If you missed reading about our first day of quilting class, you can do so HERE.

We finished up the first class and took our quilts home to work on some more.  We finished sewing each of the blocks and sewed the blocks together in the 3 x 3 square.  I may have redone mine a few times.  And then took it back to Assemble for the last class and had Emily help me and my perfectionism.  {which she did, oh so patiently!}

{sewing my quilt!}

{B sewing her quilt!}

Next step involved pinning the quilt face to the backing with some batting in between.  I could easily see how a larger size quilt would have been extremely challenging, just getting everything to lie flat.  B sewed around her squares in a cream thread and then went back to pink thread to sew around the outer most edge…. I used this lime green color throughout.

{B getting some help from Emily at Assemble on sewing through the batting..}

{pinning the three layers}

{my quilt face with the backing layer I selected}

We finished them in that last class.  I have to say, the satisfaction of successfully completing them was pretty incredible.  Often times I work on projects and don’t find the time to finish, or well….have all the supplies here, yet lost the time to even begin.  This carved out ….time….it was so needed.

They are hanging in our living room now and make the cutest spring decor!  To brag ( cause I’m kind of proud of my skills! ) here are some close ups!

I know, you read that and think …. are you crazy?

Well, the truth is – yes!  I still am in Christmas.  It has been busy since I have gotten back from NJ Christmas.  And now, the Pac NW is about to get a giant snowstorm… or so they say – i will believe it when I see a flurry!

There is a bit of snow still on the ground, and I am inside with Christmas decorations all around.

That combined with looking through and organizing photos….. means that I realized I never put up pictures of our 2011 Christmas Dessert tables.  We decorate tables every year for this event, and I don’t want ’11 neglected!

2010 table

2009 table

This year, we ventured out to Craven Farm with friends to get pumpkins.  It was an outing of greatness, not only because of amazing people, but because of some amazing October weather.  That’s right, we had sun on pumpkin patch day.  Epic.  Then, we eager beavers decided it would be fun to carve away at our pumpkins.  That was October 16th.

I should have known better, as no fewer then 5 people replied to my “how was your weekend?” answer with horror that I was carving too early.

Well, ya’ll.  You were right, I was wrong, end o story.

The pumpkins now serve as a nice science exhibit on our porch highlighting different mold species that are present here in the Pacific NW.  I need  to make a sign that says, how many colors can you find on this pumpkin?

So, yes… BUT luckily I have had a new fall project around here.  Fabric Pumpkins.  I saw a few varieties in stores and in Marthas…. but really could not find a pattern.  So instead, I made it up and tried a few different options.

First was a successful trip to Joann’s for some fall fabrics.   I got 1/4 of a yard for most fabrics and it seems to be more then enough for sevearl pumpkins and an upcoming Thanksgiving themed project I want to do.  One thought on fabrics… I chose a few solid colored ones – an orange felted sweater and some brown burlap.

Then, I made the template (which you can download and print off here: pumpkin template).  I chose three fabrics per pumpkin.  I cut two leaf like shapes out of each fabric. 

Then  I sewed the six pieces together, one at a time.  I sewed the bottom of the pumpkin together.  Then I turned the fabric pumpkin inside out and stuffed!  And stuffed!

{first three pieces}

{all six, just need to sew the final seam}

{Ready to turn inside out!}

{stuffed!}

Using some brown yarn, I wrapped the pumpkin seams and tied them tightly, leaving the extra yarn still at the top.  I also tacked the yarn at the bottom and the top with a bit of brown thread, just so the yarn would stay close to the seams.

The stem rectangular shape (also on the template sheet for printing!) was simply folding a piece of brown or green felt and then sewing on the two sides.  Turn your stem inside out and stuff as well.  I then neatly handstitched the stem to the pumpkin, leaving the excess yarn off to the side.  After sewing, I took a bit of the yarn and wrapped it around the base of the stem a few times… and tied a knot.

Some pumpkins I made slightly taller by enlongating the six leaf shapes.  Some stems where slightly fatter as well.  Each pumpkin was a bit different, just like the ones in the patch.

Best part is, these will certainly last through Thanksgiving!

This month, we incorporated two new craft projects into our mantel.

Now, before I show you anything… I must write this disclaimer…. I love bunnies.  I had this adorable rabbit named Cottontail as a child.  I pretty much won’t even think about an Easter mantel that does not involve bunnies.   B, while she loves rabbits too, would like me to point out that this is the third month in a row our mantel has focused on animals.  No, we aren’t animal freaks, this simply happened by accident.  Really truly we do own other things!  Next month, I have already promised… no animals on our mantel. [insert picture of b dancing here]…

But without further ado… Our April mantel:

Two recent crafty projects are highlighted here….

One is the paint chip egg garland that B spotted over at shelterrific one day.  We are never in short supply of paint chips around here!  We cut some eggs, hole punched, and strung on some grey yarn.

The second is my new favorite things… bunny finger puppets that I spotted weeks ago at The Purl Bee.  I have become quite addicted to making them lately.  [and obsessed with putting them on my fingers and having impromptu puppet shows with them.]

I tried to tell myself that I was just playing with the twins and the puppets I made for them… but really, I play with mine too.   They are too cute not to grab from the mantel and hop around the room!

Speaking of twins….

I grabbed this shot of Dana and B giving K + E bunny ears during our last photoshoot!

The babies were more interested in eggs then bunnies, after all!

This is the other corner of the living room, on the sewing table.  The Easter tree lives here, as well as my Peter Rabbit book.   Oh, and more bunny figurines.  You cannot have too many bunnies!

Hoppy Easter says the bunny…..  Hope your weekend is filled with sun just like ours!

Sorry for the light blogging. I finished my work deadline today so i’ll be back in blogworld starting tomorrow.

I’ve been looking for some sewing patterns, especially a good apron one. When i find one i love, this will be the first fabric i buy, so cute!

I’m also pretty obsessed with the website it comes from, SuperBuzzy. There is nothing better than Japanese fabric design, and i can think of a project for just about anything they sell. For all of you out there with bambinos to spoil, watch out!

I might sew something up tonight, we’ll see. I have a lot of other things on the to do list, plus just closing my eyes and not looking at a computer is sounding pretty promising. Here’s to channeling the creative energy.