Fall Table Topper

I love the colors in this table topper. Fall is my favorite time of the year, I just love the colors all around. I made two of these centers. I'm keeping one for myself. Don't know if it will be this one or the second one. We'll see when it's done. But here is the top of the first one. It's the Connecticut Block from Carol Doak's 50 Fabulous Paper Pieced Stars Book.

Latest Challenge

Sometime in July the online quilt group I belong to posted a challenge. We were given three different blocks and needed to use them to design and sew a quilt. I designed mine right away but never got around to sewing it. Well the challenge is over Oct. 31, so I worked this weekend on sewing the challenge. I wanted to use this great mushroom fabric I have and lots of bright colors, but I didn't want to use too much of my favorite fabric since I wasn't sure what I was gonna do with the quilt. It didn't come out great, but it's okay. The challenge has 3 prizes. One prize was for the quickest -- that wasn't me. Another prize is for viewer's choice. Everyone on the site gets a chance to vote on their favorite. I got no chance of winning that either. There are some beautiful quilts, far better than mine. And then the last prize is a random drawing. There's less than 20 people involved right now so the odds aren't bad. Sometimes more than a hundred participate. Don't think I'll win, but gotta give it a shot. It took me quite a while to do it, but there are only 32 blocks, I think. I took a close up of the mushrooms, they're my favorite part.

November BOM

Our fearless leader posted the November BOM early. I made 2 again. One standard and one a little more fun. These blocks are only 7" finished so the finished quilt should be a cute wall hanging - about 28 x 36 - with borders. This one was geared towards labor day, so I made one with the flag, but then I made another with the leaves on the roof and a kitty in the window and a stray cat hanging around outside. Kind of like my house. Can't wait til December's block is ready.

Bright Boo Boo

Mom and I went to the Quilt Odyssey in Hershey this year and Carol Doak offered 5 classes. Mom and I signed up for 3 and I got my fabric early, cut it all up, labeled it and had it in bags waiting for the class. Then mom came over and I was helping her get hers ready and we went back over the cutting instructions and I was doing things I didn't remember doing when I cut mine. So ... I go back and look at mine and it turns out I had made a slight boo boo. I had cut out the fabric for the Bright Stars class and we were in the Bright and Bold Spinners class. So ... I set it aside and promptly forgot about it. (Of course we had to hit Lancaster on the way to Hershey and I got all new fabric for the Spinners quilt there.) Then this weekend I was trying to "finish up" some projects and found it, so I put it together. I used the same border print as I did for the Spinners class. I love the bright colored mushrooms. It's got a bit more purple and pink than I would normally use, but it still looks pretty good.

Another Goodie

Every time I make a new table topper I like it better than the last one. I'm not sure if it's because I've gotten better at them and they're even more fun to make each time or if it's because I've spent a lot of time shopping for fabric and seem to find exactly what I want or if it's because they really are better. But this latest one is (once again) my favorite. This one is for a quilting buddy who (like me) has a cat for one of her best friends. If you can't read the words in the center it says "Never underestimate the power of a purr." I've just got to hand sew the opening and it'll be on its way. I even liked the back fabric on this one and took a close up so you could see how cute those kitties are.

Halloween Fun

I saw some cute Halloween quilts and table toppers on my favorite online group and I got a sale flyer from Joann Fabrics that said all Halloween fabric was 50% off, so I went and bought some fabric and made myself a holiday table topper. It is even brighter in person and makes me smile everytime I see it.

October Block of the Month

My favorite online group just started a new Block of the Month. This one is 7" on point scenic blocks. The first one is a tree next to a path. According to the designer it's supposed to be an apple tree next to a road. I made one like that but then I also made one as a fall tree with a stream next to it. I can't wait to see the rest of the blocks for this quilt. Looks like next fall I'll have two wallhangings ready for quilting.