinated it with the large white ovals on chartreuse from Robert Kaufman's Celebrate Seuss! collection.  They remind me of GIANT spider eggs!!  How scary is that?  With that thought, off to sew I go.