bats

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

(tomorrow)

 

 

TRICK OR TREAT?

A couple of treats I stitched up in my bat cave (yesterday).

 

~b



out and about zipper bag

I have been experimenting with smaller bags...

 geared toward younger girls/women.

 

 

After all...young people don't carry

  the kitchen sink like I do.

 

 

I think the fabrics are young, fun and funky.

 

 

~b

 

 



LOST

 

Grandma got commissioned to make

 another soft/busy book.

Let me tell you...

the second one was not as fun as making the first one.

 



 

There were a few more elements in making this book...

button holes, snaps, elastic, zippers, Velcro, buckles

 

 

You see Delainee can't find the first book I made her.

She may have returned it to the library with the rest of her books?

Or shared it with a friend who has yet to return it?

Or maybe she just hid it hoping (knowing) 

grandma would make her another one.

 

 

Maybe the dogs carried it away.

 

 

Hang onto this one Delainee...

I think it is my last.

 

 

~with love, grama

 



eclectic

I picked up a stack of Tim Holtz "ECLECTIC ELEMENTS"

fabric at my new favorite shop

The Prairie Preservationist.

 

 

I cut right into them!

They are "that cool" that they didn't end up in my stash

to not be seen in over a year.

 

 

Each cut was a fat quarter which called for small projects.

Cross body bags...

 

 

checkbook covers...

 

 

and pencil pouches.

I will definitely be going back for more of this fabric.

 

And all of these items will be available to purchase

at The Prairie Preservationist.

 

~b



primitives

A week from tomorrow we will be

 handing out trick or treat candy.

 

 

Which means I better get it "on the list."

 

 

I have been wanting to make primitives for a very long time.

I finally got to it and they turned out to be a ton of work...

but so cute!

 

 

It was one of those projects where a few mistakes

and grungy is a good thing.

 

 

Have a great weekend...

~b

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



scrappy

Scrappy quilts are my favorite...

the way quilts were originally intended right?

 

scrappy maple leaf block

 

I'm calling this square for my Farm Girl Vintage quilt

the"Iowa maple leaf" block

 

 

I bought "my scraps" at the Fons & Porter Quilt shop

in Madison County Iowa.

Madison County is also famous for it's covered bridges.

Remember the movie...

The Bridges of Madison County

with Clint Eastwood?

 

 

It was a beautiful day to be shooting covered bridges...

even if the leaves weren't in full color yet.

 

 

 

I'm hoping to do a canvas of one of our pictures.

 

 

~b



pheasants

It was South Dakota's pheasant opener this weekend.

 

 

It's nice to see all the orange hats and vests

 as well as the out-of-state license plates visiting our great state.

 

 

It was a beautiful weekend to be tromping around in the country.

I haven't heard how the hunters did but I always cheer for the pheasant team.

 

 

This little hunter didn't last long in the North Dakota fresh air.

 

 

Daughter knit and pearl decided

 to be a hunter this year and got her first pheasant.

 

~b

 

 

 

 



sew sweet

I absolutely adore fabric with letters and words on it.

And this bag is full of them...

PATCHWORK

blocks

GREEN

EMBROIDERY

fabric

stitch...

 

 

There are four fabrics in all.

And an antique button!

 

Then there's the lining...

with lots of pockets.

 

I will be making more of these.

 

 

SWEET!

 

~b

 



October pumpkins

We saw lots and lots of pumpkins on our travels last week...

 

 

at farm stands beside the road...

 

 

and at greenhouses.

 

 

Oh! how I love fall.

Most farms had a small fall display on their front steps.

Don't you wish Christmas was this easy?

 

patchwork pumpkin block

 

I have been saving this pumpkin block for October.

It will go in my Farm Girl Vintage quilt.

30 different orange fabrics!

And I had enough.

I have been trying to strictly use my stash fabrics for this quilt.

I did buy a few prints in Iowa and I will show you why soon.

 

~b

 



Iowa

Where have all the bakeries gone?

 

 

We found them in Iowa!

And the scale says we stopped at every one of them in our path.

This one was in Spencer, Iowa

 where we bought a maple glazed doughnut with bacon on top.

Strange combination isn't it?

I wouldn't say it was my favorite.

I prefer my bacon with eggs.

 

 

Spencer is also where my great-grandparents are buried...

 

 

which is the real reason we planned our route through here.

~b

 

 



Over the river

We are home again...

jiggety-jig!

 

 

Six states and 2,197.7 miles of corn, barns and river scenery.

From the Missouri river to the Mississippi river...

 

We had a great trip.

 

~b

 

 

 

 

             

take a little trip

Take a little trip...

 

 

Take a little trip, take a little trip
Take a little trip and see
Take a little trip, take a little trip
Take a little trip with me

 

See you next week.

Hopefully I will have lots of gorgeous shots

of the fall foliage.

 

~b