Off the needles......

That's right. I completed my first pair of socks last night! I followed two different sets of instructions, so they are slightly different. Both are a simple sock pattern. When I finished the first one, it was too long in the foot and leg, so I changed the sizing on the second one. They are both slightly slouchy, so you really can't tell the difference. I'm off to get started on another pair with the intention of finishing them before the end of the year........

Coming along nicely.........

I'm having so much fun making these 'mini' stockings ! Will do a few more.....then on to something else, like finishing the socks I started last year......

Rhonda, textile artist and runner.......

I met Rhonda the same way I met Janice and Doris. We have taken classes together at the local quilt shop and also attended workshops with Gwen Marston through the Austin Quilt Guild. Today she shared with us a hexagon quilt that she is working on using an assortment of beautiful and colorful fabrics using the English paper piecing method. I think she plans to make it on the design of a 'Grandmother's Garden' quilt. It is going to be beautiful. We are also following her progress on her 'Wave' crochet blanket in some fabulous colors. She brought along some sweet pin keeps and a cross-stitch piece that she will be making into a needle book as well. Oh.....and did I mention she is training for her first marathon in the new year! She is running approximately 12 miles every other day and if you follow the weather in Austin, we have had record heat all summer! We are all amazed at what she accomplishes .

I am very blessed to know Rhonda and Janice and Doris. I hope you have enjoyed our 'show and tell'. Until next month.......

My friend Janice.....

I previously mentioned where I met Janice but I didn't mention that she taught me everything I know about hand applique. I took a Baltimore quilt class from her and then a Dear Jane class. I finished the Baltimore quilt, but Dear Jane is still waiting.....Janice's hand applique is beautiful and she also favors hand quilting. She has inspired me to improve my hand sewing skills and introduced me to the world of reproduction fabrics. Today, for show and tell, Janice brought a pumpkin table runner and a pumpkin quilt that we had seen at the Austin Quilt show last year. She has also been working on a punchneedle pumpkin piece that she shared with us and a new 'Wave Pattern' crochet blanket that she recently started.

Here's Doris.....

I met Doris through a local quilt shop in Northwest Austin and she and Janice, you'll meet her later, are childhood friends. They grew up in Austin and have been a great source of knowledge and inspiration over the past few years. Doris shared a pumpkin quilt with us today. It is a Thimbleberries pattern and it was delightful! She is also a very talented 'paper crafter' and she brought along another quilt that she is hand quilting to work on today. Thanks for sharing it with us Doris! P.S. She says Hallmark has those black 'feather like' trees that I use to hang my Halloween stockings on in a previous post.

Sewing Bee.......

I have a wonderful group of friends that I have made since moving to Austin over 4 years ago. It seems like we have been friends much longer. We meet once a month at my house for our sewing bee and it is truly my favorite day of every month. Our challenge for today was pumpkins. Rhonda brought me the beautiful pumpkins to decorate my table and Janice brought pumpkin bread, sliced with cream cheese filling, to share during lunch. The next posts will be individual posts to introduce you to my friends, alphabetically, and I'm sure you will agree, they are very talented and I'm very lucky to know them.

Stocking No. 2......

Yep! I'm almost finished with my second Halloween stocking.... It's really cute! I'm sure they will be multiplying........

Oh yeah, almost forgot, in a previous post with my first stocking, it is hanging on a black 'feather' tree. Someone asked where I got the tree and I have had it for a few years and can't remember where I got it. It is actually 'feather-like' .

Hallowe'en -1904......finished!

Just finished this quilt last night. New quilt pattern, Hallowe'en 1904 from Blackbird Designs and I used fabric from a kit I purchased from Common Threads, www.commonthreadsquilting.com, in Waxahachie,Texas Machine pieced, machine appliqued and machine quilted. I love it! I hope you enjoy it as well. I have been working on several other projects over the past couple of weeks and they are almost finished. Just had to get this one done and on my guest bed.

Almost feels like Fall around here, as we have had rain for the past five days and cooler weather. We were one day shy of breaking the record for most days over 100 degrees! Yikes! I'm glad we didn't break that one. We have also been a a drought for the past two years, so our lawns are almost gone.....maybe it's time to add more landscaping and reduce the area of grass.

Enjoy the day.....

Halloween stocking.......

I love these little stockings from Blackbird Designs and I just happened to have a small black feather tree to display them on. I just need to finish a few more......

In my sewing room.....

I've been in my sewing room for the past couple of weeks beginning and finishing some Halloween projects. Here's a look at what I've been working on......