Trick or Treat, No Tricks Just Treats!

It's been a very long time that I had done any swapping. Well I took my chances and participated in a Halloween Bag swap sponsored by Aunt Pitty Pat. My partner in the swap was Mary Grace McNamara from Hooked on Needles. In our package we had to include 3 Halloween fat quarters and thread to match them. We were to put in some kind of Halloween treat, some kind of notion, and something to decorate with. And of course a tote bag of somekind using what we had in our stash. This is the whole kit and kaboodle I sent Mary Grace. She received her loot on Thursday. I'm so glad she liked everything.

Look what I found on the front porch yesterday morning. OMG, my package from Mary Grace. She went above and beyond with her package. Look how cute she had everything wrapped. I couldn't wait to see what was in all those little packages. Let me show you.

She certianly took right good care of me.

What fun treasures. A darling tote bag with a drawstring opening. There were Halloween Dots, my fat quarters and thread. She threw in a spool of Halloween ribbon, a pumpkin shaped cookie cutter with all the face shapes. And a pumpkin carving idea book. How fun is this? Thanks Mary Grace for a really fun surprise and to Aunt Pitty Pat for sponsoring the swap. Some of my blogging friends have come from doing swaps, it really is fun when they all participate like they should. I got soured on them last year, but I think this renews my trust in participating again. Now that's not saying I'm going to join every swap out there. Trust me there's to many.

"Pure" joy!

Can't wait to show you this. It's off to the quilter's. You can see it next week!

Fall Open house at the CW!

If you live in the area. Today is the last day of the Corn Wagon's Fall Openhouse. Stop by and see all the new classes being offered this quarter. Here are the classes I will be teaching.Bag Ladies, usually the last Thursday of the month. Sometimes we have to change things around. September's bag is the Bella Bag. It is the black and green and the red one in the picture. Class is on September 3oth. Come join the bag ladies, we have lots of fun and there's always a treat!

October's bag is a cute trick or treat bag or you could also use it as a lunch tote. You don't have to make it from Halloween fabric. Think outside the box on this one. The pattern is free when you sign up. These would make fun gifts for Christmas for the grandkids to cart their lunch back and forth to school each day or to give to co-workers and friends. Class is October 28th @ 6:00 p.m.

This is one of the Twister quilts I have been working on. This is going to be a Saturday class from 10:00 - 3:00 on October 3oth. We will be piecing in the morning and cutting in the afternoon. We will be finished up in time so you can take the litte ones trick or treating.

The class is called "Let's Twist". This is a fun new technique using the Twister ruler to make pinwheels. This can be made from a layer cake or scraps cut down to 10" squares. You will have a blast "Twisting" this thing around. Come learn something new.

The Spooky Treats quilt class is on September 29th. We still have kits available for this one. And I think there are still a few spots left in the class. I would love to have you. Stop by the Corn Wagon's website http://www.cornwagonquilts.com/ if you can't make it in to see all the projects. Everything is shown on there too.

A 9-11 Weekend

The moving wall, a half size replica of the Vietnam Veterns Memorial that is in Washington D.C. has made it's way to Spanish Fork for the weekend. Thanks to my cousin, Lana and so many others for making this all possible. What a nice tribute to all of those hero's that have given so much for us and especially on the weekend of that tragic 9-11 day. Where were you that day?

We went with Kira, John and the kids to visit the memorial. 58,ooo names are on the wall, 8 of them are women. We got some very insigtful facts about the wall that we didn't know. There are names of a few men from here in Spanish Fork.

Hatch, Thayne and Karas in front of a section of the wall.It was beautiful fall evening for such an outing. There is just a reverent feeling when you are visiting something like this. I hope that someday I will have the opportunity to visit the real memorial in Washington. Those that have been say that's it's quite something.

After spending some time there we loaded up the 3 crazy's and headed for ice cream.

We had all three of them loaded in the back seat of the Mustang. Two seat belts, 3 kids. Oops, that's a no-no! Neither Hatch or Karas stayed in their seatbelts like they were supposed to. When you have a crazy driver like Grandpa you really should be buckled up! The kids were just a hoopin' and a hollerin' all the way there. I couldn't resist taking pictures. (Remind never to take them to St. George in the hot car!)

Yummy, who dosen't love Coldstone.

As you go about your daily routines today, I hope you will take a minute and reflect back on that day 9 years ago. Take a moment and think about all of the innocent people that lost their lives and think about our service men and women still out there protecting us. Our lives have never been the same since, have they? I hope everyone is flying the American flag today. I know I am proud to be an American.

(Side note, the wall is here until Monday. For those that live in the area, try and make this a family outing. You won't regret it.)

Kits, Kits and more Kits!

OMG, more Spooky Treats patterns hot off the press. We can't keep these things in the store right now and it's not even October yet. I bet I have made 32 so far and we just got more of the fabric in, so that means there will probably more on their way. If you want one I suggest you come in or call and I will hold one for you, they are going like hot cakes.

In my kits I have even included a chocolate bar to get you through your sewing! Every sewer needs chocolate, especially when the name has the word treat mentioned in it!

If you have forgotten, this is what the quilt looks like. I am teaching it as a class on September 29th at the Corn Wagon and again at Dave's Bernina in Provo on the 21st of October. Don't miss your chance to come make this very cute quilt. Your kids and grandkids will love you forever!

My Get Away!

I spent the weekend away from home relaxing, and sewing my nights away. On Thursday morning I taught my bag class at Dave's and then it was time to get to work. I accomplished alot on my new traveling companion(no I didn't get rid of Stuart), but I did buy me a new machine to haul back and forth to St. George and to retreats. Isn't she cute, it's the last one of it's kind from Dave's Bernina. These machines have been replaced with the new B Series so they had these machines at a great deal that I couldn't resist. I found this awesome bag while I was in St. Geroge to haul her around in. Isn't it the wildest thing ever. Now she just needs a name. Any suggestions?

This is my to do list.
I should of checked them off as I finished them I guess. I got everything done but the Green Apple Totebag. Now that's alot of sewing. Let's say my new machine got well broken in.

I couldn't pass up this batch of westen fabrics. It's going to make one heck of a cute quilt to go in the White house on wheels. The colors are just the same as the interior of our trailer. Usually when you see western fabrics they are in the normal colors of red, blue, yellow etc. These are done in blacks, tans and browns. You can pick some up for yourself at Hurst's Ace Hardware there in St. George. I even bought a new pattern to use with them. I was hoping to get it cut out while I was there but I read these instead.

The new Quilt Sampler and Where Women Create. Both of these magazines had some great articles in them. Pine Needles at Gardner's Village here in the Salt Lake area was one of the featured shops in the Quilt Sampler. And Where Women Create had two of my favorite designers featured, Amy Butler and Camille Roskelly.

A little snip of Pine Needles. This shop always have the cutest quilts on display let alone all the other items and patterns for sale to fit any sewer.

This article on Camille was very well done. It showed all sorts of pictures of her darling studio. She has the cutest taste in everything she does. She has a new book coming out and I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Here are a few pics of some of the finished projects.

This is the Bella Bag from Heather Mulder Peterson, this is going to be the Bag Ladies bag for September at the Corn Wagon.

This bag comes in three different sizes and it has three different handle choices. The black and green fabrics are very popular right now. What do you think of the combo?

These are called Snap Happy Bags, they open and close with a metal measuring tape. This is also going to be a bag class. These are so fun and simple to make, they would be perfect for Christmas presents filled with sewing notions, recipe cards, lotions, etc. Watch for more details on this class.

In October for bag class we will making some fun Trick or Treat bags. I have made a boy version and a girl's version which is sporting a little bling. A glittered spider! This pattern is free when you sign up for the class. Stop in and check out just how cute these are.

You can see all of these and other samples at the Corn Wagon's Fall Openhouse to be held next weekend, the 9th-11th. Come in and sign up for some of the fun classes that are being offered this quarter. You won't want to miss my Spooky Treats quilt class or the Let's Twist Quilt(a new way of making pinwheels from 10" squares, using the Twister Ruler. Can't wait to see you.

Finishing Up!

These bags have been in "bags" just waiting to be completed. I started them while I was teaching the mystery bag at the retreats for Dave's Bernina. I finally found the time to get them done. The yellow and purple one already has a new home in the Netherlands. I sent it to Yvonne's daughter, Kelly. She sent me the sweetest thank you note after she got it. I am so blessed to be given the talent of sewing. I so much enjoy sharing and using my talents with others. Now the other one needs a new home, or is it going to hang on my sewing room door just like so many others?