It’s October What?

Wow - here we are, more than halfway through October already.  Our weather in Minnesota has been unseasonably COLD!  Our average temps this time of year are about 60 F, and we’ve had 40’s. Brrrr!  There was even a little snow last weekend, but it melted quickly (thank heavens!)

I have been working on the “secret quilt”, so I haven’t been tatting.  I’ve also been working on a weekend duffel for ME!  Unfortunately, I’m at a bit of a standstill until I can re-cut my straps.  I can’t find the hardware required in the pattern, so I’ll have to do a bit of adjusting to the fabric I’ve already cut.  No problem, I just need to have a good block of time to think straight so I don’t make errors that I can’t correct.  Dang it, I hate when patterns need something that I can’t run to Joann’s and get with a coupon!

My sweet sidekick - Ruby - has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  She was 12 years and 3 months old, which is pretty old for a boxer.  She was “losing her legs” and experiencing tipping and tripping, and I was terrified that she would fall down the stairs in our home while I was at work.  We’d been watching the progress all summer, and it started to deteriorate quickly.  My heart is broken and we miss her presence so much!  All the daily routines have changed.

Are you joining in on the Tatting Corner Secret Santa Exchange?  I am!  Email Lisa@tattingcorner.com if you’re interested!  I haven’t participated in an exchange for several years, but it really is fun.  I’m looking forward to doing it again.

Last weekend, I attended a lecture by Kaffe Fassett, well known for vibrant, colorful fabric designs.  I love the Kaffe fabric collection, and can’t wait to get creative with some of his fabric.  So many ideas, so little time - as usual.  The lecture was great - so many good thoughts about where inspiration really comes from.  Everywhere!  Look at the color around you.  I love vibrant color, but my home is rather boring and “safe” with tan painted walls 😬.

What inspires you?

Road Trip Photos

We are back into the swing of things at home and at work after our vacation road trip to Colorado. Driving from Minnesota through South Dakota and Nebraska is not the most exciting drive in the world, but we made the best of it!

We stopped at the Chamberlain, South Dakota Visitor and Information Center, which also commemorates the Lewis and Clark expedition. There’s a great view of the Missouri River from here.

This new sculpture named ‘Dignity’ is a 50’ tall stainless steel statue of an indigenous woman receiving a star quilt - a prized gift of the Northern Plains Indians.

The quilt has lights on it at night - visible from the highway.  Would’ve been fun to see it all lit up!

Once we reached Colorado, we did some horseback riding and hiking - and most of all, just thoroughly enjoyed the views!  What a beautiful area - I really do love the mountains. The temperatures were unseasonably warm in the upper 70’s and 80, and there were LOTS of people there doing the same thing we were, which we did not expect mid-September.

We stayed in Estes Park, Colorado - a tourist town near Rocky Mountain National Park.  We could walk to all of the shops and restaurants, so it was very convenient.  Our goal was to have mountain views and do some hiking - what a beautiful place!

Such an interesting place, rich with wildlife and history.  Not to mention those mountain views - pictures just don’t do it justice!

FYI - Fabric Still Available

Want matching fabric for Frivole's motifs I showed a couple of posts ago?  Kathy has pointed out on my last post that some fabric is still available at Let's Sew Quilt Shop if anyone is interested!  

I'd love to see what others might do with this fabric - I just can't think of anything other than bags, HA!

September Already?!

Wow - the summer has flown by!  And it’s been a HOT, HUMID one.  Or raining.  It seems like we’ve been inside a lot to avoid either rain or heat.  Some years are just like that.

Fall is my favorite time of year, though.  I like weather that I can wear t-shirt and jeans or a tank top and shorts, and be comfortable either way.  A sweatshirt in the evening as it cools down.  Not asking for much, am I?  Ha!  I love it warm and sunny during the day, but cool and crisp at night.  Fall doesn’t last nearly long enough for me.  

The back yard is beginning to show signs of fall - the tiniest tinge of red is out there.  It becomes red really fast, and is so pretty in the fall.

It’s the sumac - looks like this close-up:

 

I’ve been playing with ice drops and colors this week - matching ribbon and gems and thread.  Color matching is one of my favorite things to do - with both thread and fabric projects.

This one is Liz Metallic thread (Gemstone) with a clear gem that I’ve added glitter nail polish to the back side. Not such bright color, but a bit sparkly in a very subtle way.  This pattern is Diane’s Bloomin’ Ice Drop.  I really do like tatting with the Liz Metallic - rings are easier to open, tatting has a nice stability to it, and it has just a bit of sparkle.  It is comparable to size 20 thread, but works up just a bit larger.

This one has one of my favorite color gems - turquoise.  Lizbeth Island Breeze #130 thread goes perfectly with this gem. This one is Diane’s newest pattern “Frivolity”found with many more patterns on the Ice Drop Addicts Facebook page.90

I’ve also been working on the secret 30th birthday quilt - I can’t believe my baby will be 30!  Time goes so quickly, yet it seems like only yesterday we were running two little girls to piano lessons and volleyball and softball and school events. But it sure is fun to see those two little girls as wonderful, caring, productive adults!

Two more weeks until we have a vacation to Colorado planned - mountain views are in my future!

Square/Diamond Motif

Ta da!  I love this little motif just as much as the first one!  Now I have matching motifs for the fabric I used on my bags - how fun is that?  Love the fabric, and love the motifs.

Such a talent to be able to whip up these patterns so quickly, and then have a video tutorial as well.  The pattern for this square/diamond is on Frivole's blog HERE with a video to soon follow.  I can see the visual circle in this little motif as talked about on the pattern blog post. Such interesting tricks our eyes can play on us!  I have been wondering about trying this in a smaller thread, and attaching it to the zipper for an added zipper pull. Maybe stiffened?  Hhhmmmm.

In my non-tatting life, my bathroom remodel is FINALLY complete, including inspections.  We can finally move our "stuff" back in - trying to be neat about it and only bring back the items we really need in the new vanity.  Wonder how long that will last?