Baraboo Steam and Gas Engine Show 2016 ... Lots of Photos :)

I seriously look forward to the Baraboo, Wisconsin Badger Steam and Gas Engine Show every fall.  For those of you that have never attended, it is the third weekend of August every year.  The forecast called for showers on Saturday with the main bulk arriving on Friday night.  The weather man wasn't fibbing!  Those poor exhibitors and vendors saw some serious showers.  Friday was very busy with spectators trying to beat the weekend precipitation.  Mr. Hollow and I arrived at 8:30 am on Saturday morning hoping for a dry day... Well at least from the clouds that were passing over anyways. 

 

 

We only endured two cloud bursts in the afternoon hours, but the grounds told the tale from the previous night.  Those exhibitors and vendors stuck it out, and it was a wonderful day.  Not too warm in the morning hours and delightfully cool after the cloud bursts.  I was very happy that I packed a t-shirt and light jacket to change into; although, the book building offered t-shirts and tank tops for sale. 

I was so happy to see the engines running.  This gentlemen took the time to start and explain the function of his engine.  It made me smile.  The puff and toot reminded me of the contraption from Willy Wonka... Right down to a bit of water shooting from the pipe !  :)

Such a nice tribute to the ladies who went to work for the war effort.  It always makes me smile to look at the photos and read the articles.

Can you imagine these huge machines still run flawlessly?  I just love watching the smooth effortless power.  It is a blessing that they have such a wonderful home and are shared for spectators to enjoy.  At the other end of the building was a machine creating huge amounts of steam, I walked through the steam as I exited and probably took every wrinkle out of my clothes! LOL ;)

I know this photo is hard to see, but it is a sea of farm tractors.  Can you believe the turn out?  Even with rainy weather being forecasted.   Simply fantastic! 

While Mr. Hollow visited friends at the chainsaw competition, I took a few photos from my favorite spots.  The printing presses are one of my favorites.  The gentlemen there are so fun to be around and extremely knowledgeable.  At this machine, the gentlemen was asking the kids which way the letters and arrow needed to go.  They did really well and was amazed at the final product.  :)

The guys demonstrating their blacksmithing skills were probable relieved by the cooler temps!  I purchased a cross from this exhibit area a few years back.  Quite a fascinating art!

The gentlemen one window over made this terrific bird.  As he worked, he put wax from a candle all over it.  I never got to hear the reason behind this.   He set it in the vice to cool... all in a days work.  That was pretty awesome!

Can you believe someone built this?    Do you know what is more amazing?  The little engine on the left makes all of the other little machines run.  And let me say from seeing it with my own eyes,  they ALL do run as working machines.  That is some seriously crazy talent!

I have a fondness for the large engines.  Looking at this photo, I can still feel the heat.   Such power harnessed in  iron... You can just feel it standing next to it. 

I never tire of the big saw! 

I am sorry to have not gotten photos from the Women's Center.  Kind of odd really, since it is home to  the lovely sewing machines that got me even more hooked on quilting.  And let's not forget the spinners who are responsible for me taking the leap into that arena.  Also to the chainsaw exhibitors, where Mr. Hollow spends his day while I run! ;)  There are so many exhibits that I am so sorry for the various ones not shared.  Those will be the ones I showcase next year... I gladly promise. :)

Before I forget, here are a few of the items that I picked up at the flea market:  The brushes and pick will be great for a few projects looming in the distance.  You all know I cannot pass up on some good fabric.  (Actually I did, the lady had a ton... but I refrained!)  Then I met a really nice lady who had this beautiful baby quilt of verses.  (It is so soft and cuddly... Very well made and for 5 bucks!)  Also over at the shingle making exhibit, they had some cedar wood pieces.  These thin planks will be wonderful to put in with my wool bins to keep the insects at bay... plus, they just smell wonderful!

Here is a block from the quilt.  Definitely perfect for me!

I spotted this vintage testor set.  Isn't it odd what strikes my fancy?  It is so cool.  Mr. Hollow walked back and bought it for me.  It will look great in my future studio next to my natural wool dye jars.

I also was lucky enough to get a half gallon of Maple syrup... Some really dark syrup this year.  I forgot to pick up some cornmeal on the way home.  Drat!  But at least,  it made the bacon this morning so much better. ;)

An enormous Thank-you for those wonderful souls that make this show possible!  All of the exhibitors, vendors and behind the scene magic makers who take the time to make this weekend great for all of us spectators.  You are truly the best! 

Summertime... Fleece, Fabric & the Return of ...



Oh my heavens... Where is the summer going?  I have been so busy!  Here is a little bit of my summer antics.  First, I got some cool new combs and another carder for processing all of that Shetland wool.   Also, I have been doing loads of reading on Ravelry regarding the processing and spinning of raw fleeces.  I have learned so much that I will need to revamp my tutorial on "how to wash raw fleece".   And oh the lovely fleeces!!!  There are many wonderful caring shepherds selling their wares on Etsy and Ravelry... got to have more than just Shetland to spin. ;)   (More on that in future posts!)

 

Here is my latest processed fleece.  The taupe colored fleece is from Farmerboy's Ariel.   The gray bun in the upper left corner is from Lego.   They were two of the original 3 that started out this crazy group.   Beneath the gray, there is some Targhee / Rambouillet fiber from Kami over at "Ranching Traditions".  I haven't spun the fiber yet, but this stuff is spongy and destined to be socks.  So, let the fine spinning begin!

 

At present, I'm still messing around with combed top purchased from "Edgewood Garden Studios" on Etsy...  Love her colors. :)  It is really good practice.   And hey... It  actually looks like yarn!  LOL 

 

 

Did you think I was too busy for the Flea Markets?  Of course not! ;)   Mr. Hollow and I just went up to Jefferson, Wisconsin this morning and had to bring home some vintage fabric.   Although we did not go on the 127 this year (the first time of being a no show in 14 years),  we have been hitting a lot of the smaller venues.   One of the vendors today had an old Viking machine in its original case (heavy metal at its finest)  and also there was an old treadle White, but I managed to pass them up without too much regret.  I am in the process of getting a studio area set up in my house, so my spending has been sparse until my room is semi functional... At least for bigger items anyways! ;)   There aren't enough words to convey how thrilling it will be to get my sewing machines and fabric easily accessible to me... Whenever, I feel the need.  Yipee!!

At the beginning of the summer, Mr. Hollow and I discussed removing the pond from our back yard.  It was June already with no sign of Gary, and Farmerboy is moving out with the purchase of a farmette.  (How cool is that?)  The pond had always been his project.  And as of the last few years, Mr. Hollow has gotten stuck with the cleaning of it anyways. :(  LOL  Not two days later after discussing the demolition, I looked out the back window and guess who was walking across the yard?  Yeah, you know who.  Mr. Gary made his appearance ambling around, sniffing the air and going plunk right into his pond.   Apparently, he winters in our back yard under one of Farmerboy's sheds that he is not planning on moving... Lucky for Gary right?  ;)  Guess that means the pond is staying.

The "Gas and Steam Engine Show" will be in Baraboo this next weekend.  I am very excited to attend.  Hopefully, the rain they are predicting will move out of the weather forecast. :(  I finally purchased a new memory card for my camera and will get plenty of photos. 

Sources for Dyed Wool ~ Etsy and Ebay Business Review

It has never been a secret from all of you that I absolutely LOVE wool.  What is it about this wonderful renewable resource that calls to me in its various forms?  I will never know. It has me under its spell, and I really do not care. :)   I mourn the days gone by... Does anyone remember the days of thick plush felt made from 100% wool, the norm in those days, that was easily found and not an expensive oddity?  My Mom made us all Christmas stockings from a current pattern (which at the time was the 1960's) and used felt to construct them.  She still has those stockings.  They of course would be considered vintage now! LOL  But the felt of the day was thick dense 100% wool.  It stood up through many Christmases that saw pounds of fruits and candies 'come and go'.  (Although one of my sister's still has a piece of candy melted in the toe of hers! ;) ) 

 

Where is the quality of yesteryear?  As I stated earlier, wool IS a renewable resource.  Why is it such a rarity?  Why does it cost over $22 dollars a yard to find quality wool by the yard to dye?  Let's not even discuss felt again... I mean the current quality of wool felt... you know that usually has 35% wool content, IF you are lucky.  I made myself and two of my sister's sets of stockings fashioned from the same pattern that my Mom used back in the 60's.  I searched high and low for 100% wool felt in the appropriate colors.  The finished products paled in comparison to the 1960's group.  They are thin, only trusted for display in my house and have felt embellishments that colors could not be found in 100% pure wool... :(   It really bugs me.  Sorry about the rant, but I just needed to throw a few questions out into the blogosphere.  It relieves my mind a little.  Now, onward to my post...

 

Penny rugs are one of the most creative and unique forms of hand stitched decorations.   Spanning back to pioneering days, it was a great way to protect tables that were not sealed from candles that could run.  Plus, they were just simple decorations that played in well to having pieces of fabric that were not big enough for any one item.  With circles being a primary motif,  the tiniest pieces could be cut into circles drawn from using coins as templates... Pennies included... Hence the name. ;)   I especially love it, because it is a kind of "anything goes" craft, involving artistic imagination and hand needle crafting.  How can you top that?  The little rugs feed well into my love of salvaging wool from thrift store items as well.  :) 

 

There has been a Halloween drawing in my sketch book that begs to be turned into a modern day penny rug.  After much thought, I decided the main piece of wool should be dyed.  (A hobby I have not tried... yet. ;) )  This is where Etsy and EBay come in.   Thanks to some very talented fiber artists, I have the beginnings of a gorgeous dyed stash, created with Dorr wool.  The first two colors are courtesy of Gina from Across Generations.  (Click on her name to visit her Etsy store.)  I marvel over the various colors that emerge in such a copacetic way on her fabric... breathtaking!  Then the next two pieces are from Frances at Sun and Wind Farm.  (Click on her name to visit her website.  She also has an Etsy store.)  The depth in this ladies colors is nothing short of spectacular.  The range of her colors is extraordinary.  I hope that I live to see her full span of colors folded in stacks inside one of my hutches.  *sigh*   The last four colors are from Petit Violet.   (Click on her name to visit her EBay item page.)  The colors literally spring from the wool.  They are based on a more basic one color application, so they are "jump off the wool" vibrant.

 



 

 

 

Each store packaged their wool attractively and shipped in a timely matter.  I was very impressed.  Their shipping was fair, as well as pricing.  One must keep in mind the size of the wool that is being purchased.   It seems that their main customers are rug hookers, but the sizes are equally as friendly to penny rug creators.  As far as appearance, it is simply a matter of design.  Pricing might give some new wool purchasers an enlightening moment; but when you consider that Dorr wool can sell upwards to $22.00 a yard retail and these are hand dyed "ready to use for that special project", I think their prices are more than fair.  Plus keep an eye out,  I hesitated and missed a wonderful sale at Sun and Wind Farm.  I am hoping to catch it the next time around! :)

Flea Market in Maquoketa Iowa

After a long winter, we attended our first flea market of the year on Sunday in Maquoketa, Iowa.  The wind had a little chill, but the sun was bright with a little punch of heat to it.  Honestly, adrenaline kept me warm.   (Maquoketa offers a large indoor flea market, along with an equal in size outdoor venue.)  Let me tell you...  It was such a nice feeling to be out rummaging again! :)

 

My first purchase was two enamel storage pans with lids.  The vendor wanted $24.00 for both, which was not out of line for the extremely nice shape that they were in.  Of course, this is a flea market and haggling is a necessity, so I offered him $20.00... and now they are mine. 

 

As everyone knows, China makes repops of these pieces now... Imagine that?  LOL  Do you know one sure way to tell you've got an original?  Carry these puppies around an outdoor flea market for about an hour.  The weight suspended from the bag handles was cutting into my fingers something fierce!  Nothing flimsy about these vintage babies.  Or should I say endearingly to our knock off providers, the Chinese care a whole lot more about the wear and tear on my arm than my forefathers! LOL

 

 

The following purchases were my first finds, but my last purchases from the outdoor venue.  (I was absolutely NOT going to entertain a trip back to the vehicle that early.  And they were both located at different venders, so I didn't want to start leaving purchases here and there.)  The first is a staple of mine... One of my various obsessions... The glorious wooden nail keg.  Makes me a little sad for days gone by but very happy that they are still around.  This one still had the top with the chunk broken out laying inside.  It is a nice larger size and will be great for housing my gourds or baseballs that are awaiting paint.   Asking price - $17.00.  Haul it away offer and purchase price-  $12.00.  Score!!   Have I ever shown you my collection of these that house my various sized gourds in the basement?  I will have to get some pics to show you.  ;)

The other item is a Coca Cola wooden bottle crate.  My true love is for the dividers.  I own a Pepsi one that came with original dividers and a milk flat that Farmerboy made the divisions for.  They are absolutely great for hanging on the walls of my studio and holding various art supplies.  I spent a little more than usual, but the Coke advertisement was neat looking.  (Says the girl who doesn't drink pop except for special occasions!)   Asking price - $12.00.  Haul it away offer and purchase price $10.00.


 

 

As we were leaving the inside section of the flea market, I noticed some ladies that set up in a room off the entry way.  They were a happy go lucky team.  Don't you just love people like that?  What reason does a vital human being have to be grouchy for?  I mean REALLY?  Unfortunately, their wares were not in the best location.  I think, they were overlooked being away from all the action.  Mr. Hollow was ready to make tracks, but this shopper made a beeline into their area.  Look at these extra heavy feedsacks!   Oh, the possibilities... The ladies were such a cool vending team that I didn't even haggle.  I purchased the lot of 6 for $18.00, which I must add is a great buy.

After the second trip to the car, Mr. Hollow was contemplating a trip back into the outside area.  I told him that I would go inside to finish looking at the feedsack ladies wares.  (I felt that Mr. Hollow made me go too fast the first time... And of course, my intuition was right! ;) )  Upon a return trip to my favorite vendors of the day, I found these two vintage feedsacks.  They are wonderfully soft and beautifully muted in their colors.  The green is just lovely.  No haggling on the price... $2.00 for the one on the right and $3.00 for the one on the left.

 

 

Okay, this item was super tough to photograph.  It is a quilt cover that was made out of old feedsacks.  Some of the sacks have printing still showing on them.  This baby is huge and the feedsacks are in great condition.  PLUS, there are two big panels that make up the front and back... We are talking a lot of useable fabric.  It was hanging on a rack with some aprons.  I honestly have never seen anything like this before... A treasure trove of feedsack fabric that looks like an open ended duvet.  Asking price -  $10.00.  Haul it away and purchase price - $8.00.

 

 

 

 

This was my last purchase before I ran off to find Mr. Hollow.  It was my shot in the dark purchase.  The ladies had a cutter quilt folded up in an old plastic zippered bag.  The asking price was $7.50.  I really did not feel like taking it out of the bag and decided to take my chances with a $5.00 offer that became the accepted haul it away price.  After getting it home and washing it, I decided that it was a worth while purchase.  It originally sported a star pattern which has blown out in most places.  The blue background pattern and white base is in wonderful shape with hand quilting.  I could see appliqueing over the stars for mini quilts to line baskets... Hmmmmmm.

 

Or since the back is in such nice shape, using that as the backdrop for some handy work... Some quilt angels perhaps or pile of table mats...  I will have to do some research and thinking on this one.  This worn out quilt is destined to be something great again... I just know it. :)

 

 

We had such fun for our first outing.  I am thrilled with my finds, as was Mr. Hollow with his.  If this is any indication how the year will be, we are going to have a blast!  

127 Yard Sale "2014"

It is hard to believe that another 127 Yard Sale is over.  We had some chilly mornings that gave way to warm afternoons.  Although there was a little rain, it magically let up at the times that we were out hunting. :)  It is amazes me how many vendors make the trek to set up along the 127 Corridor.  Here is my little sampling...

 

 

In Kentucky, there is a large arena for cattle and horse shows, it started to pour the moment we arrived.  The rain continued until we were ready to leave.  Which was perfect timing for us! ;)   From there, we stopped at a little flea market that was hosted by the local Amish community.  Here are a few of my finds: 

1. A huge bag of scraps was a nice find for 2 dollars.  Normally, I do not buy much for scraps, but these had some vintage and modern pieces.  2.  A kit for making Dresden Plate blocks.  The previous owner had 20 already sewn... I just had to pick it up for the $5.00.   3.   These four pointed creations are hand stitched and paper pieced.  Whoever created them, left the original papers on the back.  They are so neat "as is".  Not sure if I will create something with the four of them.  4.  A twin size child's quilt top.  I am not a fan of the design.  My thinking was to cut the squared blocks into triangles, mix them up and stitch them into a more complex design.  I couldn't buy the fabric for the $8.00 that I spent on it.  :)

Feed sack fabric anyone?  ;)  The 7 pieces of various sized feed sack will be used for some free sketch -  embroidery designs.  The vintage look and feel of these pieces will make for some nice  primitive distressed mats.  At a dollar a piece, a stitcher couldn't find fabric any cheaper to create with... with a little age and patina to boot! The second and last photos represent my weakness for stamped feed sacks.  I have got to get cracking on some projects to use some of these up on!  The third photo was a large cutter quilt that I just couldn't pass up on for 5 bucks.  It has a wide variety of colors on it.  There will not be any guilt cutting it up, since someone else already took a piece off of it.  :)

This industrial lamp will be perfect for my desk.  It works great and has scratch free paint.  Come on... Where can you get a great light for 7 bucks!

This photo is a find by Mr. Hollow.  It escaped my eye on the walk about.  My original thought was that it was a used rock tumbler from Lortone.  On our arrival home, I realized that it was brand new!  What a shocker???  It came complete with grit for 7 dollars. :) 

The same lady had some industrial sized tumbling barrels and two large lidded barrels of very expensive grit.  To the right shopper, the tumbling barrels would be a great find, and she would gladly have given them away.  Although Mr. Hollow began contemplating taking them (YIKES!), I was not for it.  We did take the barrels of grit.  The guys were trying to guess how many pounds were there... Maybe 35 pounds a piece.  I couldn't pass on them for 10 bucks!!

Here was an impulse buy.  Why did this speak to me out of a table filled with sewing machines?   I do not know.   But I fell for her... She is a Montgomery Ward "Signature" sewing machine.  Her and I are just getting to know each other, and a better introduction will be posted later.  :)

We had so much fun on our trip.  But there is not much time to rest, since this weekend is the big show in Baraboo, Wisconsin.  Lots of running to do before the weather dances its way into another season! :)

Summer in the Hollow

It is hard to believe that July is almost over! I have so much to catch up on and share.  Here is a little glimpse into the happenings here at the Hollow...

 

I have been working away on Great Grandma's Hummingbird quilt.  My purchase of a Huion light pad  has been a huge help in the piecing process.  The soft light helps me to fit the Hummingbirds around the octagon without any eye strain.  The light pad will be a great help with transferring quilt patterns and fine art as well.  :)

 

 

Does this look familiar?  I found another Bucilla stamped cross stitch alphabet quilt.  These over sized quilts are so charming!  They date from the late 60's to early 70's.   Although my bunny quilt is still in the process of getting the edging stitched on, this one is going to be the alternate stitching quilt for those cool fall evenings to come... or maybe sooner! ;)

Did I tell you that my birthday was a few weekends ago?  I will show you later the special gift that I purchased for myself.  Let me just say, it made me smile... I know myself so well! ;) 

Below is a special gift that I received from my coworker.  Lots of candy, a wonderful article on gourd crafting and a beer bottle that has an insert to be a candle.  Take a look at the label... Pumpkin Ale.  Isn't it wonderful!!  I think that it suits me perfectly and am going display it on one of my son's barnboard creations.  It will look so rustically cool! :)

 

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer. :)  My camera is overloaded with events and items to share, and I have been doing some serious baking.   My fellow bloggers have been putting up some wonderful recipes!!  My next purchase better be a new treadmill, or this blogger is going to need a new wardrobe! ;)

Vintage Hummingbird Quilt 74 Year Old WIP



For those of you that are new to the Hollow, the story behind these Hummingbird's can be found here.  They were a project that I knew would have to wait for my knowledge of quilting to expand. 

 

During the fall of last year, I took a day to try and figure out the geometric measurements of the octagon that would be needed to put these little guys together.  Seems easy right?  It nearly drove me nuts.  I remember being completely frazzed, walking away, and vowing to make the little Hummers into plain square blocks.  But after having a cup of tea and clearing my head, I threw common sense out the window, along with my ruler, and began sketching the pieces with transfer paper.  The ruler was used as a straight edge to clean up the design and in the final stages to make everything square.  My pattern was designed with hand stitching in mind, keeping with the style my Great Grandma ended with on July 4th of 1940. 

 

Below are the final sketches that I found in a binder last weekend.  Let me add that they were untested sketches.  No fibs here dear friends... It took me a minute or 20 :(  to reacquaint my mind on how I thought this pattern would work.  During the trial run of assembly, there were quite a few stitches ripped out trying to understand the order of construction.  My frustration was eased by imagining how different the world must have been when Great Grandma was constructing her pieces to this quilt... A quilt unknown to her that a Great Grand daughter would be destined to try and finish.  I couldn't help to also think of my Grandma, and how blessed I am that she kept these little pieces of cloth safe over the years. 

 

Have I ever told you how much I love to hand sew?

 

I truly do...

 

 

 

 

I am so proud to show you a peek at my progress!  It is as if my hands are being guided by generations. 

 

 









There is a long way to go, but I am so ready for this challenge.  A little hand stitching here and there calms my soul.  The timing feels right for me to venture into this quilt.  I intend to work on this one a few hours a week and take my time enjoying the process...

Sweet Meadow Farm's Prim Easter Bunny Finished!

I hope that everyone had a Merry Pi Day on 3/14!  We celebrated the mathematical constant at our house with a slice of cherry.  After telling my co workers about the dessert planned for my family, my branch manager pulled out a huge apple pie that she had stored in our break room freezer.  Instead of pulling a 10 hour shift, I went home for a few hours and did some baking! LOL  So... my team at work got to celebrate with a slice of  heavenly apple pie! (For her generosity, I brought my manager a piece of cherry back, since that is her favorite! ;) )   We were talking about next year's plans, since the date will be 3/14/15 and that will account for the first 5 digits of Pi.  I am thinking that we should all bring a different pie and spend the day sampling!  LOL

  

 

 

 

I finished my darling little bunny from the Sweet Meadow Farm's pattern.  She is every bit as cute as I imagined.  Thank the heavens that she is prim, since my skill level is perfect for that style! ;)  ** Oops... the remnants of the Pi celebration are in the background! :)

 

 



She is complete with genuine feed sack bloomers.   It would be fun to do a bunny with all feed sack clothes.  For this little girl, the dress fabric was dipped in coffee, and it gave the wee outfit a wonderful vintage look.  One lesson that I learned was not to fold the fabric over a hanger to dry after dipping.  The coffee settles on the cloth that is resting on the hanger and leaves a dark line.  But if you dip the affected pieces again, squeeze them a few times while in the coffee and finish by hanging them with clothes pins; the lines will go away... Lucky for me!

Her colors go well with my living room walls.   I would like to make her a dark little boy playmate and some wool Easter toys.  It would give her arms something to do.  Now, I am off to look for another project that needs completion!

 

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! :) 

Sweet Meadow Farm's Prim Bunny

A few years ago, I picked up the "Simply Bunnies" pattern from Maureen Mills of Sweet Meadows Farm. (Maureen was the designer of the gingerbread girl doll that I purchased for Christmas 2011, during an online craft show (here). )   My desire was to purchase more of her finished dolls.  But since my searches came up empty handed, I decided to check out her patterns.   Yikes!  You should see her sweet little dolls.  I left her site with three patterns ordered.  :)  Quite the big dreams here, since my experience in doll sewing is ZERO.  After receiving the patterns, I really enjoyed looking, reading and filing them away in my "to do" drawer.  Sound familiar? ;)

 

The bunny pattern was calling to me last summer, so I broke out some muslin hidden in my "hope that its needed someday" stash and created some bunny body parts.  Unfortunately... not long after completion, the parts were put in a tub and forgotten about.  :(

 

As you can see below, this little darling was rediscovered last weekend... just in time for Easter.  What had I been afraid of?  Time to break out and have a little fun.  I made some stain from instant coffee  (It was pretty light... Makes me wonder if brewed coffee would stain a bunny darker?)  and began wiping the body down with a soaked sponge.  It took a few coats to get to the final shade.

 

 

Painting the eyes was reminiscent of my ceramic days... sigh... with my  paint caddy getting to see a little action! LOL  Then, I was surprised to find that Maureen uses my favorite colored pencils for the detail work... Prismacolors.  They are another item that hasn't seen a whole lot of daylight in the past year.  The whole process is so addictive!  My mind was buzzing with possible dye methods and assorted shades of pencils to use on future bunnies. :)

Below is how she sits right now.  Tonight, the assembling will begin.  Then, my Easter fabric will get a once over for an outfit.  The coffee stain will come in handy to give the fabric an antique feel to it.   This whole project has been amazingly fun.  I love the excitement of tackling something new, and Maureen's designs are definitely newbie friendly...  Trust me!

The eyelashes are very prominent on this little one, so a dress will be constructed.  My mind is already imagining a dark little boy playmate.  I think that I'd better start experimenting with some natural dyes!  :)

Children's Book Fabric ~ Seuss, Schulz & Berenstain

I hope that everyone had a Spooky and Happy Halloween.  It was dank, misty and cool here.  Thank the heavens that the misty part let up during the bewitching trick or treat hours.  I had plenty of popcorn balls and candy bars waiting for the little ghouls.  It stayed steadily busy and was a fun time getting to see the trick or treators from previous years bring their little ones.  Time marches on! :)

 

And what have I done on these chilly nights?  I have been catching up with the designs from Robert Kaufman Fabrics.  You all know my love of children's books, and Kaufman Fabrics with their rich colors and fine details capture the spirit of some of my favorites perfectly.  I thought I would share a few of my latest purchases...

 

Fat quarter bundles have not been an area that I have stocked up on, but it is a nice way to get a smattering of a line to throw into a quilt.  A nice solid could be purchased at any time to get the project underway.  Here is a bundle of  "Green Eggs and Ham"  (I do... I do... Love Sam I am!) and "Oh The Places You'll Go".  "Green Eggs and Ham"  is classic Seuss, and "Oh The Places You'll Go"  was one of Seuss' later books that has always struck me as being a reflective look at life in general... an inspiring read.  These fabrics and those that follow will be used for gifts or donations and will have a book to go alongside them.  I am loving these themes! :)

 

 

EBay anyone?  This was put up for auction at 99 cents.  It was an untouched package from the Fat Quarter Shop.  It contained over 6+ yards of Berenstain Bear fabric and an additional 3+ yards of plain navy.  The auction ended with my spending  $8.99 total to get the package to my door.  Score!!

I haven't been keeping up with the designs coming onto the market and absolutely flipped over finding this postcard fabric from "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown".  The black background makes the gorgeous fall colors pop off the fabric.  Plus... a scene containing my favorite line of the holiday special "P.S.  If you really are a fake, don't tell me.  I don't want to know."  *Priceless*

After finding the tip of "The Great Pumpkin" iceberg, a little more digging found a panel and individual scenes from the holiday special.  You have to see this in person.  The colors are so spectacular, and the large panel with Linus in the middle of the pumpkin patch melts my heart.

The fabric with the sprinkle of pumpkins and the title "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" will be great to mix into the fall themed quilt.  I also spotted some panels of  "A Charlie Brown Christmas" that had to come home to me.  My only regret is that they neglected to add a scene of Linus telling the Christmas Story, which I felt was the main point of the program. ** Plus a little added factoid, it was the part of the special that Charles Schulz himself insisted would stay as written, after sponsors requested that it be cut.  Bless him for staying true to his beliefs.  So... if any of my blogging friends know of this scene being produced on fabric,  would you please let me know.  I cannot ever see completing one of these quilts without it.  :( 

  

Just a little life note...  As of October 1st, I was moved up to full time at my job and given an extra task to take care of during the upcoming year.  The past few weeks have been a boot camp of sorts, but I am happy to report that I have survived, and the scheduler in me should have my daytime work hours running more smoothly.  Yay! 

Meanwhile back at the ranch ;)... I am back to creating in the evening hours and blogging, and it feels wonderful.  I finally have a set schedule!

To celebrate the impending holiday season, I have left the television on the Hallmark channel this weekend, as I move around the house.  They have some fun original holiday programming.  The story lines remind me of the old AMC movies but in color.  :)   A cup of tea, some wool, and a creative project on a frosty Sunday morning is just what the serene doctor ordered.

On a funny note... I took a huge amount of mugs to the thrift store at the beginning of this year but look at what I just had to have from the Dollar Store... I fell in love with it... And the spoon is ceramic, too. ;)