I’ve got my coffee and I’m ready to write. I can’t believe the color I pulled this morning and I’m thrilled because it’s RED! Just in time to make something new for Christmas. I’m always willing to use the color red since it’s my favorite and I love making red and white quilts. Oh, the possibilities of fabrics and what to make!
The Dirty Dozen Number is 2 – find your UFO numbered two or just pick a UFO and designate it as Number Two and work on it this month. Hopefully you’ll finish it and then send me a picture for this blog.
We finished cutting the pampas grass yesterday and many wondered why we bother to cut it. This is why.
- Iowa 77, S. Carolina 73
- Iowa vs South Carolina, 3-31-23
- Quilt Show! 3-30-23
- A quick note – 3-29-23
- Enthusiasm! 3-27-23
We have a locked entry so the dogs cannot possibly get out. The first gate opens outwards so they can’t push it open. The pampas grass grows along the sidewalk and when it snows and blows the snow stops right there making it hard to get out the gate – lots of shoveling is required. I know – what a stupid place to plant pampas grass!! We have used roundup on the left side of the sidewalk which has helped keep it clear.
Here is one of the loads.
The little building is the pump house. And this big roll of vines is that beautiful morning glory vine that I loved all summer.
Here’s another fall job we handled this week – covering the screened porch – always makes me sad.
Sent by a reader – the classiest trick or treat bag ever!
I have another lovely quilt show today – this from Mary Waller, a frequent commenter.
This could be November’s red challenge!
From Marsha:
In case I forgot to post this quilt – this is one I’ve always wanted to make! I love using the Tri-Rec ruler and this quilt always looks harder than it really is.
I love where this runner is photographed – another possibility for display!
I’ve received many photos this past week and it’s made for several great blog posts! If I’ve missed posting any that were sent, please let me know. I have just loved it and want to point out that you all should be sending me quilt photos for the blog! Why? Because we all love the quilt show!!!!
My coffee is gone and it’s time for me to go to the barn – it’s already 50 degrees here in North Iowa and the temps are on their way up. We have a lovely day ahead!
Beautiful and amazing quilts and projects! One after the other are so beautiful!!!! Thanks for sharing!!!!
I’m so inspired. I’m making a red and white pineapple quilt. All the blocks are done. Just have to sew them together and machine quilt. I’m wondering how to quilt it. Straight lines or circles? Does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks for all you do Mary.
My longarmer has always said, if it’s straight lines of pattern, use circles.
Dianna – if it were my quilt I’d choose circles – pineapple design sorta suggests circles to me.
This is the first month that I didn’t finish my color challenge! I’m a little sad, but now I have a UFO! I made that same red and green quilt that you showed. If you search the web, Temecula Quilt Co shared that pattern last year. She used templates, but I used my tri recs rulers to make it.
Jill – I love my tri-rec ruler and would make the quilt just so I could use it!!
Thank you for your blog! I really enjoy the quilt shows, except they make me realize how few I finish in a year. Also always amazed how much you accomplish every day— again makes me realize how little I do. So, thank you for all the inspiration!
Happy November Everyone! Prayers to all who are hurting in some way (which is most of us).
✝️ It’s All Saints Day.
Beautiful, plentiful quilts and completed projects. Something to be grateful for.
We used to have pompas grass, and my husband hated cutting it down in the fall. He ended up wrapping tape around it and then cut it off at the bottom with a chain saw or saws-all. Mary and Rick, your grass may be too big for that method. Looks like the dogs are having a blast, though.
What a great quilt show! Looks like I should be collecting Halloween fabric 🙂
Beautiful quilts today! I love it when people share their quilts. So inspirational – it’s fun to see patterns and colors used. I want to make a red and white quilt but just pin basted 7 quilts to be quilted. Three are Christmas quilts so I’ll be busy. Red and white will be next years project!
That pampas grass can be so striking in the summer but sure is a lot of work to prep for winter. The dogs look like they were enjoying it. Outside entertainment for them.
I’m down to the last 15 large pots of aloe. I’ve been pulling pups and repotting those that need it. Hopefully that will make the spring easier. I sure enjoy my aloes but they are a lot of work in fall and spring as I move them to and from the greenhouse.
A lovely assortment of quilts today. So many pretties. The quilt with the assorted baskets is striking and I’m not usually a fan of sampler style quilts. I have the last round of a space ship medallion quilt for our grandson to get put on today and then get started on quilting it. And our son has mentioned again that he is still waiting for his QOV. That’s 2 projects and both have red in them so will sew on one and cut the other for this months Dirty Dozen. We need to get started on fall clean up here. Hubby was gone all last week and I was down with a cold so hopefully this nice weather will last until I feel better. Right now, I’m sipping tea and debating if staying in my bathrobe all day is a better idea than getting dressed. Better have another cup of tea before I decide. Enjoy the day!
Oh, all the beautiful quilts! Such an inspiration! ❤️
Bonnie in Oregon
Mary Waller…I love your quilts. Thank you for sending them to Mary so we could see them too. The lantern and basket small quilts at the top are my favs, but I love all of them. You do great work!
The trick-or-treat bag is wonderful too. Lucky one to use that bag.
I am happy you drew red, Mary. I need a small red quilt for Christmas decorations. A lap size for the back of my wing chair, maybe.
Thanks for the compliment, but I can’t take credit the lantern and basket quilts – those are not mine. There are five of mine, all Fall and/or Halloween ones. You can identify mine by the sage green siding on the wall behind the quilts.
I love the location of the pumpkin table runner. I laughed, showed it to my hubby and he laughed. Had a early walk today before the wind and rain. I am finishing a quilt and will sent you a picture of it. Have a great day.
Thanks for the wonderful post, Mary. The projects are beautiful, and I always love seeing the animals. Three is such a cute little shadow; he really keeps tabs on you.
It looks like November here; all our beautiful October color is gone. However, we are having a warm, sunny day. 🥰
Beautiful quilts, very inspiring! And red was my sister’s fave color, too … mine is blue, but I’ll also use red in a heartbeat.
Looks like Hazel & Keeper have become buddies … very sweet photo of them catching some rays together!
Beautiful quilts!! People amaze me with their lovely creations. I saw Hazel in the brush. Have a great day! Hugs,
Mary Waller’s basket quilt is stunning.
Mary Waller did NOT made the basket quilt. There are five made by Mary Waller, all Fall and/or Halloween ones. You can identify mine by the sage green siding on the wall behind the quilts.
Mary – oh, darn – I was afraid I had that mixed up! I will correct tonight!
No sweat, Mary E. – we’re all good!
So many wonderful things to see today! The quilts are so pretty. The pumpkins on the back of the toilet bring a smile. The tote bag is so neat. Love the pics of your dogs enjoying the beautiful outdoors. I take my cross stitch along while my hubby is getting his radiation tratment , sure makes the time go fast. Am finishing up a cat quilt, cat blocks are sewed, now to squaring them up and putting together! wishing everyone a good day!
I guess I am lucky(?) all my grasses except the lawn itself,died out this summer. Love your posts everyday!
My #3 ufo is red so two birds with one stone.
Thanks for the time you put into sharing with all of us!
Gosh—–all the quilts are awesome…..fun to see .
The red, green & white quilt is on my want-to-make list too … I love it! Wonderful quilt show today, as always! I’m a quilter who doesn’t mind sewing off-season. All those Halloween quilts have me inspired to dig through my stash and start on a Halloween quilt for next year. I’ll work on it for awhile, then give it a time-out in December. I don’t really have any Christmas sewing to do this year.
I love the basket quilt!! Mary, is there a pattern or book with that pattern? It’s stunning!
It’s Anna’s Baskets from Laundry Basket Quilts.
Wow…that’s a lot of pampas grass! I wonder if you could make wreaths with the morning glory “vines “.
Jean Elliot – I’m sure YOU could make a wreath but I set it on fire – ha!!
Love the leaves quilt with the blue background. There is so much movement in that quilt. That being said, all of the quilts are great! Enjoy your beautiful day, Mary. Soon it will be cold and snowy.
That pampas grass is crazy! At least the dogs were making use of it. I love the basket quilt, reminds me of my collection of Longeberger, remember those days? Fall is my favorite time of year but it’s looking like it’s going to be cold soon enough.
Robin
Duluth MN
Robin – I DO remember those Longaberger days – I still have the Bankers Wastebasket in the original box. How can fall be your favorite season if you live in Duluth – and you know what’s coming next???
Remember when people thought Longaberger baskets were going to send their kids through college like those Beanie Babies were?!?! 😹😹. I just bought two of them for $4 and $6 . They probably cost at least $20.00 and $30.00 or more new! Both in excellent shape. I live about 3 miles from the big Longaberger basket building. It is really a neat building. Want me to send a picture?
Diane – sure, send a picture if you have one. I’m sure all of us own Longaberger baskets! I’ve seen the building but many have not, I’m sure.
Looks like you had a couple “supervisors” on the fall clean-up job. And what a job. I had to laugh when Lynn in AZ mentioned her husband using a chain saw to cut bunches of pampas grass. Not nearly so funny if you are the one who has to do it, though.
The little basket quilt and Marsha’s basket sampler are calling to me. I’ll have to take a second…third…fourth look at the Cherry Basket quilt in Fresh Start Quilts.
Thanks for the quilt show everyone!
I enjoyed the quilt show, We have many talented quilters. I also want to make that last quilt. I have a triangle in a square die to cut the tri-rec blocks. Now all I need is more time!
I feel so inspired each time we have a quilt show here! I love how readers so generously share what they make with us all. Thank you as it’s a good incentive. Fall colors are my favorite so I enjoy seeing what others make with them.
I am making some pillowcases out of trucks and construction fabric for two little refugee boys who are enthralled with vehicles so they are going to them tomorrow. We just got in from early voting and picked up a sub to go with some homemade broccoli and cheddar soup so I have the night to finish some projects. We might have record high temps this coming weekend so will finish yard work then as I have some vines I need to pull out. Stuff just takes over if we don’t stay ahead of it.
Wow, Mary and everyone who sent quilt pictures. So many great quilts and I love the Halloween bag. Thank you for your great posts, and I also really enjoy seeing the farm. Now on to November.
Hi Mary, off to see my husband today, restock his toiletries, then see movie, Mrs Harris goes to Paris, Jason had good reviews, next think about what quilt I can use in bathroom, or maybe make one! A bit of a laugh, and we all need one of those occasionally. Take care everyone, best wishes from Sandy
Oh, Sandy, I love Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. The Angela Lansbury version.
Funny thing, you pulling red. I decided that my monthly thing to do is finish a UFO before I allow my self to work on whatever else is going on in the sewing room. Last month, orange… two Halloween things from about three decades ago are done, thank goodness.
So today I picked up something that I will graciously call a PIG (project in grocery bag, another acronym for UFO). This project is a real PIG, no amount of lipstick is going to turn it into a “silk purse” …
It is one of my very first projects, a rail fence. Nothing could be simpler, right? Wrong!!! It has a triangle setting, to start with. And I was brand new to sewing. And I had a one year old and a two year old at the time, and I thought sewing would be relaxing, so very wrong!
So… quarter inch seams? Nope.
Small stitch length? Nope.
Pressed in uniform directions? Nope.
Threads cleaned up? Nope.
Omg, this pig won’t fly! But I’m doing my best to turn it into something warm at least.
Today the threads were cleaned up, I re-pressed as best I could, re-sewed some sad seam endings that were loose.
There were only three finished rows that needed to be sewn together, got it done, and I remember with sadness the Christmas this red, green and white queen sized quilt was supposed to be finished. I had so little left to do, just those three seams, but on Christmas Eve morning I just did not have enough time to get it done. And the whole family mocked me mercilessly for “biting off more than I could chew” and “thinking I was so creative” etc etc. I worked full time with two babies and little support, so it didn’t help my self image much, and I just shoved it in a bag and “let it go”.
But today I attacked it with joy, knowing it will get done this week and give someone joy! And gave thanks for all the support I do get in life!
Carol – what a story! Women are so strong, so capable and so industrious – I understand perfectly why you started this quilt and why you didn’t just chuck it years ago. I also understand families who do not give credit where credit is due. I can’t wait to see it!!
I can’t wait, too! It’s looking so much better already. Perseverance.
The snowman quilt reminds me of a cookie sheet with decorated men, ready to eat. Love it?
Whew! I feel like a slug.🙀. I am lucky to finish one a month. Wow! Great show.
I have a bin of red and cream fabrics that I have been saving for a red and white snowball quilt like you featured on your blog some time ago. This will be a good time to start it. The quilt show today is fantastic!
Loved seeing all of the wonderful quilts this morning. Nice work ladies. Mary, I’m curious about the plastic covering you use on your porch. How do you attach it? Do you secure the two pieces together at the grommets? It looks like it might be a better solution for us to use on our porch in Maine.
Ginger – the heavy plastic panels are custom made with grommets that use a turn key sort of attachment on the porch wood. It’s very easy to do but not from a ladder so Rick built a platform with side supports on the back of the golf cart so I don’t fall off. He drives and I put them on. Would you like more detailed pictures?
Yes Please. We have premade panels made by my “not a carpenter”Dad 64 years ago. Every fall we think this will be the last year but they are still hanging on. Biggest problem is my husband and i are in our 70’s and they are getting more difficult and probably dangerous for us to put up and take down. We are always looking for a more streamline way of doing things. We get wind and snow off the lake but I thought your panels must take quite a beating in Iowa winters. Thanks Mary.
Mary, I was wondering the same thing….my husband and I are getting older and our patio is such a chore. I staple up plastic then staple fiber strips to hold it on. I am getting ready to do it and I saw your picture….was trying to figure out how you did yours…
It really is an Indian Summer kind of day in North Central Iowa! I’ve been outside cleaning up flowerbeds, putting garden trinkets away, and just enjoying the weather. Too bad we can’t bottle days like this to open on those cold winter days ahead.
WoW, the quilt show is just beautiful, you readers are so ambitious. That Pampas grass looks like a lot of hard work!! Little rainy today but warm & even warmer this weekend! Maybe I can get my shrubs trimmed!!
Do you trim your hydrangeas back? If so, how far??
Aww, love the quilts, especially the snowmen and the bright stars one! You stay so busy with your work outside too. 🥰
Ooh great quilts today’ I estlove the Halloween stars one !